RobClubley

There's a big difference between racial profiling based on the people who've committed previous acts and racism.

They're mostly doing their jobs as they are dictated to, apart from the odd tosser who abuses their power. Just like the police really

jennifer45

No, I think Genesis hit the nail on the head.
It's not about doing their jobs, it's about HOW they do their jobs.
We've transited Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch numerous times.
Questioned; searched and once told I'd be detained. Always treated courteously.
Oz on the other hand must require an extra qualification for their security personnel- sheer bloody-mindedness, cussedness, rudeness and total lack of understanding.

Having gone through rigorous screening in Auckland, we landed for refuelling in Melbourne. We had to go through the screening all over again despite having spent the last 3+ hours 35000 ft up in the air in the same aircraft we would reboard in app. 1 hour. A young girl travelling alone with a baby in a body harness, lifted all her cabin baggage on to the belt. None of the staff helped her. She set off the alarm with a metal ring on the baby harness.
Three staff descended on her as she walked through. One "ordered " her to go back. The baby was asleep. She took it out of the harness, held it in her arms and started to walk through the arch. One chap shouted "Without the child!" None of them offered to hold the baby. We were at the back watching- disbelieving their attitude. 3 youths were immediately behind her. I went forward offered to hold the baby for her and when they finished frisking her, I inadvertently leant through the arch to hand the baby back. The lead chap screamed at me to "Get back!" both the girl and myself jumped- the baby woke up screaming-
That's when I lost my composure! I told him and his little bunch of pathetic individuals exactly what I thought of them. Politely! I asked for their names and their senior management contact.
Yes- I was stopped- yes they did make me empty the whole of my cabin baggage in full view of everyone. Was I bovvered? No. As I told them- "Whatever turns you on!"
I would have been more bothered if I had just accepted it and allowed them to get away with behavior that was simply unacceptable.
We received a reply saying the security staff had been spoken to about their behavior but that the case of a terrorist, who had used a baby to hide explosives, went part way to explaining their zealousness.
Yep- it's a lousy job- someone's got to do it.If they get it wrong - the passengers suffer, but they don't need to be so uncivil and abuse their power in order to get it right.
jennie

Ps;: leave the racist bit out of it! That really is a low blow.

j19fmm

[QUOTE=jennifer45;6677058]Having gone through rigorous screening in Auckland, we landed for refuelling in Melbourne. We had to go through the screening all over again despite having spent the last 3+ hours 35000 ft up in the air in the same aircraft we would reboard in app. 1 hour.

Know where you're coming from there, we had exactly same scenario the first time took my kids out to NZ. Really couldn't understand all the checks when we'd been on the plane so long anyway. My son was only 3 and had to be woken to get off the plane, seriously not amused. We were told in no uncertain terms to put him down and make him walk through the arch. And he had to remove his shoes!
There was a Dutch guy who kept setting off the alarms and they made him remove more and more clothing til eventually he dropped his 'pants'. Well it made the rest of us laugh, the demon-woman on the arch was not amused.