Gucky recently posted some letters she sent to the British Ministry of Transport and European Commission. Needless to say that I fully support this, so I compiled a complaint letter by myself.

Dear Sir,

I would like to file a complain against several, so called, security measures currently in place at (British) Airports (all over Europe).

I understand the necessity for restricting hand luggage in terms of size and weight. But I fail to see the reason or logic behind recent restrictions on British airports, allowing only one item of hand luggage through security screening. How does it make any difference, what so ever, if I have to squeeze any additional items into the laptop bag for the few meters through the screening? Particularly annoying if one is in transit, was allowed to bring two items on board just hours before and have the luggage checked through. Especially business travellers often have small additional luggage like poster rolls.

Why am I asked to take off my shoes for x-raying after security screening. If they have flat soles and didn’t contain any metal in the first place, what harmful things could be possibly hidden in them that I couldn’t simply carry in a pocket?

The liquid restriction seems to be another restriction for the sole purpose of annoying people. How does it make a difference if the containers are in a transparent resealable plastic bag or not? Why can’t I take liquids with me through screening, if I can buy pretty much everything a few meters behind in the duty free shops. Only to throw it away in transit! As far as I am aware, the August 2006 plot was not stopped by stupid restrictions but intelligence sources. If everything potentially harmful is going to be banned, we soon will have to board the planes naked and tied up!

Being a righteous citizens I have no problems sharing information. However, I can’t help but feel being treaded like a criminal suspect whenever I have to board a plane. Yet more and more regulations are pushed through to gather even more private information.

Airports are miserable places. After a ten hour flight, probably preceded by hours of queuing and commuting, all I want is to get the transit over as quickly as possible. I am most likely in a terrible mood already and don’t need any security guard, even if the poor soul is only doing his job, to insist on pointless measures.

All I am asking for is to apply a bit of common sense and rethink some of the current regulation.

Regards,
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I have sent it to both addresses above. If you, dear reader, have recently experiences similar hassle please do the same, let them know that they go too far.