Mumbai airport security (or not!)

Was flying back from Bombay to London last week on BA, with my mother.

As we were sitting in our seats, I noticed my mother had an opened 500ml bottle of water and I asked her where she had got it from.

She apparantly had carried it (on the top of her handbag) all the way from the business class lounge through the various security points and onto the plane, and no one had even noticed!

So much for the security! For the rest of the flight I tried not to think what else might have got on the plane before takeoff!

India has been dealing with terrorism and security issues for all of its independent life. They do actually know what they are doing over there.

The liquid on planes thing is not standardized. The fact that she brought it on board doesn't necessarily indicate security has been breached.

When we went through security at Bagdogra, a member of our party was stopped for having 150ml of sun tan lotion and she had to put it in her hold luggage ... but she was allowed to carry a bottle of water through .. as we all were.

They were telling people not to bring liquids through security and people were leaving bottles on the pre-security side. Its the main reason I was surprised to see my mother with her water!

The security restrictions on airplanes today (mostly based on the guidelines from the US) is such a bunch of crap.

On my last time to India 4 years ago, I was searched twice. At the x-ray machine and then they patted me down before I entered my waiting area for my flight. I was suprised by the great security measures taken.
But this was soon after the Iraq war started.

India's airline security measures have been stricter than western ones for a long time. You are hand-searched (which doesn't happen in the US unless you are wearing a turban), and at small airports you have to identify your checked luggage before it is loaded. You can carry all the water you want because it is only American and British idiocy that suggests you can blow up a plane with 500 mls of Bisleri.

I must say that I was impressed with the security at Calcutta and Bagdogra airports ... on the face of it seemed a lot better than the UK. (But I don't see what goes after the bags are checked in)

ananda2193...

I don't suppose you wore the red cloak.

But the long white hair and glowing red eyes will, I'm afraid, attract attention. You're just going to have to live with that.

No, but I wore a red Hawaiian style shirt. Does that count.

Here's a pic of the day before at Juhu beach.

Yep... just like your avatar

The most 'secure' flight I ever took was air lanka --- my hand baggage was examined five times before boarding and all checked in baggage had to be identified by passengers before loading.

Thats nothing, my father once flew from Heathrow and managed to get on the flight with his Kirpan (Sikh ceremonial sword) on. It was only in midflight that a flight attendant noticed it.

Last year an aunt travelling from IGIA Delhi got to Birmingham with wearing her Kirpan. It was only the chap on the immigration counter who noticed it and asked if she had worn it during her journey.

whilst waiting to leave delhi, i was sitting right near the security section, and was quite taken aback at some of the knives and daggers being removed from passengers.

And they were well enough to fly?

We returned yesterday and were not allowed to take water on any flights. They didn't always spot things though. I managed to hang on to my cigarette lighter until Mumbai where sadly it was spotted by a security guy who must have been more alert.