Shortly after 9/11, I went to Holland with my wife. On my return trip out of Schipol, they swabbed my bags and backpack and picked up trace amounts of gunpowder on the inside of my backpack that a week earlier I'd used while target shooting in the USA to carry back home my fired brass cartridge cases. They inspected the lining of the bag thoroughly before they let me continue, and I thought it was over until a Dutch government security agent (who reminded us precisely of the young SS officer at the train station from 'Schindler's List') came along at checkpoint #2 and gave me a rapid fire twenty-question rundown on what bags were mine, please point at them specifically, who packed them, to swear before God they're mine, what's my destination, where I'd been in Europe, what's my grandfather's middle name, would I object to being X-rayed up the wazoo, and so on. Once he was done questioning me, he opened them up and inspected them right there.
I thought it was just me that he was singling out, but he did that to everyone on the flight headed to New York's JFK.
I can't believe that they missed fireworks. Oh, I can believe that the TSA would miss fireworks, but not at Amsterdam Schipol. There were police walking patrolling in pairs of two with Hk MP5 submachine guns just looking like they wish something would happen so they could earn their pay.
Hard to believe that someone would insert fireworks into places where they can’t be detected.... If fireworks can’t be detected, then what of C4 or some similar compound?
Wow. My story isn’t that bad but last month I was flying from CA back home after packing up some of our stuff for the move.
I always travel with a lot of electronics, in my backpack I had my laptop, my palm pilot, my husband’s palm pilot, 2 cell phones, ipod and digital camera.
I also had a garment bag as carry on and in the garment bag was some of my husband’s business suits (he stayed home but wanted me to bring them back). The night before, after I had all packed up, I realized I forgot to pack our wireless router so I just threw it in the garment bag since my backpack was full.
I get stopped by security. Why do I have all these electronics? why 2 palms? why 2 cell phones? Why am I carrying a wireless router? Why do I have men’s clothes (btw I am 5’ and petite, hubby is 6’ and broad shouldered, no way would his clothes fit me)? Why did I pack it in the garment bag? Where have I been? Where am I going? How tall is my husband? Why isn’t he with me?
Then they took out ALL of the electronics, scanned them twice, scanned both bags twice, wanded me (which is fun b/c I have dental implants) and finally let me go.
And this guy gets on with explosives?
Schipol has great security. I’ve gone through there maybe 12 times. 2 full security checks. I had my bags taken off the plane once because after a 12 minute grilling they weren’t satisfied that my overdrive box ( a guitar stomp box )was a harmless electronic device. After a full search and more grilling they let me go to the head of the line and offered apologies.The 1 guy told me they do that a lot and after all “ I get to stay on the ground , YOU are the guy who will be in the air in a few minutes”. Good point I though. These security people are also experts in body language and eye movement. If you were planning something stupid to do on the fligt you’d be shittin bricks with the interrogation they give you.