View Full Version : "did you pack your bag yourself?"
seedy100
08-02-11, 09:14 PM
So; You turn up at the airport.
They ask that question.
What happens if you say no?
if its Manchester they have a serious sense of humour failure and ruin your day. Stupid really.
Bluefish
08-02-11, 09:25 PM
just don't tell them there's a bomb in there, they really don't like that apparently ;)
Dont say what my mate did on our way to Tenerife, "have you left your bags unattended at anytime?"
Only for 2 minutes, but that nice asian man with a backpack kept an eye on them while I went the bogs
Cue the next 5 minutes with him looking like a naughty schoolboy getting a dressing down about airport security :laughat: we sat there praying he'd get the rubber glove treatment
keith_d
08-02-11, 09:36 PM
just don't tell them there's a bomb in there, they really don't like that apparently ;)
I have some vague recollection that a woman in the was jailed for joking about having a bomb in her luggage.
Dave20046
08-02-11, 09:46 PM
So; You turn up at the airport.
They ask that question.
What happens if you say no?
They make things very awkward :(
dizzyblonde
08-02-11, 09:49 PM
ow do seedy, not seen you round these parts for a while!
_Stretchie_
08-02-11, 11:45 PM
if its Manchester they have a serious sense of humour failure and ruin your day. Stupid really.
I had a woman at the check in desk at Manchester airport ask me if I had anything sharp in my suitcase...
I said "Only my clothes", my mate looked mortified, his mum who dropped us off doubled up and the lass on the desk looked like I just told her I had a collection of home made shanks.... AND I got a wing seat for a 10 hour flight.... I'm sure she was the cause of that
davepreston
09-02-11, 06:42 AM
they like it less when you get called back to oversized baggage after youve been thru security to ask why you have weapons parts in your bag (in belfast city airport), mmmmm sorry was in a rush worked thankfully
or when you go thru manchester airport and the alarms go mental after they have swiped your laptop for trace, but you didnt think that you'd been on the range all day with it would be important, mmmm could we have a word in the side room please, folloed by 5 min explination ,worked on the 4 nice mp5 wielding men aiming at me at the time
but surely everyone has encountered such silly oversights
i mean come on, its not like you come across many 6 foot, irish accented ,shifty looking ,type terrorists do you
_Stretchie_
09-02-11, 09:18 AM
: )
"Did you pack your own bag?"
It's a ridiculous question, how many people are going to say no? (apart from those that just want to know what happens when you do!).
SoulKiss
09-02-11, 10:31 AM
"Did you pack your own bag?"
It's a ridiculous question, how many people are going to say no? (apart from those that just want to know what happens when you do!).
If they then check your bag and find something, you have already admitted that you put it there.
Makes it a lot easier to deal with you then, you have already confessed.
If they then check your bag and find something, you have already admitted that you put it there.
Makes it a lot easier to deal with you then, you have already confessed.
It's not a confession though, it doesn't prove that someone else didn't slip it in your bag. Perhaps he nodded off for 5 minutes after waiting 6 hours for a delayed flight...
Owenski
09-02-11, 10:38 AM
I've said "I didnt but the misses did" and even that didnt go down well. I'd never dare to feck about in an airport its like laughing at a funeral, even the ones who also find it funny will scawn you for life.
SoulKiss
09-02-11, 10:52 AM
It's not a confession though, it doesn't prove that someone else didn't slip it in your bag. Perhaps he nodded off for 5 minutes after waiting 6 hours for a delayed flight...
The question is usually along the lines of
"Did you pack your bag yourself, did anyone give you anything to take for them and could anyone have tampered with your luggage"
Even if you nodded off, then you are responsible if you answer No to those questions.
Thats what luggage padlocks are for...
Quiff Wichard
09-02-11, 11:16 AM
have you left your bag unattended at any time.
YES .. it's been in the loft for 11months !!!
PsychoCannon
09-02-11, 11:17 AM
Only ever had two incidents at airports, one was a simple case of visiting NY and the finger print scanners insisting I didn't have any fingerprints :rolleyes:
The other was a bit errr...hairier.
Going to Neuchatel or Vienna (I forget which) and I've landed at the far side, it's a fairlt small airport.
I've ridden to Heathrow so have my helmet, tank bag etc as hand luggage.
Tank bag goes through security at the far side which is basically a waist high desk with an operator in slapping distance and a conveyor.
Put the tank bag in and having never really had a good close look at the screens (this being an perfect chance) i stand to watch it appear on the monitor.
Lets put it this way, 8 very strong magnets glowing red was funny enough.
The Laptop cables etc wound around the outside of the bag making it look like they are linking up these glowing red dots was funnier still.
The Circuit board of my SAT Nav sat happily at the top of all this was the icing on the cake and I just started laughing.
A nervous security guy does a double take at me then the screen and I decide (Without really thinking about it) to take a photo of it.
It all seems to go slow motion here, I reach behind me and pull out my mobile and point it at the screen while giggling like a school boy to take a photo.
Security guy goes pale and bunny in the headlight eyes then tries to dive under the desk, misses, and nearly knocks himself out as he smacks his head on the desk.
It takes a few seconds for it to sink in for me why he did that and my exact words as secuirty guards start decending on me are "...oh....err..right.."
Lets just say survival instinct had my hands in the air waving the phone around (probably not the best idea), thank god they weren't armed!, and a quick explanation at the desk had me continue on my way, note to self: don't try that in America, especially if the scanners telling them I have no finger prints :)
Thats what luggage padlocks are for...
if you've ever flown out of America you will know not to bother padlocking your luggage. They'll just break it off.
SoulKiss
09-02-11, 11:26 AM
if you've ever flown out of America you will know not to bother padlocking your luggage. They'll just break it off.
I was talking about while its in the airport, to guard against theft/tampering.
As you point out, the airline/security/customs have the right to open your luggage no matter what.
Owenski
09-02-11, 11:32 AM
I was talking about while its in the airport, to guard against theft/tampering.
As you point out, the airline/security/customs have the right to open your luggage no matter what.
When we travelled to Kenya I noticed that "the right to open your case" was used on some of the fabric cases, it had involved a stanley knief. Amazingly there were a few tourists stood about not too impressed that they're case had been ruined but also that they camera/videocam etc seem to have accidently fallen through the gap somewhere en-route.
Biker Biggles
09-02-11, 11:36 AM
Used to happen at thiefrow all the time
Probably still does
Littlepeahead
09-02-11, 01:21 PM
Coming back from Ireland I had checked in my bags and then as I went through with hand luggage they politly asked if I had anything like a metal comb or nail file in my bag. Er no, I don't think so.
They then asked me to empty my bag. At which point I was rather embarrassed to have to get out my teddy (I was 29 at the time) and then found my blooming great Swiss Army knife that I'd forgotten to pack in my hold luggage. Ah - so that's is what's setting off the metal detector.
To be fair, Ryanair and the airport staff were great - oncer they'd stopped laughing at my raggy old teddy. They allowed me to go and give the knife to the check in desk who tracked down my hold luggage and slipped the knife into an unlocked side pocket - where I retrieved it in London.
timwilky
09-02-11, 02:01 PM
I once had to travel to Turin, but working for a French company I have to travel via France.
So Manchester -> Paris -> Turin return Turin->Paris and fail going through to Manchester.
It turns out the wife had put scissors in my toilet bag last time we had been away and bag had been put straight into my travel bag, and only picked up after I had travelled on 2 separate aircraft. Of course I was not happy with her.
On a separate occasion I was found to have a dogs plastic squeaky toy welly in the arm pocket of a jacket, despite not owning a dog. Turns out the landlord of one of my locals had done it. I returned it to him at full speed on my return.
tigersaw
09-02-11, 02:19 PM
I've worked at airports for 30 years. I'm still not trusted to take a yoghurt airside.
the_lone_wolf
09-02-11, 02:21 PM
I've worked at airports for 30 years. I'm still not trusted to take a yoghurt airside.
Of course not, for all they know it could be an Islamic Müller...
;)
_Stretchie_
09-02-11, 02:57 PM
Of course not, for all they know it could be an Islamic Müller...
#-o
the_lone_wolf
09-02-11, 03:12 PM
#-o
Did I spell that correctly???
;)
Ceri JC
09-02-11, 04:37 PM
if you've ever flown out of America you will know not to bother padlocking your luggage. They'll just break it off.
Whereas in civilised countries, they simply use a biro to open the zip, they zip it back and forth to reseal it, once they've search your bag. I dare say that the "bad guys" know the same trick.
I and a friend were searched coming back from Holland. It made a bit of a mockery of the "did you pack your own bags" when he asked whose bag was whose and we said we both had stuff in both bags. They never queried this, but were less than amused when both of us denied any knowledge of the large cocaine-package looking parcel wrapped in brown paper. It was some cheese my mate had bought and forgotten about. Oh how we laughed.
metalangel
10-02-11, 06:31 AM
I used to work in an airport as a passenger agent, and got to ask those questions... did you pack the bag yourself, have you left it unattended at any time, has anyone asked you to take anything on the flight... and (as it was 2003 and trrizts were still planning to eat our children) have you got anything sharp or with an electrical cord in your carry-on bag?
If you don't answer appropriately, you have a big problem. Securicor and special branch will want a word, and they are very big and strong. I saw plenty of chavs being led away (followed by a furious missus telling him what an idiot he is and that she's still going to Alicante whether they let him travel or not) after making a stupid joke to the security staff like 'don't pat me down there mate, you'll set my bomb off'.
A mate of mine came back from Amsterdam once, completely forgot about a bag with a small amount of weed at the bottom of his rucksack.
They found it at the airport, and the Dutch took him to a side room. We thought it was over for him. Actually, all that happened was he signed a statement 'acknowledging' the fact that his weed has to be confiscated, and that was all, have a safe journey mate.
Altho I guess it probably happens frequently over there which is why they probably have this approach.
I was 10 and bought one of those extendable forks from Italy that you can use to nab peoples food from across the dinner table, but I didn't check it in and it got confiscated. I was so naieve at the time thinking who would wanna use my fork as a weapon, this officer just wants the fork for himself. It was an awesome fork, sad times.
LankyIanB
10-02-11, 10:54 AM
Some years ago (before 9/11 and all that) a couple of colleagues were "collected" by security in the departure lounge, they had been discussing a work issue about Bills of Material. Unfortunately they were using the acronym BOM and another passenger had overheard them and got worried..... They did make the flight but it took a bit of explaining...
I sadly spend a lot of time in airports... if you **** them off once they don't forget. I presume your name gets a mark against it so when your passport is scanned in they take the **** a bit. A colleague left his laptop in his bag and then made a joke about it in a German airport...he's been frisked and had his bag emptied EVERY time since when in europe.
The americans have a serious failure in humor too. My girlfriend flew to New York a month or so ago and she was interogated when she got off the flight because she was sweating so she must have something to hide... it had been the most turbulent flight she has ever been on and she doesn't like flying FFS :rolleyes:
tigersaw
10-02-11, 12:40 PM
On holiday in Tenerife about 20 years ago, a coulpe of chavs were a real nusiance around the pool, bar, hotel, everywhere, annoying everyone and especially the girls. I had a word and got abuse, so made a call back home, to my chums at the airport.
I'll always remember managing to catch their eye and smile as we disembarked, as they were led away for a thorough interrogation. :)
seedy100
10-02-11, 07:33 PM
The question was prompted by a recent incident at work where I needed to get a flight at short notice.
While I was driving home to pick up clothes etc the Mrs packed me a bag.
When I got to the airport (Stanstead) I lied.
I just wondered what would have happened if I has told the truth.
Hi dizzy; thanks for noticeing.
Hopefully I will have a bit more input for a bit.
Davadvice
10-02-11, 08:49 PM
Only ever had two incidents at airports, one was a simple case of visiting NY and the finger print scanners insisting I didn't have any fingerprints :rolleyes:
The other was a bit errr...hairier.
Going to Neuchatel or Vienna (I forget which) and I've landed at the far side, it's a fairlt small airport.
I've ridden to Heathrow so have my helmet, tank bag etc as hand luggage.
Tank bag goes through security at the far side which is basically a waist high desk with an operator in slapping distance and a conveyor.
Put the tank bag in and having never really had a good close look at the screens (this being an perfect chance) i stand to watch it appear on the monitor.
Lets put it this way, 8 very strong magnets glowing red was funny enough.
The Laptop cables etc wound around the outside of the bag making it look like they are linking up these glowing red dots was funnier still.
The Circuit board of my SAT Nav sat happily at the top of all this was the icing on the cake and I just started laughing.
A nervous security guy does a double take at me then the screen and I decide (Without really thinking about it) to take a photo of it.
It all seems to go slow motion here, I reach behind me and pull out my mobile and point it at the screen while giggling like a school boy to take a photo.
Security guy goes pale and bunny in the headlight eyes then tries to dive under the desk, misses, and nearly knocks himself out as he smacks his head on the desk.
It takes a few seconds for it to sink in for me why he did that and my exact words as secuirty guards start decending on me are "...oh....err..right.."
Lets just say survival instinct had my hands in the air waving the phone around (probably not the best idea), thank god they weren't armed!, and a quick explanation at the desk had me continue on my way, note to self: don't try that in America, especially if the scanners telling them I have no finger prints :)
i have just laught uncontrolably for the last 5 min thank you so much
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