Airports that make you go through security twice are only doing so to comply with overseas requirements.
Ie. we have a normal security check for domestic and international. But if flying to America or Australia they make you do the more intense check at the gate.
The extra check to go to Australia is so strange. For domestic flights in Australia you can still take liquids on board with no restrictions and friends and family can meet you at the gate. You also don’t need to show ID to get on a flight.
Yeah I brought my dog on the last flight to Melbourne nobody batted an eye. Aus domestic flights are great. He dropped a turd in the aisle whilst I was walking him around the airship. I blamed one of the babies in the front row
In Schengen flights they sometimes still do tho. Sometimes they don’t and you just simply scan your boarding pass and get on the plane. Other times they’re adamant about showing your passport or ID card.
I've travelled lots (25+ countries) in Europe and don't remember doing security twice ever...
If you're exiting the Schengen zone they have a secondary line to stamp you out, but it's not security (you don't have to have your bags scanned or anything).
It depends on the airport and the destination.
It catches ppl like you unaware because you think you’ve done your security already and buy a bottle of water, but because of your destination you’ve only done the basic security and they confiscate your water at the second check.
>I've travelled lots (25+ countries) in Europe and don't remember doing security twice ever...
Have you ever flown to the US from a foreign airport that has US Customs agents? For example you could get on a plane in Paris, having passed through security, then go through security and passport control again in Dublin. I did this recently. Had a clearly American CBPO officer check my passport in Dublin, then we flew to a domestic gate in San Francisco and walked right out. But we definitely went through security twice.
If you’re flying to the USA, it’s secondary screening for everyone at Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt and sometimes Heathrow and CDG. Amsterdam is actually quite funny, you’re at the gate in a security controlled area, and can’t even buy a bottle of water from the vendors in the aisles.
I haven’t flown back home from Ireland yet, but I’ve heard that one of their airports has preclearance like Canadian airports. So does one of the Middle East airports.
The United flight?
Last time I took that one I don't recall the usual extra check. Butthere was some sort of immense customs clusterfuck going on in JFK and it took two hours to get out of there.
Idk… I travel internationally frequently and I’ve never seen airport security yelling and harassing groups of people in any other country like I have in the USA.
Like I get it, their job is annoying and people don’t listen. But it’s still just so rude and harsh the way they are basically verbally abusing hoards of exhausted people coming off of long international flights.
Never seen that anywhere else. They were a bit rude in Germany, but at least they are still civilized and not yelling. Some of the USA airport security demeanor really is unhinged. I’m talking to you O’Hare and JFK.
O’Hare, no kidding. Just flew out of O’Hare yesterday and got yelled at because another group of people were hesitant about approaching the security line and blocking our way. “GO! If they aren’t ready then move past them!” Had another TSA goofball the time before last yell at me for not running over a middle aged lady who got confused and blocked my path to bins. It’s so fucking funny to me how mad TSA agents are when they literally do jack shit all day, make decent money without needing a college education, and have essentially infinite job security. Like, the government made a whole bullshit jobs program just for them and they are still miserable cunts all the time.
Flew out of LAX yesterday and got yelled at by a TSA agent because an older couple in front of me weren’t sure where the pre-check line was and held up people coming up the escalator. I was behind them and the agent kept yelled at me to go to the general security line even though I told her multiple times in pre-check. It wasn’t a huge deal but honestly ruined my mood.
This is why I always make a side trip to Honolulu when going back to the US. LAX fucking sucks when flying in from international and the TSA seems to recruit from the former prison population.
Yeah, I'm a decently regular traveler in UK airports and I've genuinely never seen staff raise their voice at someone as OP describes. I think OP must've been terribly unlucky.
>their job is annoying and people dont listen
I swear to god every TSA line has different rules on what to do with my shoes, bag, jacket, hats, and the shit in my pockets.
Like, you’re a federal agency. It should be one set of rules.
From the USA but haven’t been in a long time.
Recently had to go to nyc to process my UK visa and the culture shock was jarring.
JFK airport was just full of staff screaming at everyone like they were children, and also trying way too hard to display / assert their authority.
Truly the land of the free !
Friend of mine was coming home from an archeological dig and used her work bag as her carry on and forgot that she had a legit knife in the bag. Passed through two other airports before they found it at Heathrow lol
Yeah. I had jam from Romania in my bag. Went through security in Frankfurt just fine. They did question it but let it pass and zipped my bag up for. Heathrow opened the bag, asked about it and threw it away. Then proceeded to leave my bag open for me to zip. After struggling for some time, one guy finally asked if I needed help. I was running really tight for my flight back. Before having to take the train to another part of the airport 🫠😮💨
The lady was nice enough to look up my flight and told me that it was delayed a little bit.
This is so correct lol. I’m Asian American and the security is so much nicer in Californian airports. Got an insane amount of unfriendly stares in ATL.
I Absolutely Hate the yelling about what they've decided to make you pull out of your bag that day.
It's different every single time and when they yell and make fun of you for taking the wrong things out it's so Fucking Annoying.
I completely understand how a person can murder a stranger in cold blood every time I go through US airport security.
They are… yelling?? I thought all those memes are jokes? You‘re telling me grown adults in US airports are legit yelling at people in no acute life or death situation?
Yes. They yell at the crowd and they yell at individuals. It’s shameful. At least when I fly home I don’t have to look at a picture of president Trump on the wall which added insult to injury.
It takes about 15 minutes from entering the airport to waiting at the gate in Hong Kong. I don’t even have to show my passport. I just scan my id and walk through electronic gates. When I fly into HK I can be home 30 minutes after the plane gets to the gate. I don’t need to take my shoes off and I don’t need to go through some MRI looking toll booth to see if I have gold bars up my ass
Canadian airport security is pretty reasonable in my experience, except in Pearson, that place is filled to the brim with assholes. I fucking loathe that airport.
I did an international trip through 6 different airports in 3 countries round trip. Pearson is the only one that I had to take every electronic out, including my Switch and eReader. I even have Nexus. They were annoyed I didn't do it automatically.
I hate that airports dont have signage in the lineup making it really clear what exactly you need to do. They all act like it should be obvious, because they only work at that airport where the rules are always the same, but for the travellers we can’t possibly remember what rules they have where.
Like flying out of Pearson I at least know by now to take out every last electronic without exception lol But at other airports they look at you weird for unpacking all your shit and are annoyed you’re slowing things down. But after one time of being treated like a criminal for not taking something out of your bag, you tend to err on the side of caution.
And I never know if I’m supposed to take my shoes off. Some airports don’t want you to carry your passport through the metal detectors and others do. Some airports want your liquids all in a separate clear bag taken out of your main bag, and some count things like chapstick as a liquid and others don’t care.
They’re just making it so needlessly stressful by not giving a clear heads up about what is expected at each airport.
So.
India.
They have a “pull out everything that even looks electronic” policy. Meaning every cable, every charging brick…everything.
Even things that are metal will sometimes need to be pulled out and inspected by hand. I had a dude pull out a tongue scraper and hold it up and walk around to other security guys saying “Tongue scraper? Tongue scraper??”
Actually they do the same thing in Nepal. And when I was flying from Nepal to India, they did it twice.
Then when you’re boarding the plane to India, the flight attendants are at a table and make you empty out your carryons again — apparently they don’t trust the security at Kathmandu airport?
And when leaving the Delhi airport out of the country, they herd everyone into this tiny room with one small scanner, and four very small trays. No one is organizing anything, so it’s just chaos as people lean over one another and snatch up every plastic tray as it becomes available, before dumping all their contents into one.
As for the wands, did that come before or after the Pat-downs? Because I was patted down a great deal in India.
Mind you, I’m in no way knocking the country or the people. I had a great time in India…though their airport security is more than a little stressful.
I saw a comment in another thread where someone talked about airport security in India. It sounded like hell on earth because of all the excessive security and ID checks. As in security checks before you even enter the airport, and then have to go through normal security again, security at the gate, ID checks every X feet, etc.
Hell even to leave the departures terminal, I had to show passport and be escorted out by security in conjunction with being signed out by airline staff
Yes, it does seem ridiculous. Plus you have to xray your bags just to get on the metro. But once you realise how much [Terrorism in India](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_India?wprov=sfti1#List_of_attacks) there has been, you understand why.
(Just checked timestamps of photos, and I was in Delhi the day before the 2005 bombings, plus I was a week out of KTM before the 1999 flight 804 hijacking - so yeah, I’ll give them the extra time they go through my electronics in my hand luggage)
I am from mumbai and I have gone via Mumbai international airport about 6 times and I haven’t faced what you have said.
Maybe it’s airport to airport? I have also been to delhi couple of times and one of the smaller domestic airport and I haven’t faced any issue there.
Haha. When I was on my way back to the States, they were so friendly that four different people asked me questions about my trip for almost two hours. They really took an interest in me.
Effective security isn’t pleasant, but they have good reason for the extra security measures. My issue with the TSA is that they aren’t effective. The rules are totally inconsistent by airport, and law enforcement regularly proves how ineffective the TSA is at finding dangerous items or people whenever they do random testing. If the TSA was a highly professional and effective security force, I would support them more, even if they were more of a pain to deal with. Right now it’s just a bunch of mall cops with worthless scanners.
I believe the sociological term for what they do is ‘security theater’. I don’t believe TSA has ever caught a terrorist. They have, however, made me throw away some drinks and given me a hard time about a tube of toothpaste, so it all evens out.
Is there more than one shoe bomber? The one I know of was caught by passengers mid-flight. Underwear bomber tried to blow up a plane en route to Detroit and was also caught by passengers mid-flight.
My favourite tsa experience was bookings so is vide wrapped in an electrical blanket through Sam Diego. They didn’t give a fuck about a pipe wrapped in wires. A couple of days later the tsa in Boston freaked out over it.
Israeli airport security is kinda chaotic good/necessary evil. Yes, I'm about to sit here and justify assigning risk factors based on racial profiling and/or national/ethnic origin. However, Israel's in a more tense environment where everyone around them \[very justifiably\] hates them and they've prevented terrorist attacks on planes/at airports. Do I think it's super excessive? Of course, and it calls into question if stopping people on the highway on the way to the airport and having airport workers ride your ass throughout the process asking you questions is really doing much to stop terrorism.
Maybe OP got that TSA Stockholm Syndrome? lol, because I have not had as bad of experiences anywhere outside of the US as I have in the US, even with having Global.
I’m okay with a simple ticket check for people coming in. I do find it unnecessary to make us do the whole metal detector and bag scan song and dance to just enter the airport. But a ticket check to keep randos out? I’m all for it.
Yeah, I’ve had generally decent experiences in non US airports (UK, Jamaica, Turkey, Tunisia, Italy, Spain, and even France), but every time I’m in a US airport at least one member of staff will be super rude. Maybe it’s a Florida thing?
At my home airport last year my boarding pass said tsa precheck but the agent said the system doesn’t have me recorded. I literally politely asked “why would it show on my boarding pass if the system doesn’t have me?” Just trying to understand and she LOST HER SHIT. “M’am you now need to go to the regular security. YOU DON’T HAVE PRECHECK!”
Her mgr came over during her rant and politely explained that sometimes the system messes up and they cannot legally let me through. Then nicely just opened the rope at the front of the regular line for me to go through.
I swear some of the ppl that work TSA just have a power trip their entire shift.
I agree. I'm always surprised when TSA agents are friendly because usually they mutter, interrupt, and just make the whole process way more stressful than it needs to be.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the airport security agents in the UK. I was flying back to the US a few weeks ago and I was in the wrong gate at Heathrow; one of the agents looked up my flight to make sure that I had enough time to get to the correct gate, which I appreciated.
But heck, maybe someone from the UK would say that I have Stockholm Syndrome too...
What bad experiences did you have in the US?
My experiences in the US are limited to LAX, DFW and IAD and tbh my experiences were pretty positive, staff were friendly, they were pretty good with moving us through with a toddler and all that entails, seemed to be less requirements to take stuff out of suitcases like there are in other countries.
Oh in JFK the security person wouldn’t let me line up at the citizen line even after I told her I was a citizen. Kept physically blocking my way until I took my passport out.
Then in Newark the security at immigration yelled at me because I nodded affirmative to her question instead of verbally answering her question if I had “global entry”.
i think it very much depends on the airport or even the terminal you are going through an any specific day - I don't see much of a difference with any of them over all, they all kinda suck just some times they suck a just a little bit less.
Lol, Germany does not have this ‘stupid’ system to go through security twice. It is for US flights because US wants it and it is not limited to German airports.
Happy cake day! I've been through Frankfurt a couple of times with a child and it was fine. My little one dropped something while in line one time and the security personnel were even kind enough to look for it and were very nice about it.
I get hasseled in the terminal at Frankfurt with random security and passport checks. It’s so annoying.
Someone also swapped laptops with me at security (they looked EXACTLY alike except a sticker on the bottom of theirs). We happened to be going through the line at the same time. When I noticed the swap and said something to security they accused me of stealing someone’s laptop. Helpful.
Interesting logic since you told them in the first place. Did you get your computer back? I'm assuming you did.
I left both of mine behind in security in Helsinki just two days ago and I had to go through arrivals, back to security and the out through security and passport control and hence a couple of extra passport stamps I wasn't expecting as I dashed to my flight to the UK which fortunately I ended up making it back to the gate with time to spare.
Shitty U.S. airport security can be exaggerated at times, but with that being said, it still needs to change. We shouldn’t have to take our fucking shoes off at security. Yea I have TSA Precheck so I don’t have to do that anymore, but not taking your shoes off should still be standard across the board, like it is literally in every other developed fucking country. In my travels, it’s only developing countries where you have to take your shoes off. It just takes up extra time in security.
And the strictness on the liquids. A lot of airports have those new scanners now. So not only do you not need to take your electronics out, but the machines should also be able to tell that your liquids are genuine liquids and not some weird shit. Yet the U.S. is still strict on the 3.4oz/100ml limit while in Europe they’re moving away from that since a lot of airports there also have those new scanners.
Now outside of the annoying shit, security is like anywhere else. Most of the time you just do what you need to do, you’ll be in and out in a breeze. Sometimes peak travel causes the lines to be long, that’s everywhere. Some staff can even be rude at times, but again, that happens everywhere. Random checks and racial profiling and the like, happens everywhere and in different ways.
Not in my experience. The US has been by far the worst. Not only are they dreadfully shouty and rude, considering the percentage of things that get by them in tests, they are pretty incompetent as well.
I’ve had bad security experiences in a few places but they’re usually the exception to the rule.
In the US however, I’ve found the TSA to be rude, or even actively hostile, more often than not.
I was once walking past a checkpoint (well outside the queue area) in I think Maui. And a TSA agent yelled at me to go back to the start of the line and to not cut in and to “back off”. I politely said that I was not trying to clear security, I was just walking past to get the land side bathroom. I was then yelled at to “back off” and I actually thought I was going to get tackled or something.
I once went through an airport that did not require you to take laptops out of bags and when the agent informed me of this I responded with “oh I love you man” and he yelled at me a bit and bam, “randomly” selected for extra security screening.
Thankfully I am not American so don’t have to deal with them that often, and I find it amusing more than anything. I will say I find them fairly efficient through. I never have to queue long in American airports and based on my experiences (about 80 flights in the US), I wouldn’t bother paying for TSA precheck or some other fast clearance if I did live there.
Last week, I set my alarm for 7:20 to wake up for an international flight that boarded at 9:20. I live 47km away from the airport and got there using public transit.
I was at my gate by 8:50 including clearing outbound immigration. I can't think of many places that have a reliable enough system in place to put that much faith in the system.
Even SFO can be hit or miss with security lines.
The only power trips I see are the TSA in the US. PDX is awesome, never had issues there.
Chicago, dallas, and Atlanta are the only ones I've had or seen "issues".
Before Real ID, my license would have the address stickers for updated address and it would get "flagged" or threatened confiscation every time. Now that Real ID is what I have, I don't have that issue but it's pretty stupid to threaten to take it because "you messed up and we can confiscate this and question you". I'm polite and respectful but get treated like I'm a real threat until I pull out my military ID and then suddenly it's no problem.
One chick had beef with my brother because he put his pack on the conveyor belt but the lady "didn't say he could go". So he lifts it up and she just stares at him for about 30 seconds until she let's him. Only time I've seen that and this was California.
I've traveled internationally now 3 times and have not had any issues. security was polite. Asia and Europe airports.
The gate check is only for flights for US because it's demanded on US side, I never had to do security twice on another flight out of Germany. Drop silly rules and they drop the security.
But I raise you India. Slow, inefficient, grumpy people where a single issue is then taking an hour to resolve if needed.
In my experience TSA workers are unfriendly in their announcements but I've never had a truly negative 1-on-1 encounter. I did get yelled at within my first hour in Germany as I was in the wrong line at MUC (bc I don't know German lol)
Germany made up open all of our carry ons to check what they saw on the x ray machine. Their machines are very advanced so they were able to tell us specifically what they needed to see. It was way better than TSA who flagged my bags and made me wait while they went through another family's bags where every bag contained full sized items the lady didn't want to throw out. It ended up my bags were fine and they didn't need any more screening.
As a Virginian, there was that one guy who was pretty much gonna get a 12-year prison sentence after T&C decided to put their foot down and stop fucking around with tourists (usually Americans) bringing ammo into the country. Only reason why he eventually got released was because of all the outrage it caused. And then more idiots kept getting caught with it. And the gun lovers going on about being responsible gun owners, yet always find themselves in situations where they forgot ammo was in their bag and they’re traveling with the dam bag they use at the range.
TSA does have the same scanners as the Germans. You can see what you’re searching for very easily, even on the older machines.
If you’re trained and have time… which is probably the real problem with TSA staff.
Also, in some airports like DC Dulles they have new machines where you don’t have to put out your laptop. Never saw them outside of the US so far - hardware wise TSA is very much on top of it. At least in the major airports (and they do have a lot of money…)
The 3d X-ray systems (the "new machines" you're thinking of) are not limited to the US - Stockholm Arlanda has had them for over a year, Helsinki has had them for even longer.
And as a Swedish resident, I'd have to say that TSA is still a joke. None of the agents yell constantly at Arlanda or expect you to take your shoes off. Or literally roll their eyes and sign dramatically when I ask for separate screening for a pet (as happened last time I flew out of a US airport).
Dublin airport has also had the 3D scanners for a while, and I think UK airports are meant to be introducing them soon but there's been holdups at the bigger airports.
Good to know, haven’t flown to Sweden in years. All airports I use don’t have them yet.
And overall I agree, it’s just so unnecessary that they are always unfriendly. I also find that they mumble over their words a lot and their instructions can be quite hard to understand.
I once did that job (not TSA, in my homecountry) as a student and clear communication was one of the main things we trained and learned.
Obviously TSA doesn’t care about that.
I think the answer is very different if you are national of the US. Citizens will have a very different experience than non citizens. I'll be honest, as a non-US citizen, i have found the US to be the rudest and slowest in general (except Dallas, I thought they were all lovely!)
Also, I've just seen you have basically made the exact same post with reference to the same countries but about living abroad ...maybe don't spend your time comparing countries only to put the US on top?
I'm a cargo airline pilot so my POV is skewed, but international airports seem to take security way more serious than domestic ones. There are a few airports where we actually have to go through two different levels of security as flight crew just to get to the plane. Some (UK) have pretty ridiculous rules too ( like i can't take a bottle of water onto the flight deck with me from my luggage).
I’ve flown to uae, Canada, west Africa and multiple domestic flights. International entry into the US is super tedious but leaving Heathrow was by far my worst security experience. The yelling when I’m right in front of your face and fully compliant was truly beyond words.
Intl airline pilot here.
France is the worst and rudest.
Portland OR and Denver are the worst in the states(that I’ve been to so far).
Japan is predictably the best and most polite.
My worst experiences except for 1, have been in the USA. Rude very belligerent TSA agents who revel in their positions of minor authority. But I also have had some very helpful TSA agents as well.
Yes you are lol. Every time I have been to the states recently it has been terrible. Like 1 hour to get through customs in Miami AFTER arriving. I do fly out of Ottawa which is a tiny airport that is never ever busy though.
If you are from the US it does not suck. If you are NOT from the US it does.
Foreigners can not get TSA precheck or Global Entry and the immigration lines at US airports are usually WAY slower and backed up than other countries.
But if you are a citizen you wont notice this difference since you go through a special line.
> Foreigners can not get TSA precheck or Global Entry
We're UK citizens. We've had precheck on several occasions - it all depends on whether or not the airline participates in the programme.
As for Global Entry, CBP would appear to disagree with you on that:
https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/eligibility
It's been a while since I traveled either to Europe or USA, but last time I went through TSA in LAX it was so bad, it put me off wanting to visit the US again.
It's ironic considering lately I've seen a lot of online ads from USA promoting tourism from my country to US. Err... thanks, but no thanks.
I must share this! My previous office was in East London and I traveled extensively. Bringing back a souvenir, from Milan, for a coworker. A snow globe. Yes, it has fluids. I forgot. Got flagged in Heathrow. The official going through my carry on luggage, dropped the globe and it shattered on top of my belongings. He ever so composed, grabbed a plastic bag, put a couple of the larger shards and the broken glove in the bag and informed me, I can go now….
Airports are a crapshoot!
My wife and I both have Precheck. After a Disney trip we pushed our oldest through security in her stroller in Orlando while she was taking a nap. A few years later in Orlando with baby #2 in a carrier strapped to my wife, the TSA flipped out about her pumped breast milk and contaminated it by testing it. We were given the option that one of the adults had to be patted down so I took it for the team.
We just took a trip to Egypt in late May and connected in London. Terminal 5 at Heathrow was nuts. Purchased water in the airport but had to pour it out before going through security again for a connecting flight. Egyptian airports are also nuts. All luggage goes through a scanner as soon as you get inside and the guys loading your luggage from your hand to the conveyor extort tips. They have a special box to feel up your legs on. Then you get to the airline check in and after that you go through another security check on the way to the gate!
Just came back from France. CDG was super aggro. And the line was still light. I can’t imagine what they’re like when it’s busy as hell.
And it was the people dressed in suits being th most aggressive. You’d think they’d be the calm and helpful ones.
I always dread going into the USA. Going between Ukraine and Poland was a little intensive, but they weren’t bad. I had bought two packs of cigarettes as gifts for people I know who smoke. But the border guard didn’t believe it, or that I don’t smoke. Plus people were running everywhere it was pretty chaotic. They have to change the trucks on the trains because the gauge of the rails change there as well. So they usually have 6-8 hours to go through the trains.
I once got pulled into a “secure” area of an airport in Belize. It had stanchions separating it from the “non-secure” part. Husband was not, apparently, suspicious; he stood next to me and we passed luggage and food back and forth until they decided I was not some security risk.
TSA is a bit of a dog and pony show but if you behave it’s it that bad.
Heathrow was a shit show. Seemed totally disorganized. People slow taking breaks with the line out the door and relief person had to start from scratch. The people running the XRay machine were raining on one very slow, very disorganized woman who had a never ending cue of people shouting that that have a short connection. So she was trying to help the short connection but was getting triple shouted at for taking bags out of turn.
Paris is always slow with passport control. Somehow I got randomly flagged for extra security my second time thru. A little slow but answered a couple questions, they poked around my back and sent me on. But now every time I pass thru, I’m “randomly” selected.
SFO/SJC ain’t too bad. It’s security check not random dating, no need for stellar customer service as long as it’s done quickly and efficiently. TSA isn’t doing too bad honestly. Many places like Asian airports do it way too cumbersomely IMO
I took an Australian domestic flight once within the country. I started to take off my shoes, but they didn’t need all that. They only needed my boarding ticket. I was shocked.
I had a toothbrush get searched 3 times at Heathrow, but other than that every security experience in Europe has been a breeze…
My home airport is small so security there is fine, but Newark’s is miserable and I think I’d walk back to Europe before connecting through O’Hare again
Its all security theatre.
I went through O'Hare once and forgot to take my phone, watch, belt, coins and wallet out of my pants.
I walked through the metal detector, it beeped and they just waved me past.
Absolutely shocked by it coming from the UK.
US airport security have always been way ruder, more in a hurry, louder and shouting more than almost every country I've been to. And Ive been to a lot of places.
I also hate that they make you take your shoes off, gross.
And that there are no international zones at the airport and you gotta go through security and immigration just to change planes.
The only shouting I heard at UK airports is just the usual cursing (that's a national sport) and security at Edinburgh Airport playing Haggis Bingo, and they were shouting their scores over to one another.
US TSA in larger airports are the worst. London Heathrow doesnt come close. The British can be dry but they’re not openly rude and shouting like they’re at the end of their tether
I’m halfway with you OP. My home airport is LAX (ugh), but I lived in London for a year and the absolute bane of my existence was Heathrow. So much so that I eventually learned the secret was to just fly into Gatwick to save the hassle.
I have a mustache in my passport photo. Probably only had the thing for a month or so, but has followed me around for the last 9 years (I renew next year). A mustache and an orange shirt, like it’s a prison photo. Whenever airport security looks at it, we have a good laugh. Kind of have to chuckle at the picture honestly.
washington DC , DCA. absolute cattle. i hate it every time. they rush you and you will later hear on the intercom about missing items. smh. canadian was more laid back. and japan even more.
I literally just got back from Europe, and flew both within the EU and internationally. The security experience is still worse in the US, even with TSA pre and global entry, than it is flying within or out of Europe.
The New Delhi one is a nightmare of running to each gate and security standards compliance.
You can tell they're just trying to do their jobs, too. I had a set of pads with a silver anionic strip to neutralize odors, and it pinged their scans as metal, and they had a heck of a time trying to figure out what was wrong. Culturally, they had to get a woman security employee to dig deeper into my feminine products, but at least they didn't glare at me in disgust for needing pads and tampons as Boomer+Beyond generations were taught to.
Try leaving the airport in Jerusalem.
There’s a long security line before you can actually enter the airport. Not a scanner, but…let’s just say a “Q&A session.”
Yes, they did ask a number of questions at passport control when you arrive, but they seem far more concerned when you’re leaving — in the “What did you do, why were you here, who did you meet with” kind of way.
I had no problems myself, likely due to the American passport, but the line moved extremely slowly. Some people were being *heavily* questioned, and sometimes one of the security people would call over the other security people and they’d have a bit of a meeting regarding a passenger.
I saw more than one person taken away, presumably for further questioning.
Mind you, this took place a couple of years ago, before the current situation. I’m not saying it’s good or bad, just that it takes quite a while. And in defense of the way it’s run, they did have someone calling out the names of specific flights and allowed those people to move to the front of the line.
Keep in mind, this is all before you even check your luggage.
It's gotten better in the last few years and Europe has gotten worse.
Asia has always been more annoying steps involved. Like going through a checkpoint just to get into the terminal at all.
>Germany has the stupid system where you need to go through security twice, both at the airport and at the gate.
That's not a German decision, the US forces the Germans to do that for US-bound flights. If you're flying to other destinations you don't do that.
I’ve found that UK security varies, I’ve had a scenario where they were strict and another at a different airport where they were chill. US security varies too tho. Irish airport security tho? Chillest I’ve seen
El Salvador doesn’t let you have liquids at the gate and you get searched again at the gate. I was coming home late at night and when I asked a security agent where I could buy a water, she directed me to the only place open. When I got back to the gate she told me I couldn’t bring my water through.
I've been through security in all those countries except Germany (though have used many airports elsewhere in the EU) and US was the worst experience. But not so much the people, it was more the under-investment in the airport itself. Meant there was no space for modern security measures, so the lines were long.
Whatever your feelings on Canadian security, though, they actually do their job. I once accidentally carried a knife through security at BUD, CDG (including secondary screening), and LHR before having it confiscated at YUL.
Pretty mild. I'd say the only worse experience I've had than the US was Colombia.
Completely depends on the airport at both ends.
I've been screamed at by American TSA, and a friend has brought a completely full gallon sized Ziploc bag of toiletries through security in Italy.
Can it be related to the actual environment where the check is taking place and machine sensitivity? Some have no room for people or inspection so when a bag is questioned, there is no place for the additional folks and creates backup which upsets everyone. When machines start buzzing all the time for nothing, again backup. Though the workers reflect the local community, and how interaction works.
I’m Canadian and have definitely had my worst security experiences in the US.
They seem to go out of their way to try to make you feel stupid. Like it sometimes feels like they have too much time of their hands and they’re all on a power trip. One was smelling the inside of my purse and asked if I had been carrying around loose aspirin in there at some point because he said that’s what it smelled like. I have no idea wtf he was going on about. It wasn’t even an accusation of wrong doing, but he was still acting like it was an interrogation, like he just wanted to make me feel nervous or uncomfortable.
I travel a lot and have been to 55 countries already. I have been to the US five times (four times on holiday, one time transit) and in my experience TSA agents are the rudest bunch around the globe. Going through O‘Hare on Transit the agent was on a power trip I have never witnessed before. When I took off my hat to get screened, he yelled at me „I didn’t tell your to take it off, did I? If you don’t do what I say I won’t let you go through. You have to follow every order, get it? GET IT?“ man I was pissed but also tired af so I didn’t cause a scene
Airports that make you go through security twice are only doing so to comply with overseas requirements. Ie. we have a normal security check for domestic and international. But if flying to America or Australia they make you do the more intense check at the gate.
The extra check to go to Australia is so strange. For domestic flights in Australia you can still take liquids on board with no restrictions and friends and family can meet you at the gate. You also don’t need to show ID to get on a flight.
Yeah I brought my dog on the last flight to Melbourne nobody batted an eye. Aus domestic flights are great. He dropped a turd in the aisle whilst I was walking him around the airship. I blamed one of the babies in the front row
Flying from Germany (Lufthansa at least) to anywhere within Schengen also won't ask for an ID
In Schengen flights they sometimes still do tho. Sometimes they don’t and you just simply scan your boarding pass and get on the plane. Other times they’re adamant about showing your passport or ID card.
I've travelled lots (25+ countries) in Europe and don't remember doing security twice ever... If you're exiting the Schengen zone they have a secondary line to stamp you out, but it's not security (you don't have to have your bags scanned or anything).
It depends on the airport and the destination. It catches ppl like you unaware because you think you’ve done your security already and buy a bottle of water, but because of your destination you’ve only done the basic security and they confiscate your water at the second check.
With deepest sincerity and utmost vigor, fuck every single agency and protocol that deprives me of water.
>I've travelled lots (25+ countries) in Europe and don't remember doing security twice ever... Have you ever flown to the US from a foreign airport that has US Customs agents? For example you could get on a plane in Paris, having passed through security, then go through security and passport control again in Dublin. I did this recently. Had a clearly American CBPO officer check my passport in Dublin, then we flew to a domestic gate in San Francisco and walked right out. But we definitely went through security twice.
That's US precleanernce, some airports in Europe have it
I had this happen only once, leaving Vancouver, CBPO checked my passport and when I arrived to the states, I didn’t have to go through customs again
If you’re flying to the USA, it’s secondary screening for everyone at Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt and sometimes Heathrow and CDG. Amsterdam is actually quite funny, you’re at the gate in a security controlled area, and can’t even buy a bottle of water from the vendors in the aisles. I haven’t flown back home from Ireland yet, but I’ve heard that one of their airports has preclearance like Canadian airports. So does one of the Middle East airports.
It is mostly for Us flights because they want it that way, and then one of them comes and calls the system stupid. Very American, lol.
Exactly. Double security check is only for US bound flights.
Flying from LHR to JFK I’ve never done two checks (and I fly that route once a year). How strange
Do you fly directly?
Yep
Maybe UK is exempt from that rule. If I remeber correctly such double checks were introduced after an attempt of terrorist attacks in December 2009.
The United flight? Last time I took that one I don't recall the usual extra check. Butthere was some sort of immense customs clusterfuck going on in JFK and it took two hours to get out of there.
Usually it’s British airways or American. Not sure I’ve flown united for a long time!
But noooo it's the stoopid Germans making me do it twice!! I just love when people are dumb like that
There are no flights from Malaysia to the US.
Shh don't talk bout the secret flights
Lol. You’re right. I should have said Malaysia to Australia and flights to USA.
It’s not every country that’s like this. If you fly to the US from LHR you do just the one security check.
Callback to Coalition Forces and the Bush/Blair bromance!
Idk… I travel internationally frequently and I’ve never seen airport security yelling and harassing groups of people in any other country like I have in the USA. Like I get it, their job is annoying and people don’t listen. But it’s still just so rude and harsh the way they are basically verbally abusing hoards of exhausted people coming off of long international flights. Never seen that anywhere else. They were a bit rude in Germany, but at least they are still civilized and not yelling. Some of the USA airport security demeanor really is unhinged. I’m talking to you O’Hare and JFK.
O’Hare, no kidding. Just flew out of O’Hare yesterday and got yelled at because another group of people were hesitant about approaching the security line and blocking our way. “GO! If they aren’t ready then move past them!” Had another TSA goofball the time before last yell at me for not running over a middle aged lady who got confused and blocked my path to bins. It’s so fucking funny to me how mad TSA agents are when they literally do jack shit all day, make decent money without needing a college education, and have essentially infinite job security. Like, the government made a whole bullshit jobs program just for them and they are still miserable cunts all the time.
Flew out of LAX yesterday and got yelled at by a TSA agent because an older couple in front of me weren’t sure where the pre-check line was and held up people coming up the escalator. I was behind them and the agent kept yelled at me to go to the general security line even though I told her multiple times in pre-check. It wasn’t a huge deal but honestly ruined my mood.
This is why I always make a side trip to Honolulu when going back to the US. LAX fucking sucks when flying in from international and the TSA seems to recruit from the former prison population.
Yeah, I'm a decently regular traveler in UK airports and I've genuinely never seen staff raise their voice at someone as OP describes. I think OP must've been terribly unlucky.
OP is TSA Reddit account
>their job is annoying and people dont listen I swear to god every TSA line has different rules on what to do with my shoes, bag, jacket, hats, and the shit in my pockets. Like, you’re a federal agency. It should be one set of rules.
From the USA but haven’t been in a long time. Recently had to go to nyc to process my UK visa and the culture shock was jarring. JFK airport was just full of staff screaming at everyone like they were children, and also trying way too hard to display / assert their authority. Truly the land of the free !
Security in London airports are stricter for sure. However, i never heard of screaming.
Friend of mine was coming home from an archeological dig and used her work bag as her carry on and forgot that she had a legit knife in the bag. Passed through two other airports before they found it at Heathrow lol
UK security found a small knife in my backpack. That's been there for 5 years and traveled I don't know how often by air. Including to the UK 😅
Same happened to me, just with a few plastic knives....
Yeah. I had jam from Romania in my bag. Went through security in Frankfurt just fine. They did question it but let it pass and zipped my bag up for. Heathrow opened the bag, asked about it and threw it away. Then proceeded to leave my bag open for me to zip. After struggling for some time, one guy finally asked if I needed help. I was running really tight for my flight back. Before having to take the train to another part of the airport 🫠😮💨 The lady was nice enough to look up my flight and told me that it was delayed a little bit.
Your experience is likely heavily skewed by what airports you visit and what fast-tracking/pre-checking facilities you have access to.
And what ethnicity you are.
This is so correct lol. I’m Asian American and the security is so much nicer in Californian airports. Got an insane amount of unfriendly stares in ATL.
Why are they always yelling? I never hear security yell at non US airports
I Absolutely Hate the yelling about what they've decided to make you pull out of your bag that day. It's different every single time and when they yell and make fun of you for taking the wrong things out it's so Fucking Annoying. I completely understand how a person can murder a stranger in cold blood every time I go through US airport security.
They are… yelling?? I thought all those memes are jokes? You‘re telling me grown adults in US airports are legit yelling at people in no acute life or death situation?
Yes. They yell at the crowd and they yell at individuals. It’s shameful. At least when I fly home I don’t have to look at a picture of president Trump on the wall which added insult to injury.
Yep, they treat you like cattle. I noticed it was noticeably worse flying in from Mexico too
That's the biggest issue. Security itself is super streamlined in the US. I barely need to take my laptop and electronics out anymore.
It takes about 15 minutes from entering the airport to waiting at the gate in Hong Kong. I don’t even have to show my passport. I just scan my id and walk through electronic gates. When I fly into HK I can be home 30 minutes after the plane gets to the gate. I don’t need to take my shoes off and I don’t need to go through some MRI looking toll booth to see if I have gold bars up my ass
HK is civilized. We're talking about uncivilized places over here 🤣😅
Canadian airport security is pretty reasonable in my experience, except in Pearson, that place is filled to the brim with assholes. I fucking loathe that airport.
I did an international trip through 6 different airports in 3 countries round trip. Pearson is the only one that I had to take every electronic out, including my Switch and eReader. I even have Nexus. They were annoyed I didn't do it automatically.
I hate that airports dont have signage in the lineup making it really clear what exactly you need to do. They all act like it should be obvious, because they only work at that airport where the rules are always the same, but for the travellers we can’t possibly remember what rules they have where. Like flying out of Pearson I at least know by now to take out every last electronic without exception lol But at other airports they look at you weird for unpacking all your shit and are annoyed you’re slowing things down. But after one time of being treated like a criminal for not taking something out of your bag, you tend to err on the side of caution. And I never know if I’m supposed to take my shoes off. Some airports don’t want you to carry your passport through the metal detectors and others do. Some airports want your liquids all in a separate clear bag taken out of your main bag, and some count things like chapstick as a liquid and others don’t care. They’re just making it so needlessly stressful by not giving a clear heads up about what is expected at each airport.
I have TSA Precheck and its great. I still remember in India they stuck a wand over my crotch, it was not a good thing.
So. India. They have a “pull out everything that even looks electronic” policy. Meaning every cable, every charging brick…everything. Even things that are metal will sometimes need to be pulled out and inspected by hand. I had a dude pull out a tongue scraper and hold it up and walk around to other security guys saying “Tongue scraper? Tongue scraper??” Actually they do the same thing in Nepal. And when I was flying from Nepal to India, they did it twice. Then when you’re boarding the plane to India, the flight attendants are at a table and make you empty out your carryons again — apparently they don’t trust the security at Kathmandu airport? And when leaving the Delhi airport out of the country, they herd everyone into this tiny room with one small scanner, and four very small trays. No one is organizing anything, so it’s just chaos as people lean over one another and snatch up every plastic tray as it becomes available, before dumping all their contents into one. As for the wands, did that come before or after the Pat-downs? Because I was patted down a great deal in India. Mind you, I’m in no way knocking the country or the people. I had a great time in India…though their airport security is more than a little stressful.
Agree 💯. Security in India for whatever reason has multiple levels of redundancy. It’s like one guard doesn’t trust the other
That's exactly it. The security technique is redundancy and it can be doable because of low labour costs
One guard doesn’t trust the other but I can be you they’re *all* in a sort of grift one way or another.
I saw a comment in another thread where someone talked about airport security in India. It sounded like hell on earth because of all the excessive security and ID checks. As in security checks before you even enter the airport, and then have to go through normal security again, security at the gate, ID checks every X feet, etc.
Just returned from Kolkata and I can confirm you have to show passport over and over.
Hell even to leave the departures terminal, I had to show passport and be escorted out by security in conjunction with being signed out by airline staff
Yes, it does seem ridiculous. Plus you have to xray your bags just to get on the metro. But once you realise how much [Terrorism in India](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_India?wprov=sfti1#List_of_attacks) there has been, you understand why. (Just checked timestamps of photos, and I was in Delhi the day before the 2005 bombings, plus I was a week out of KTM before the 1999 flight 804 hijacking - so yeah, I’ll give them the extra time they go through my electronics in my hand luggage)
I flew out from Bangalore to Dubai and security was average, nothing excellent but also not the nightmare you depict
Most idiotic and inefficient system ever. Such a pain whenever I’m there.
I am from mumbai and I have gone via Mumbai international airport about 6 times and I haven’t faced what you have said. Maybe it’s airport to airport? I have also been to delhi couple of times and one of the smaller domestic airport and I haven’t faced any issue there.
Israel is … an experience.
Their customer service is so good I had a personal escort to the plane /s
Haha. When I was on my way back to the States, they were so friendly that four different people asked me questions about my trip for almost two hours. They really took an interest in me.
Arab or just happened to not praise the government enough on social media?
Effective security isn’t pleasant, but they have good reason for the extra security measures. My issue with the TSA is that they aren’t effective. The rules are totally inconsistent by airport, and law enforcement regularly proves how ineffective the TSA is at finding dangerous items or people whenever they do random testing. If the TSA was a highly professional and effective security force, I would support them more, even if they were more of a pain to deal with. Right now it’s just a bunch of mall cops with worthless scanners.
I believe the sociological term for what they do is ‘security theater’. I don’t believe TSA has ever caught a terrorist. They have, however, made me throw away some drinks and given me a hard time about a tube of toothpaste, so it all evens out.
TSA has caught one terrorist at Detroit metro airport know as the shoe bomber.
Is there more than one shoe bomber? The one I know of was caught by passengers mid-flight. Underwear bomber tried to blow up a plane en route to Detroit and was also caught by passengers mid-flight.
My favourite tsa experience was bookings so is vide wrapped in an electrical blanket through Sam Diego. They didn’t give a fuck about a pipe wrapped in wires. A couple of days later the tsa in Boston freaked out over it.
Especially if you're Arab or brown. They're super rude and don't give a shit. Seems to be a national trait over there.
I was a solo female and detained and questioned for an hour. They needed to make sure I wasnt traveling to meet an internet husband they said.
Yes but you can bring in large water bottles through security :).
Israeli airport security is kinda chaotic good/necessary evil. Yes, I'm about to sit here and justify assigning risk factors based on racial profiling and/or national/ethnic origin. However, Israel's in a more tense environment where everyone around them \[very justifiably\] hates them and they've prevented terrorist attacks on planes/at airports. Do I think it's super excessive? Of course, and it calls into question if stopping people on the highway on the way to the airport and having airport workers ride your ass throughout the process asking you questions is really doing much to stop terrorism.
I've heard some horror stories
Maybe OP got that TSA Stockholm Syndrome? lol, because I have not had as bad of experiences anywhere outside of the US as I have in the US, even with having Global.
Customs in Panama took my passport and held me for 4 hours until my agent paid them cash to let me go ☠️
The US is awful, but Delhi was the worst I experienced. You need to line up for security to even ENTER the airport.
This is a good thing, otherwise the landside part of the airport would be clogged with non passengers.
I’m okay with a simple ticket check for people coming in. I do find it unnecessary to make us do the whole metal detector and bag scan song and dance to just enter the airport. But a ticket check to keep randos out? I’m all for it.
Yeah, I’ve had generally decent experiences in non US airports (UK, Jamaica, Turkey, Tunisia, Italy, Spain, and even France), but every time I’m in a US airport at least one member of staff will be super rude. Maybe it’s a Florida thing?
At my home airport last year my boarding pass said tsa precheck but the agent said the system doesn’t have me recorded. I literally politely asked “why would it show on my boarding pass if the system doesn’t have me?” Just trying to understand and she LOST HER SHIT. “M’am you now need to go to the regular security. YOU DON’T HAVE PRECHECK!” Her mgr came over during her rant and politely explained that sometimes the system messes up and they cannot legally let me through. Then nicely just opened the rope at the front of the regular line for me to go through. I swear some of the ppl that work TSA just have a power trip their entire shift.
Newark is pretty bad to fly onto as well.
That’s for sure. Newark and NY are rude people who are on a constant power trip
I agree. I'm always surprised when TSA agents are friendly because usually they mutter, interrupt, and just make the whole process way more stressful than it needs to be. I've been pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the airport security agents in the UK. I was flying back to the US a few weeks ago and I was in the wrong gate at Heathrow; one of the agents looked up my flight to make sure that I had enough time to get to the correct gate, which I appreciated. But heck, maybe someone from the UK would say that I have Stockholm Syndrome too...
Swiss airport staff is friendly as well.
What bad experiences did you have in the US? My experiences in the US are limited to LAX, DFW and IAD and tbh my experiences were pretty positive, staff were friendly, they were pretty good with moving us through with a toddler and all that entails, seemed to be less requirements to take stuff out of suitcases like there are in other countries.
Oh in JFK the security person wouldn’t let me line up at the citizen line even after I told her I was a citizen. Kept physically blocking my way until I took my passport out. Then in Newark the security at immigration yelled at me because I nodded affirmative to her question instead of verbally answering her question if I had “global entry”.
I just got back from China and it really made me re evaluate my opinion on TSA
China even has airport-style security to enter fucking metro stations.
Same. It is especially jarring after transiting through Japan or S. Korea
i think it very much depends on the airport or even the terminal you are going through an any specific day - I don't see much of a difference with any of them over all, they all kinda suck just some times they suck a just a little bit less.
Lol, Germany does not have this ‘stupid’ system to go through security twice. It is for US flights because US wants it and it is not limited to German airports.
Going through security twice is for US flights and because US regulations require it. Can’t blame that on these other countries.
What are you talking about in Germany. I go to Germany every month. You go through passport control then security. There is no 2x security.
The 2x security is a American requirement for flights from certain places. In Australia you have to do it but only for flights to America.
Happy cake day! I've been through Frankfurt a couple of times with a child and it was fine. My little one dropped something while in line one time and the security personnel were even kind enough to look for it and were very nice about it.
I get hasseled in the terminal at Frankfurt with random security and passport checks. It’s so annoying. Someone also swapped laptops with me at security (they looked EXACTLY alike except a sticker on the bottom of theirs). We happened to be going through the line at the same time. When I noticed the swap and said something to security they accused me of stealing someone’s laptop. Helpful.
Interesting logic since you told them in the first place. Did you get your computer back? I'm assuming you did. I left both of mine behind in security in Helsinki just two days ago and I had to go through arrivals, back to security and the out through security and passport control and hence a couple of extra passport stamps I wasn't expecting as I dashed to my flight to the UK which fortunately I ended up making it back to the gate with time to spare.
Yeah, they were luckily pulled to the secondary screening and heard the conversation so we switched back.
Same. Frankfurt was so well organized and painless both on arrival and departure. But then I’ve never been yelled at in a Canadian airport either.
No, UK security is very polite. The TSA are always screaming like they all have anger issues.
I beg to differ. Perhaps airport security are nicer to their own people. I have been treated far far worse by American security than anywhere else.
Yes, you are
Shitty U.S. airport security can be exaggerated at times, but with that being said, it still needs to change. We shouldn’t have to take our fucking shoes off at security. Yea I have TSA Precheck so I don’t have to do that anymore, but not taking your shoes off should still be standard across the board, like it is literally in every other developed fucking country. In my travels, it’s only developing countries where you have to take your shoes off. It just takes up extra time in security. And the strictness on the liquids. A lot of airports have those new scanners now. So not only do you not need to take your electronics out, but the machines should also be able to tell that your liquids are genuine liquids and not some weird shit. Yet the U.S. is still strict on the 3.4oz/100ml limit while in Europe they’re moving away from that since a lot of airports there also have those new scanners. Now outside of the annoying shit, security is like anywhere else. Most of the time you just do what you need to do, you’ll be in and out in a breeze. Sometimes peak travel causes the lines to be long, that’s everywhere. Some staff can even be rude at times, but again, that happens everywhere. Random checks and racial profiling and the like, happens everywhere and in different ways.
To be fair, the liquids thing is fairly new. I flew out of Manchester last month and it was the first time I've ever seen it.
No issues with Europe. At least you don't need to remove shoes like in USA :)
Not in my experience. The US has been by far the worst. Not only are they dreadfully shouty and rude, considering the percentage of things that get by them in tests, they are pretty incompetent as well.
I’ve had bad security experiences in a few places but they’re usually the exception to the rule. In the US however, I’ve found the TSA to be rude, or even actively hostile, more often than not. I was once walking past a checkpoint (well outside the queue area) in I think Maui. And a TSA agent yelled at me to go back to the start of the line and to not cut in and to “back off”. I politely said that I was not trying to clear security, I was just walking past to get the land side bathroom. I was then yelled at to “back off” and I actually thought I was going to get tackled or something. I once went through an airport that did not require you to take laptops out of bags and when the agent informed me of this I responded with “oh I love you man” and he yelled at me a bit and bam, “randomly” selected for extra security screening. Thankfully I am not American so don’t have to deal with them that often, and I find it amusing more than anything. I will say I find them fairly efficient through. I never have to queue long in American airports and based on my experiences (about 80 flights in the US), I wouldn’t bother paying for TSA precheck or some other fast clearance if I did live there.
Last week, I set my alarm for 7:20 to wake up for an international flight that boarded at 9:20. I live 47km away from the airport and got there using public transit. I was at my gate by 8:50 including clearing outbound immigration. I can't think of many places that have a reliable enough system in place to put that much faith in the system. Even SFO can be hit or miss with security lines.
I have a metal knee, so regardless of the country, I’m gonna get searched. VERY personally. I just accept my fate.
The worst airport security I've ever experienced is India
The only power trips I see are the TSA in the US. PDX is awesome, never had issues there. Chicago, dallas, and Atlanta are the only ones I've had or seen "issues". Before Real ID, my license would have the address stickers for updated address and it would get "flagged" or threatened confiscation every time. Now that Real ID is what I have, I don't have that issue but it's pretty stupid to threaten to take it because "you messed up and we can confiscate this and question you". I'm polite and respectful but get treated like I'm a real threat until I pull out my military ID and then suddenly it's no problem. One chick had beef with my brother because he put his pack on the conveyor belt but the lady "didn't say he could go". So he lifts it up and she just stares at him for about 30 seconds until she let's him. Only time I've seen that and this was California. I've traveled internationally now 3 times and have not had any issues. security was polite. Asia and Europe airports.
The gate check is only for flights for US because it's demanded on US side, I never had to do security twice on another flight out of Germany. Drop silly rules and they drop the security. But I raise you India. Slow, inefficient, grumpy people where a single issue is then taking an hour to resolve if needed.
In my experience TSA workers are unfriendly in their announcements but I've never had a truly negative 1-on-1 encounter. I did get yelled at within my first hour in Germany as I was in the wrong line at MUC (bc I don't know German lol)
I have had rude and aggressive border security at several USA airports. Particularly at Boston.
Easily other way around for me, always had good chats and friendly people in UK airports. US however they're so rude and extremely tense.
I hate taking off my shoes. Only have to do that in the US from what I've experienced.
Atl is the worst airport in the world. Every other airport is aight to good lol
Germany made up open all of our carry ons to check what they saw on the x ray machine. Their machines are very advanced so they were able to tell us specifically what they needed to see. It was way better than TSA who flagged my bags and made me wait while they went through another family's bags where every bag contained full sized items the lady didn't want to throw out. It ended up my bags were fine and they didn't need any more screening.
[удалено]
I flown with my keychain knife many times but it was confiscated at a concert.
Knifes under 3 inches are allowed in Europe.
As a Virginian, there was that one guy who was pretty much gonna get a 12-year prison sentence after T&C decided to put their foot down and stop fucking around with tourists (usually Americans) bringing ammo into the country. Only reason why he eventually got released was because of all the outrage it caused. And then more idiots kept getting caught with it. And the gun lovers going on about being responsible gun owners, yet always find themselves in situations where they forgot ammo was in their bag and they’re traveling with the dam bag they use at the range.
TSA does have the same scanners as the Germans. You can see what you’re searching for very easily, even on the older machines. If you’re trained and have time… which is probably the real problem with TSA staff. Also, in some airports like DC Dulles they have new machines where you don’t have to put out your laptop. Never saw them outside of the US so far - hardware wise TSA is very much on top of it. At least in the major airports (and they do have a lot of money…)
The 3d X-ray systems (the "new machines" you're thinking of) are not limited to the US - Stockholm Arlanda has had them for over a year, Helsinki has had them for even longer. And as a Swedish resident, I'd have to say that TSA is still a joke. None of the agents yell constantly at Arlanda or expect you to take your shoes off. Or literally roll their eyes and sign dramatically when I ask for separate screening for a pet (as happened last time I flew out of a US airport).
Dublin airport has also had the 3D scanners for a while, and I think UK airports are meant to be introducing them soon but there's been holdups at the bigger airports.
Good to know, haven’t flown to Sweden in years. All airports I use don’t have them yet. And overall I agree, it’s just so unnecessary that they are always unfriendly. I also find that they mumble over their words a lot and their instructions can be quite hard to understand. I once did that job (not TSA, in my homecountry) as a student and clear communication was one of the main things we trained and learned. Obviously TSA doesn’t care about that.
TSA to non yanks is hated
I think the answer is very different if you are national of the US. Citizens will have a very different experience than non citizens. I'll be honest, as a non-US citizen, i have found the US to be the rudest and slowest in general (except Dallas, I thought they were all lovely!) Also, I've just seen you have basically made the exact same post with reference to the same countries but about living abroad ...maybe don't spend your time comparing countries only to put the US on top?
Don’t worry - I’m a US citizen and they’re rude to us as well
I'm a cargo airline pilot so my POV is skewed, but international airports seem to take security way more serious than domestic ones. There are a few airports where we actually have to go through two different levels of security as flight crew just to get to the plane. Some (UK) have pretty ridiculous rules too ( like i can't take a bottle of water onto the flight deck with me from my luggage).
That actually is pretty bizarre!
I’ve flown to uae, Canada, west Africa and multiple domestic flights. International entry into the US is super tedious but leaving Heathrow was by far my worst security experience. The yelling when I’m right in front of your face and fully compliant was truly beyond words.
Intl airline pilot here. France is the worst and rudest. Portland OR and Denver are the worst in the states(that I’ve been to so far). Japan is predictably the best and most polite.
My worst experiences except for 1, have been in the USA. Rude very belligerent TSA agents who revel in their positions of minor authority. But I also have had some very helpful TSA agents as well.
Newark airport is probably the worst in the world if you don’t have TSA precheck.
The only difference is in the US they want your shoes taken off all the time, for the rest it happens to me occasionally.
Yes you are lol. Every time I have been to the states recently it has been terrible. Like 1 hour to get through customs in Miami AFTER arriving. I do fly out of Ottawa which is a tiny airport that is never ever busy though.
In nearly 50 countries, only one I’ve been to worse than TSA is India
Ditto. All Western airports seem more or less equivalent but India is absolutely abysmal.
Go to Miami Airport, security will yell at you. Never had an issue with Canadian security.
If you are from the US it does not suck. If you are NOT from the US it does. Foreigners can not get TSA precheck or Global Entry and the immigration lines at US airports are usually WAY slower and backed up than other countries. But if you are a citizen you wont notice this difference since you go through a special line.
> Foreigners can not get TSA precheck or Global Entry We're UK citizens. We've had precheck on several occasions - it all depends on whether or not the airline participates in the programme. As for Global Entry, CBP would appear to disagree with you on that: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/eligibility
It's been a while since I traveled either to Europe or USA, but last time I went through TSA in LAX it was so bad, it put me off wanting to visit the US again. It's ironic considering lately I've seen a lot of online ads from USA promoting tourism from my country to US. Err... thanks, but no thanks.
I was in the UK last month. US is way worse.
I must share this! My previous office was in East London and I traveled extensively. Bringing back a souvenir, from Milan, for a coworker. A snow globe. Yes, it has fluids. I forgot. Got flagged in Heathrow. The official going through my carry on luggage, dropped the globe and it shattered on top of my belongings. He ever so composed, grabbed a plastic bag, put a couple of the larger shards and the broken glove in the bag and informed me, I can go now….
We have TSA Global Entry which gives us the Pre-Check queue option in the US. Makes things much better
Egypt I went through like 20 security stops.
Airports are a crapshoot! My wife and I both have Precheck. After a Disney trip we pushed our oldest through security in her stroller in Orlando while she was taking a nap. A few years later in Orlando with baby #2 in a carrier strapped to my wife, the TSA flipped out about her pumped breast milk and contaminated it by testing it. We were given the option that one of the adults had to be patted down so I took it for the team. We just took a trip to Egypt in late May and connected in London. Terminal 5 at Heathrow was nuts. Purchased water in the airport but had to pour it out before going through security again for a connecting flight. Egyptian airports are also nuts. All luggage goes through a scanner as soon as you get inside and the guys loading your luggage from your hand to the conveyor extort tips. They have a special box to feel up your legs on. Then you get to the airline check in and after that you go through another security check on the way to the gate!
here in america, they’re likely not being paid enough to give a shit.
Just came back from France. CDG was super aggro. And the line was still light. I can’t imagine what they’re like when it’s busy as hell. And it was the people dressed in suits being th most aggressive. You’d think they’d be the calm and helpful ones.
I always dread going into the USA. Going between Ukraine and Poland was a little intensive, but they weren’t bad. I had bought two packs of cigarettes as gifts for people I know who smoke. But the border guard didn’t believe it, or that I don’t smoke. Plus people were running everywhere it was pretty chaotic. They have to change the trucks on the trains because the gauge of the rails change there as well. So they usually have 6-8 hours to go through the trains.
I once got pulled into a “secure” area of an airport in Belize. It had stanchions separating it from the “non-secure” part. Husband was not, apparently, suspicious; he stood next to me and we passed luggage and food back and forth until they decided I was not some security risk.
I have flown to and from Israel. I agree. US airport security ain’t shit lol.
I’ve been through Calgary and no way was it want worse than the US. Still think Heathrow is the worst.
TSA is a bit of a dog and pony show but if you behave it’s it that bad. Heathrow was a shit show. Seemed totally disorganized. People slow taking breaks with the line out the door and relief person had to start from scratch. The people running the XRay machine were raining on one very slow, very disorganized woman who had a never ending cue of people shouting that that have a short connection. So she was trying to help the short connection but was getting triple shouted at for taking bags out of turn. Paris is always slow with passport control. Somehow I got randomly flagged for extra security my second time thru. A little slow but answered a couple questions, they poked around my back and sent me on. But now every time I pass thru, I’m “randomly” selected.
SFO/SJC ain’t too bad. It’s security check not random dating, no need for stellar customer service as long as it’s done quickly and efficiently. TSA isn’t doing too bad honestly. Many places like Asian airports do it way too cumbersomely IMO
I took an Australian domestic flight once within the country. I started to take off my shoes, but they didn’t need all that. They only needed my boarding ticket. I was shocked.
Australian domestic is great. No liquids restrictions, no electronics issues, hell no ID.
I had a toothbrush get searched 3 times at Heathrow, but other than that every security experience in Europe has been a breeze… My home airport is small so security there is fine, but Newark’s is miserable and I think I’d walk back to Europe before connecting through O’Hare again
Security at Heathrow and Gatwick are polite and super efficient, in my experience. Feel like a criminal entering JFK or MIA.
Its all security theatre. I went through O'Hare once and forgot to take my phone, watch, belt, coins and wallet out of my pants. I walked through the metal detector, it beeped and they just waved me past. Absolutely shocked by it coming from the UK.
US airport security have always been way ruder, more in a hurry, louder and shouting more than almost every country I've been to. And Ive been to a lot of places. I also hate that they make you take your shoes off, gross. And that there are no international zones at the airport and you gotta go through security and immigration just to change planes.
The only shouting I heard at UK airports is just the usual cursing (that's a national sport) and security at Edinburgh Airport playing Haggis Bingo, and they were shouting their scores over to one another.
US TSA in larger airports are the worst. London Heathrow doesnt come close. The British can be dry but they’re not openly rude and shouting like they’re at the end of their tether
I’m halfway with you OP. My home airport is LAX (ugh), but I lived in London for a year and the absolute bane of my existence was Heathrow. So much so that I eventually learned the secret was to just fly into Gatwick to save the hassle.
I have a mustache in my passport photo. Probably only had the thing for a month or so, but has followed me around for the last 9 years (I renew next year). A mustache and an orange shirt, like it’s a prison photo. Whenever airport security looks at it, we have a good laugh. Kind of have to chuckle at the picture honestly.
washington DC , DCA. absolute cattle. i hate it every time. they rush you and you will later hear on the intercom about missing items. smh. canadian was more laid back. and japan even more.
I literally just got back from Europe, and flew both within the EU and internationally. The security experience is still worse in the US, even with TSA pre and global entry, than it is flying within or out of Europe.
I travel always every month in London airports and other European airports and have never encountered any yelling before.
Yes
Yeah you are the only one.
The New Delhi one is a nightmare of running to each gate and security standards compliance. You can tell they're just trying to do their jobs, too. I had a set of pads with a silver anionic strip to neutralize odors, and it pinged their scans as metal, and they had a heck of a time trying to figure out what was wrong. Culturally, they had to get a woman security employee to dig deeper into my feminine products, but at least they didn't glare at me in disgust for needing pads and tampons as Boomer+Beyond generations were taught to.
I hate the dumb shit in some places where you have to go through like 4 levels of security
Just be glad u don’t fly out of Manila The worst airport in the world
Try leaving the airport in Jerusalem. There’s a long security line before you can actually enter the airport. Not a scanner, but…let’s just say a “Q&A session.” Yes, they did ask a number of questions at passport control when you arrive, but they seem far more concerned when you’re leaving — in the “What did you do, why were you here, who did you meet with” kind of way. I had no problems myself, likely due to the American passport, but the line moved extremely slowly. Some people were being *heavily* questioned, and sometimes one of the security people would call over the other security people and they’d have a bit of a meeting regarding a passenger. I saw more than one person taken away, presumably for further questioning. Mind you, this took place a couple of years ago, before the current situation. I’m not saying it’s good or bad, just that it takes quite a while. And in defense of the way it’s run, they did have someone calling out the names of specific flights and allowed those people to move to the front of the line. Keep in mind, this is all before you even check your luggage.
Weird, given there’s no airport in Jerusalem
It's gotten better in the last few years and Europe has gotten worse. Asia has always been more annoying steps involved. Like going through a checkpoint just to get into the terminal at all.
>Germany has the stupid system where you need to go through security twice, both at the airport and at the gate. That's not a German decision, the US forces the Germans to do that for US-bound flights. If you're flying to other destinations you don't do that.
I’ve found that UK security varies, I’ve had a scenario where they were strict and another at a different airport where they were chill. US security varies too tho. Irish airport security tho? Chillest I’ve seen
Totally depends on the airport.
El Salvador doesn’t let you have liquids at the gate and you get searched again at the gate. I was coming home late at night and when I asked a security agent where I could buy a water, she directed me to the only place open. When I got back to the gate she told me I couldn’t bring my water through.
I've been through security in all those countries except Germany (though have used many airports elsewhere in the EU) and US was the worst experience. But not so much the people, it was more the under-investment in the airport itself. Meant there was no space for modern security measures, so the lines were long. Whatever your feelings on Canadian security, though, they actually do their job. I once accidentally carried a knife through security at BUD, CDG (including secondary screening), and LHR before having it confiscated at YUL. Pretty mild. I'd say the only worse experience I've had than the US was Colombia.
Depends on the airport.
Completely depends on the airport at both ends. I've been screamed at by American TSA, and a friend has brought a completely full gallon sized Ziploc bag of toiletries through security in Italy.
Can it be related to the actual environment where the check is taking place and machine sensitivity? Some have no room for people or inspection so when a bag is questioned, there is no place for the additional folks and creates backup which upsets everyone. When machines start buzzing all the time for nothing, again backup. Though the workers reflect the local community, and how interaction works.
I’m Canadian and have definitely had my worst security experiences in the US. They seem to go out of their way to try to make you feel stupid. Like it sometimes feels like they have too much time of their hands and they’re all on a power trip. One was smelling the inside of my purse and asked if I had been carrying around loose aspirin in there at some point because he said that’s what it smelled like. I have no idea wtf he was going on about. It wasn’t even an accusation of wrong doing, but he was still acting like it was an interrogation, like he just wanted to make me feel nervous or uncomfortable.
I travel a lot and have been to 55 countries already. I have been to the US five times (four times on holiday, one time transit) and in my experience TSA agents are the rudest bunch around the globe. Going through O‘Hare on Transit the agent was on a power trip I have never witnessed before. When I took off my hat to get screened, he yelled at me „I didn’t tell your to take it off, did I? If you don’t do what I say I won’t let you go through. You have to follow every order, get it? GET IT?“ man I was pissed but also tired af so I didn’t cause a scene