Can I take sandwiches onto aeroplane?

birkee

jammin wrote: »

I completely disagree. Common sense does not tell me to bend over and accept what some ill-informed imbecile is telling me, if that which he is telling me is a load of crap.

Too many airport security staff think they can make the rules up as they go along, probably because too many people just let them. It might only be a bar of chocolate, but it's my bar of chocolate, not his and I won't throw it away because it's not a prohibited item and I'm entitled to have it.

Chocolate is an argumentative item, as most PROCESSED foods will probably be allowed, but in some locations, YOUR banana / apple / lettuce / tomato etc will be confiscated, and with your attitude problem, you might find youself on the next flight home.

You would blow the cost of an overseas holiday, on the principle that it is YOUR tomato, which will be confiscated and destroyed anyway. They won't let you take it home with you, and then you would get stopped here, on the return trip if they did let you, and again, it would be taken off you and destroyed.

Just to make a point! What sensible comments you have to offer.

Nobjocki

liviboy wrote: »

Oh and to the previous poster, I don't class myself or my colleagues as imbeciles, many working at EDI are actually well-qualified people (in other fields, including law, teaching and nursing), who do the job solely for it's very good salary. We don't go out of our way to be annoying, we are actually monitored continuously on our customer service and compliance.

Source: I work at Edinburgh Airport security.

I've never actually used that airport but I find security staff at UK airports to be overwhelmingly friendly and efficient doing a job that, although paid well, must be mind-numbingly boring.

If anything from what I've observed it's the passengers who are the imbeciles - I mean, is there anyone anywhere who after all this time really doesn't understand what they can and can't take through security ?

Yet I see dustbins full of bottles that are quite clearly against regulation every time I go through security.

Only recently I passed through LHR and the women in front of me was complaining loudly about a large jar of perfume being confiscated and giving the security people a hard time - I felt I just had to tell her to shut the eff up and let them get on with their job.

She did and one of them said a quiet " Thanks mate " after she had gone.

Pollycat

Nobjocki wrote: »

If anything from what I've observed it's the passengers who are the imbeciles - I mean, is there anyone anywhere who after all this time really doesn't understand what they can and can't take through security ?

'After all this time' may well apply to those of us who travel on a regular basis or even those first-time flyers who access website such as this or other holiday specific websites.

But I guess there may be some people who book at a high street travel agents or over the phone who've never flown before and have no idea about liquids/gels in hand luggage.

liviboy

Nobjocki wrote: »

I've never actually used that airport but I find security staff at UK airports to be overwhelmingly friendly and efficient doing a job that, although paid well, must be mind-numbingly boring.

If anything from what I've observed it's the passengers who are the imbeciles - I mean, is there anyone anywhere who after all this time really doesn't understand what they can and can't take through security ?

Yet I see dustbins full of bottles that are quite clearly against regulation every time I go through security.

Only recently I passed through LHR and the women in front of me was complaining loudly about a large jar of perfume being confiscated and giving the security people a hard time - I felt I just had to tell her to shut the eff up and let them get on with their job.

She did and one of them said a quiet " Thanks mate " after she had gone.

You can say it when we can't haha.

Passengers seem to think it's only them we are "picking on" when quite clearly it isn't the case.

I have to say that while parts of the job are repetitive we get some fantastic passengers through that more than make-up for it. Stag and Hen parties for a start.

What tends to annoy me the most is when I am explaining the rules to a passenger and all I get back is "I got through London with it" or "I fly all over the world and never had this before" when, for most places people at EDI are flying from/to the same restrictions will apply.

But the good thing is for every loud/annoying/aggressive passenger there are 3 or 4 really nice ones. I tend to be of the mindset that if I am friendly and courteous the passenger should be too, if I am rude and aggressive then that's what I should expect in return.

Errata

Nobjocki wrote: »

Only recently I passed through LHR and the women in front of me was complaining loudly about a large jar of perfume being confiscated and giving the security people a hard time - I felt I just had to tell her to shut the eff up and let them get on with their job.

She did and one of them said a quiet " Thanks mate " after she had gone.

All that illustrates is that security staff are content to stand by and do nothing when a stranger interferes and verbally abuses a passenger they are dealing with. It sounds rather far fetched.

liviboy

Pollycat wrote: »

'After all this time' may well apply to those of us who travel on a regular basis or even those first-time flyers who access website such as this or other holiday specific websites.

But I guess there may be some people who book at a high street travel agents or over the phone who've never flown before and have no idea about liquids/gels in hand luggage.

Pollycat, the chances are these people will pass numerous signs and be spoken to my a number of people about the restrictions, particularly the liquid ones and they just blatantly ignore them, then get angry when they get 'caught'. I had a passenger screaming at me yesterday that there were no signs, so I actually took him right back outside and pointed to the 6 different signs, TV screens and announcements plus the officer loading the X-Ray that HE went through to get to me all explaining CLEARLY the rules so really when I pull out his 4 bottles of Irn Bru, sun tan lotions, etc it shouldn't come as a surprise. On top of the info at security, the Check-In staff will also ask pax about liquids.

The rule has been in place since 2006, it's not exactly "new" and most people we come into contact with are not flying for the first time...I empathise with passengers whose first time it is, but for the most part people are just ignorant: "That's my water son, that's not a liquid!".

Pollycat

liviboy wrote: »

Just to clarify that you CAN take quite a lot of food through Airport Security in the UK - most certainly sandwiches.

You can even take Baked Beans, Chunky Soup ('smooth' soup like Lentil can't go though), Currys, Chocolate bars (but not mousse) you can also take "chunky" yoghurt/rice pudding but again not smooth/pure yoghurt.

Liquids bags should NOT contain toothbrushes, powder make-up, solid 'stick' deodorants, lipstick, etc as these are not liquids)

Source: I work at Edinburgh Airport security.

Very interesting and useful post, liviboy.

I must admit I did find the post about Security insisting on binning sandwiches hard to swallow.

I didn't know about the solid stick deodorants, I've always put mine in with the other liquids.

Just a query about lipsticks - which you say shouldn't be in the clear bag:

Extract from Directgov website which says lipsticks ARE classed as liquids:

Liquids include:

• all drinks, including water, soup and syrups
• cosmetics and toiletries, including creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, mascara and lipsticks
• sprays, including shaving foam, hairspray and spray deodorants
• pastes, including toothpaste
• gels, including hair and shower gel
• contact lens solution
• any other solutions and items of similar consistency

liviboy

Just a note as well, if you come through security (certainly at Edinburgh, not sure about other airports) and you have a bag 'full' of liquids that are oversize, we will always recommend you go downstairs and check the bag in. Let's say it will cost £40 to check the bag in, and you have nearly £60 worth of alcohol/sun lotions/sprays/etc, you are saving £20 by checking it in rather than re-buying all your stuff.

All the stuff that gets binned is just that, binned. It costs the airport a fortune to dispose of it all and we'd much rather you not leave your things behind but take everything you wanted with you on holiday.

liviboy

Pollycat wrote: »

Very interesting and useful post, liviboy.

I must admit I did find the post about Security insisting on binning sandwiches hard to swallow.

I didn't know about the solid stick deodorants, I've always put mine in with the other liquids.

Just a query about lipsticks - which you say shouldn't be in the clear bag:

Extract from Directgov website which says lipsticks ARE classed as liquids:

Pollycat, I should have been clearer Solid Stick lipsticks do not have to go in the bag but Lip Gloss and "gel" lipsticks do.

The Directgov site is useful for passengers to use and for ease they have just put lipsticks on instead of being too specific which can sometimes cause more confusion. I wouldn't remove a solid-stick lipstick from a liquid bag but it isn't necessary to go in.

The Edinburgh Airport website has this in its FAQs:

Toiletries
Can I take my lipstick and deodorants on board?
Yes, you can take on board all solid cosmetics and so a standard lipstick would be acceptable as would solid deodorants. You can also take atomiser/cream/roll-on deodorants in containers up to 100ml. These will need to go in a transparent resealable bag.

This is where the distinction between solid and liquid cosmetics matters with the transparent bag. All solid cosmetics can be taken on board, but liquid cosmetics must fit comfortably into the transparent bag.

EDIT: I'm not allowed to psot the URL to the FAQs but you can go to edinburghairport DOT com click on Security then click Security FAQs.

Pollycat

liviboy wrote: »

Pollycat, the chances are these people will pass numerous signs and be spoken to my a number of people about the restrictions, particularly the liquid ones and they just blatantly ignore them, then get angry when they get 'caught'. I had a passenger screaming at me yesterday that there were no signs, so I actually took him right back outside and pointed to the 6 different signs, TV screens and announcements plus the officer loading the X-Ray that HE went through to get to me all explaining CLEARLY the rules so really when I pull out his 4 bottles of Irn Bru, sun tan lotions, etc it shouldn't come as a surprise. On top of the info at security, the Check-In staff will also ask pax about liquids.

The rule has been in place since 2006, it's not exactly "new" and most people we come into contact with are not flying for the first time...I empathise with passengers whose first time it is, but for the most part people are just ignorant: "That's my water son, that's not a liquid!".

I do appreciate that, liviboy.

My point was to Nobjocki who seemed to think that everyone should be aware of the liquid rule 'after all this time'.

I appreciate at check-in you are asked if you have any liquids in your hand luggage (and that's the time to open your hold luggage and stuff your suncream etc in) but even so, maybe somebody who's flying for the first time and is possibly nervous may not fully grasp the concept of liquids and arrive at Security complete with 200ml bottles of suncream, perfume etc.
Yes, the rule may not be 'new' but it is to someone flying for the first time.

However, there is no excuse for getting angry or abusive when staff are (I would hope politely) just doing their job.

I wouldn't class myself as a frequent flyer but we do go through (mostly) Gatwick airport 5 or 6 times a year and although I've seen lots of stuff being binned (which to me indicates that not everybody is aware of the rules even 'after all this time' - I do not believe that they are all trying it on), I've never seen anyone be abusive.