My work means I fly a lot, mostly in Europe, and I'm well used to navigating my way through security and all its restrictions, writes Brian Byrne. I don't begrudge what needs to be done to make my flight safe. I'm easy with slipping out my iPad, and often another computing machine, into a separate tray for checking through the X-Ray machine. Belt comes off too, and if I'm not wearing my customary sandals, shoes occasionally have to also come off.
I don't bring any more toiletries than a small tube of toothpaste (obviously I'm not a metro man), so that's easily accessed from the outside pocket of my carry-on, and mostly I can go through the metal detector without needing a pat-down. And the bulk of those have probably been random decisions built into the machine to make everyone more cautious. I've also gotten quite used to having my electronic equipment picked out for supplementary checks for explosives.
Different countries, indeed different airports within them, have variably stringent checks through their security systems. The officials in Germany tend to be businesslike, French grumpy, Spanish very variable in attitude, Italians not particularly fussy but usually slow. In Ireland, rarely other than friendly but always alert. I've been doing it long enough now to take whatever situation comes up in my stride.
British airports are more difficult. The UK Border Service now operates a security system that is probably more onerous than is experienced in Israel and on its national airline El Al. Well, maybe not quite — and I've been there — but it's a close run thing.
Over the years, before and since 9-11, I've travelled many times to and from the US. I have family there, and also I've gone as part of my work from time to time. The TSA is responsible for security at all US airports, and I've always found them to be very thorough, mannered, and straightforward. They don't smile though, and I can understand why that can be intimidating. Still, I've never had a problem. I get with the programme, whatever the programme requires (or even program, in this instance). And the US has its own obvious reasons to be vigilant about its airline safety.
Recently I came home from a family gathering trip to the US. Arriving at JFK's Terminal 5, where Aer Lingus has a position with its US JetBlue partner. The TSA operation was a quick swab of both hands for explosives, and a walk-through (or thru) of a metal detector after putting carry-ons through the X-Ray machine.
Thing is, signs specifically said that we did NOT need to take laptops out, remove belts, take off shoes, or put toiletries in a special bag and tray. And, maybe confused by all this, just before I went through the metal detector, I realised that I still had a wallet with coins in my pocket and held it up, looking for a tray to put it into. The TSA officer beyond the machine just called me through, took it from me (the machine didn't even beep), opened it and handed it back. No big deal.
You might say that was because I was going home to Ireland, and it didn't matter to them. But the JetBlue terminal handles a vast number of domestic flights every day, all passengers going through the same place we were. And all the 9-11 flights that caused the devastation at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and the flight believed to have been targeted at the White House but foiled by the bravery of the passengers, were domestic.
This was the day before the latest anniversary of 9-11. The previous day we had spent time at the sombre memorial at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. Probably by design, even scary. But I didn't feel any less safe getting on the green bird Aer Lingus flight back to Ireland after an unexpectedly easy, but simply efficient security transit.
What I did wonder was, what kind of security industry has such a hold on Europe that we're still not able to take with us a bottle of water, or even a bottle of wine or two which we have bought outside the airport, in our carry-ons? Or which still requires us to take our computers and iPads out of our bags? And our belts off and sometimes our shoes too? Or needs to take our pictures as we go through UK airports? Why all this when the country with the most fear, and experience, of spectacular aircraft-based terrorist events is confident enough in its systems to be, on perception, much less paranoid in its implementation of security?
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I'd be thinking of lobby interests. Specifically, the airport shops industry, which is now the only way you can take through the system here a few bottles of alcoholic nature, unless you are putting luggage in the hold. Something I never do when travelling through Europe, as I go with the axiom 'if it doesn't fit in carry-on, it doesn't come'.
I'm not into such conspiracy. But if I was, well, I'm only sayin' ...
