Why do airport security staff over exaggerate the rules and throw a wobbly when challenged?

Question

Also, why French people need to be nasty when they hear one speaks English? I just flew back from Charles de Gaulle airport and at security, the guy searched my bag cause I forgot to put some small items into a plastic bag. He tossed my stuff out into a container and said "You can't take zis deodarant, it's 120ml!" (it was half!), "You can't take zis parfume!"(50ml), "not this hair gel"(50ml), "not this medical ointment"(6ml), "not the toothpaste", "becuze you don't hav plastique beg"

Confusingly Heathrow provides plastic bags? I did dig out 1 little plastic bag, which I managed to fill with some bits I POLITELY insisted on having back, like the perfume and ointment, but he then grabbed everything and SHOUTED out loud, "NO NO NO you can't have it, It's too late!". BOILING, I thought, #%& man, WHY so Nasty? He was beside himself and for what? I had no chance to speak or allowed time to find a bag! He just bullied me out of expensive items as he over exaggerated the rules! Am I wrong?

Answer 1

Not wrong exactly. but you are wrong in some ways.

I have worked about 9 years experiance in contractual security.
Hired security guards provided by a security firm. not employees of the site the security is at. I will be the first to say that about 80% of all Guards, I would not trust to walk my dog. The other 20% are hardworking dedicated profesionals that have to put up with the 'wannabe' cop reputation created by the rest.
I have often seen fellow security guards go on power trips over little things just because they think the can. On the other hand. Airport security is no joking matter and you cannot "over exagerate the rules" as you claim when it comes to this. (I have worked Airport terminal security at a major US international Airport)
Let me explain: in the Days before 9/11, even intentionally obvious jokes about bombs, weapons or other security related matters in and of itself was a federal offense. I remember someone made a crack sarcastically about yea sure he is just another mad bomber. When he got pulled out by us and then arrested by Airport Police he kept claiming that what he said was obviously a joke and that he was just trying to be funny. What he doesnt get was this. He wasnt arrested for trying to make us think he was a bomber, He was arrested for the Joke itself. Airport Security is NO JOKING MATTER.

And this was BEFORE 9/11. Just imagine now.
I had reason to travel overseas last year and I too had to throw away a few personal items at the security checkpoint.

In your above example (As you present it) I do not find any fault in the ACTION of the Security Officer. only in the ATTITUDE of the Officer. His Attitude was not professional and uncalled for.

The reason I say "as you present it" is because very few ever really tell their story exactly as it really happened. Don't get offended I am not trying to call you a liar. Everyone does it to some degree even subconsiously. (Even me). When you (or anyone) tells their story, they only ever tell their VERSION of it, leaving out anything that does not support their arguement. As Paul Harvey would always say "AND NOW... THE REST OF THE STORY"

While certainly possible, I find it very unlikely that an Airport Security Officer (French or not) would act the way you described without some sort of provocation. More than likely he was reacting to your attitude you were giving him because you felt you were being mistreated by not being able to take your things that were prohibited. I have seen it hundreds of times during my time as an Airport Screener.
Take this example (True Story): A woman was travelling to a wedding in another city. She had a very carefully wrapped Wedding present all decorated beautifully. Inside was a lead crystal vase. When this package goes through the Xray all you can see is SOLID BLACK. from the lead in the Crystal. Even though if you look at it, it's as clear as glass, to the Xray it may as well have been solid steel. Now I can see that it is a Wrapped present and that the shape is that of a vase. I know that crystal shows up black on the Xray. I also know that it's a million to one shot that it is anythin other than exactly what the passenger is claiming it to be. A Crystal vase.

I also know that the solid black of the Lead Crystal can be masking (obscuring) something else behind or inside of it. and that if someone wanted to sneak something past that this is a way to try it.
Airport security and FAA regulations back me up on this as well... The Package has to be opened and a visual inspection must be done.

Now this passenger had paid to have this present profesionally wrapped and she was going straight to the wedding shortly after her arrival. Needless to say she was a might upset at the idea of having her package torn open. So what is a passenger to do?
Same as any other self respecting passenger do... Take it out on that nasty evil security guard whose sole purpose in life is to make her trip miserable. Even though I was polite but firm, never raised my voice, called for a supervisor and escorted her to one side so as not to disrupt the other passengers, I am sure that she told ever person at that wedding what a dispicable rude nasty person I was for making her open that package.

In her mind she was right. She was minding her own business and just travelling to a friends wedding. She was not a crook or a terrorist. she was just an honest citizen like every other passenger there. So of course she was put off and upset when (in her mind) she was singled out for this abusive (Again in her mind) treatment.
If Yahoo Answers existed back then I am sure she would be on here relating her story about this horrible security guard with an attitude.

A few other notable situations during my stint as a screener:

Busting a Police Officer for violatiing security with his off duty weapon.

Catching a passenger who came off another flight grabed his bags off the carousel and went back through security with his bags... including the shotgun in a case. He thought it was ok to do so because he was not getting on a plane, only meeting someone else on another arriving flight.

Busting a Senior Pilot for violating security. He wound up getting banned from flying into that particular airport and the Airline he flew for had to change his routing. I won't mention the Airlines name but it is a MAJOR US Air Carrier.

Answer 2

They don't exaggerate, they are doing there job's to protect you. Its not like it's new thing to have the bags. Its been in the news and they tell you when you check in what you can and can't have. ALSO when you make your flight reservation it tells you the new security rules. People who don't fallow obviously aren't paying attention or think they are above the rules. Its a rule and you need to fallow it, its that simple, if you can't fallow the rules you shouldn't be flying. They are just doing there job, they get nasty because so many people just think they can get past the rules and are above the security. Remember its all for you/our safety and you should be happy they take there jobs so seriously! Its a simple thing to put your stuff in a baggy. If your not sure of the security rules you can call the Arline your using and they will be more than happy to help you! I'm not saying your "wrong" or think your better or anything like that. that is just my answer.

Answer 3

Better to throw a "wobbly" (great word by the way) than to slam a jet full of people into the side of a building at 500 miles per hour....He does sound like he over reacted but you can't blame the system just because one person or even several people are jerks....It's a post 9/11 world and it sucks....

Answer 4

They like the power, and they are scamming people. It has nothing to do with security, if someone wants to take a bomb on a plane, they will find a way, these petty regulations will not stop them. People even have nail scissors confiscated, any idea how they would use them to bring down an aircraft?

Answer 5

Sounds like a typical French reaction when they heard your English!

Think about it...outside of these positions, these agents would never have any sort of power or control over others.

I feel for you!

Answer 6

Moral of the story: Don't travel to f'ckin France!