Security issues have loomed large in the news recently. Security firm G4S’ fumbling over their Olympics contract and the interrogation of their big boss Nick Buckles has been all over the papers and the TV of late. However, G4S’ haven’t managed to supply the amount of security staff that the games demand. How much of a problem did this bring though? The government’s swift action of enlisting the help of the military to cover the shortfall shows how seriously they take the matter. As well as this, we’ve seen pictures in the news over the past few weeks of the massive snaking queues in Border Control at Heathrow Airport. The mixture of stricter security measures and new staff have meant that some people have had to queues for hours to get in the country and suspected terrorists have slipped through the net!
Necessity
Obviously, there has to be security measures at airports to some degree. After all, it’s not a great idea to let gangs of machine gun-toting terrorist’s board planes. But on the other hand, it’s not a particularly nice idea to think that everyone trying to go on holiday will be patted down, prodded and interrogated by airport staff. No one wants to hear the snap of the latex glove when they’re thinking about what duty free to pick up. So a balance has to be struck. How can we all be safe but not harassed? Secure but not have our personal dignity and basic rights impinged on?
Sadly, we at Carrentals are unable to help with this so we’ll have to leave that one up to Government to decide. So what security measures has the Government got in place and what can we do ourselves to contribute towards Airports being safe and secure?
Scanners
The main goal of security measures at places like Heathrow and Gatwick is basically to keep weapons and bombs from getting in the air. That’s why hand-held scanners and metal detectors have been brought in and liquids banned. Some US Airports even have full body scanners which are usually used as an alternative to the rather intrusive full body pat-down (and we mean full body). These X-ray scanners allow security staff to see passengers sans clothing, to ensure they’re not smuggling anything on board. Effectively, they can ogle you naked. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a massive public backlash against the initiative but in the absence of any viable alternatives, it looks as though these types of procedures are here to stay.
How can you contribute help keep Airports secure?
Firstly, don’t leave your bags unattended – this could result in causing an unnecessary bomb scare and it’s simply not worth the hassle!
Secondly, keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour. Keep calm and inconspicuously alert Security and let the professionals handle the situation.
And last but not least, help speed up queuing times at Border Control by waiting with your Passport ready and fully co-operate with checks when going through security.
We hope our tips have been useful to you. Now we want to hear your views on Airport Security!
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