Airport

Ah8217bris

Well-Known Member
Hi

just wanted to gauge opinion here. I am a frequent traveller (maybe 100+ trips to the US but many other countries). I used to use the self scan passport machine at heathrow but since having a FAC I always get rejected and sent to a man at a kiosk. Just wondered if a coincidence or a regular thing for other FAC holders?
 
Never been a problem for me , but my wife's is sporadic, never been asked about guns.
 
Could be the certificates showing up. Could also be that you ring bells because you are travelling alone and often. Maybe even you have the same name as someone that is "known" to them. It isn't Pablo Escobar, is it?

You can't blame them for looking for likely offenders I guess. But if you have figures that show you are being picked out more frequently than others and there's never anything wrong, I would perhaps contact them in writing pointing it out and politely suggesting their attentions are obviously unfounded. They will have a complaints procedure if that doesn't work.
 
Could be the certificates showing up. Could also be that you ring bells because you are travelling alone and often. Maybe even you have the same name as someone that is "known" to them. It isn't Pablo Escobar, is it?

You can't blame them for looking for likely offenders I guess. But if you have figures that show you are being picked out more frequently than others and there's never anything wrong, I would perhaps contact them in writing pointing it out and politely suggesting their attentions are obviously unfounded. They will have a complaints procedure if that doesn't work.

lol, not quite:) but that was my thought after showing up, hence, wondered if it meant automatically couldnt use self scan.
 
Ive had my phone swabbed for explosives a few times. Bit of a shock the first time, a quick thought (and a scary vision of rubber gloves going on :eek: ) lead me to saying that there could be a trace due to my job as a gamekeeper, and carrying the phone in the same pocket as my ammo along with some fired cases (on the hill, not the airport) meaning that it could be possible for a couple of powder granules to be on the phone. Not sure if the x ray machine picks up something as I never see anyone else getting their phone swabbed or am I just randomly the one stopped.
 
Usually try to get a holiday after the stags, so not a regular traveler . Didnt get swabbed last trip(new phone) but have the previous 4,making me think it was more than random, Probably not the best idea to use the hill day bag as hand luggage ether !
 
Steve

If I carried my FAC every time I fly it would be worn out within a year!

I really think we're getting into the realms of conspiracy theories here.


Residues are longer lived than we give credence to, I only have to open a powder / ammo store to be greeted by that "certain aroma", so friendly lab / spaniel at airport would light up like a halogen bulb if I was wearing anything that had been in contact.:D
 
The ION scans that are used nowadays are a lot more precise. The results not only tell the operator what is being detected but also the substances. GSR will show up as that and nitrate powders will show up. Either of which will normally just result in an additional question or two. Now if it detects RDX, TNT, TATP or HMTD, you’ve got problems.
 
Residues are longer lived than we give credence to, I only have to open a powder / ammo store to be greeted by that "certain aroma", so friendly lab / spaniel at airport would light up like a halogen bulb if I was wearing anything that had been in contact.:D

About 15 years ago when I was working as a Prison Officer our jail was locked down because there was a rumour that there was a gun in the prison.Explosives and weapon search dogs turned up and we ripped the prison apart half way through the day I got a message over my radio to report to the staff locker room I duly turned up and was told that the dog had indicated on my locker and could I open it.Opened the locker and dog indicated on my sports bag containing my cricket kit that bag was normally kept in the same room as my gun cabinet at home but had not been home for 2-3 months.But the dog still indicated
 
I recently got one of those new e-passports(EU), so self-scan, and have since then had the quickest entries ever into the UK, pas the waiting crowds at Border Control. Bliss.
 
I fly regular and have a damaged chip in one of my passports and this will not work in the scanner, ask the person on the kiosk whether this is the case with yours.
 
By ferry to France my passport was not checked on the way out. Coming back it turned out I had my girlfriends passport not mine. That caused some delays.
 
About 15 years ago when I was working as a Prison Officer our jail was locked down because there was a rumour that there was a gun in the prison.Explosives and weapon search dogs turned up and we ripped the prison apart half way through the day I got a message over my radio to report to the staff locker room I duly turned up and was told that the dog had indicated on my locker and could I open it.Opened the locker and dog indicated on my sports bag containing my cricket kit that bag was normally kept in the same room as my gun cabinet at home but had not been home for 2-3 months.But the dog still indicated

Cricket balls are coated in nitrocellulose, if you’ve been rubbing it on your trousers it will cross contaminate.
 
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