The security at Tenerife always seems very thorough. A few years ago, our son had a travel Cluedo in his hand luggage. It came in a little plastic suitcase of its own. The X-ray men were studying it very hard.....of course it contained tiny model weapons.....revolver, dagger, candlestick etc.
Son had to unpack his bag and show them what it was....then they let him through
although we don't think they understood it was just a board game

My dad used to tell a tale of a couple passing through Dover car ferry customs. Something sarcastic was said by the driver to the officers who pulled him over, along the lines of "Well if you think you're going to find anything, you're welcome to try"...
only to return and find his car in pieces down to nuts and bolts...
and it was up to him to put it together again
I don't know if it's a true story (would have happened 40 years ago if it was), but there is a moral to it (see sanji's post earlier)

I don't know about any cars being dismantled but it's certainly true about caravans. I'd read in a newspaper about a caravans being basically destroyed at Dover as customs took them apart and left the owners to fix them (except they couldn't be fixed) and insurance not covering it,. I thought this was just newspaper exageration but when I passed through Eastern Docks later (would have been in the 80s) there was an area that looked like a caravan scrap yard.

HMC&R can dismantle Any vehicle/trailer passing through the port, and there is no provision in the law for them to have to effect a re-assembly, it is down to the owners cost

steve8482 wrote:

I don't know about any cars being dismantled but it's certainly true about caravans. I'd read in a newspaper about a caravans being basically destroyed at Dover as customs took them apart and left the owners to fix them (except they couldn't be fixed) and insurance not covering it,. I thought this was just newspaper exageration but when I passed through Eastern Docks later (would have been in the 80s) there was an area that looked like a caravan scrap yard.

A couple of years back we were coming back to the UK through Boulogne in the seacat. Much to our surprise there was a British immin-gration officer in the French port checking documents. I said to her that this was a surprise as I had never seen anyone from British immigration in the many times I had come through French ports. The lady assured me quite sternly that there is ALWAYS people on duty (news to me the hut is ussually deserted and the lights are out). On the ferry my wife said that she bet that when we get off our car will be singled out for a big check just to prove a point (it was't).

For some reason I invariably set off the buzzers when going through security and then get thoroughly 'frisked'. It must be that screw loose which I have. I've had my mobile taken away for closer examination and invariably have to remove my shoes. Coming back from Denmark in March my hand baggage was diverted for checking but I'd guessed the outdoor thermometer I'd bought as a present for my son might cause a problem so had made sure it was easily accessible and sure enough that was the problem. Another time, also coming from Denmark, my bag was diverted, but I have a suspicion that was because the mixed race family behind me were also stopped and the officers wanted to demonstrate their neutrality.

I always set the buzzer off, so always get frisked...last year one of the customs guys shouted "it's a random" meaning I guess that I had randomly been selected for a frisk, but it would have happened anyway. I have had my toothpaste squeezed out of its tube, loads of wrapped presents opened at Heathrow on the way back into the country, and a box of tampons opened at the airport in Moscow some years ago - one was held up to the light and examined, then opened up- oh the shame

I think metal framed glasses seem to set the scanners off. Since I have changed to plastic frames I haven't been stopped once!

Meerkat, you've reminded me that one time when we were going to the Channel Islands, the customs here in UK unscrewed our thermos flask!
I didn't even know you could do that
(we take the flask because there's nothing like some hot whisky coffee on a walk if it's raining/blowing a gale ;))

One year, flying from Gatwick, I set off the metal alarm (days before X-ray etc) with my spectacle case. Missus gave me a right dose of what-for! At Girona airport, off goes the alarm again! She spins round to rollock me, until Spanish cop says, "Pardon, Senora. It was me! My gun, you know?"

I have metal pins in my arm after I broke my arm. I have a medical card to present as I always set the alarms off so I am automatically frisked now and will be from now on

And Im also the person who always seems to get their bag checked too

greenshoes - can I ask how you got your medical card? As I said in an earlier post, hubby has plates in his face. When I asked our GP, he said that they wouldn't be a problem, but he always beeps. Trying to explain is a nightmare!

One year, flying from Gatwick, I set off the metal alarm (days before X-ray etc) with my spectacle case. Missus gave me a right dose of what-for! At Girona airport, off goes the alarm again! She spins round to rollock me, until Spanish cop says, "Pardon, Senora. It was me! My gun, you know?"

I like it

My daughter (9 years old) got stopped at ema going out to turkey...it was 3am in the morning and they were opening her bags. She had a bag of alcohol hand gel in her pencil case which we hadn't taken out, and that was taken off her. Funny thing was I had exactly the same alcohol hand gel in my bag, but it was loose in my bag, and they didn't even search my bag. My eldest has also got through with a forgotton bottle of coke as well

At the time, I was being searched because I kept setting the buzzer off. Apparently underwired bras are normally ok...but mine was pretty 'hefty' according to the security woman

Oh, and childrens shoes (doodles I think is the brand, if they still make them) have strips on metal in the sole, as we found out trying to get a two-year old through security (at the time in her life when she was terrified of strangers). I'm not sure what was more embarrassing, the fact my toddler was being searched, or the fact that she was making so much noise.

I've started getting searched every time I go through Dover docks lately, (only been twice this year,), but on Saturday we had to get out our van and go through the metal dectator, my Dad being well my Dad set it off with his belt and he had to take it off, but he had a bit of trouble getting his belt off which was interesting I got through no problem as per usual. Coming back, we where told to go to one side so they could look behind us, nothing there so we where waved on our way. Think I just look dodgy as customs at ports tend to pull me up I mean when I'm footpassengering it I get my bag searched lol

Tarry. I sympathise. Every time I go through an airport I bleep at security. One day I asked the girl there why I always bleeped and she said "oh it will be your shoes, there's metal in them". Well. I certainly don't wear the same shoes all year round. I have also read that it could be underwired bras. but I doubt that. I also must look dodgy,possibly being a nervous flyer, as last time I was called back to security and had to open my case for the guy to have a rummage. Thank goodness it was on the way to my holiday and not on the way back with all the dirty washing!

I think it's also because I never know how to walk past them too. Like even when I'm not travelling at times I've sett off alarms in shops I never set of the metal dectator, just get pulled over to go through it and get scanned. Unlike airports I know this doesn't happen all the time.

hubby always set the alarms off at Manchester, usually cos its his belt, then his 7million keys, and his phone he forgot to take out of pockets. Last year we reminded him, so the tray qiuckly became full and yeay he didnt set it off. And none of us got searched cos they seemed to do every 3rd person. you always hope please dont let it be me lol.

But Dalaman 2 years ago when going through second x ray machine at the gate they wrote his passport number down and address they did it with a few blokes dont know why. We inappropriately laughed as usual and said whatve you done now, he was mortified and said why we didnt we stand near him. No way was mine and the girls response we want to get home.



Bev

greenshoes - can I ask how you got your medical card? As I said in an earlier post, hubby has plates in his face. When I asked our GP, he said that they wouldn't be a problem, but he always beeps. Trying to explain is a nightmare!

I obtained mine from the hospital through my fracture clinic department.

My boyfriends brother was travelling to Houston, Texas recently on business he got from Birmingham to Amsterdam with no problems, however whilst going through security for his connecting flight he was surrounded by stewards who searched his hand luggage. It turns out that the huge pair of scissors he had taken to a previous exhibition had worked their way inside the lining of his bag Fortunately he managed to explain the situation without getting arrested although he was concerned that he had managed to get through Birmingham security to Amsterdam with a massive pair of scissors in his hand luggage!