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Security at Theme Parks and Other Public Places

speedy said:
Must have been a big ass battery pack that it scared them so much. I know there is a safe limit within which battery packs are allowed to be taken on board a plane, so wouldn't they be working to the same specification?
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It probably didn't even occur to them that lipos like to explode when hot / stabbed / dropped from great heights / crashed into ground at 100+mph* - all they saw was young lad with battery box and they lost their shit over it.

*Yeah, angry bee is no more, it suffered a rapid unscheduled disassembly over the weekend - twice.
 
speedy said:
Don't question it! We all know the queue of people waiting to go through security creates a target in itself, and that they hardly even check the bags (at least in my case).

Must have been a big ass battery pack that it scared them so much. I know there is a safe limit within which battery packs are allowed to be taken on board a plane, so wouldn't they be working to the same specification?
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It's 0.1watt hours above the limit where I need to phone the airline for approval. It's this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NTYF892/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_c19NBb38D3CP5

The issue isn't them being concerned as the packs cover has popped of,it's how they handled the situation.

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
 
I am in the middle of a lengthy dialogue with BPB about being refused entry at the east entrance, repeatedly, despite being told that is the "exclusive" entrance for pass holders.
Three email messages later, they still have not given me a response that tells me what I want to know.
Quoted their own policy, told them about my dodgy knees, and how it only seems to be an issue with one member of the security staff, as all the other (charming) staff have let me go through to guest services for my wristband without problems.
Mentioned disability discrimination and, coincidentally, I threatened to take the matter up with the lovely Nick, by snail mail.
Always persist with a complaint if you feel that you have been fobbed off, use the companies own policies and procedures against them, and warn them who you will contact next if the issue remains unresolved.
All they have done is confirm that the problem exists, not what they will do to try to resolve the matter.

Ultimately, if you cant dazzle them with diamonds, baffle them with their own bullsh!t.
 
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ihaveaspergers said:
It's 0.1watt hours above the limit where I need to phone the airline for approval. It's this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NTYF892/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_c19NBb38D3CP5

The issue isn't them being concerned as the packs cover has popped of,it's how they handled the situation.

Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
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Fuck me I hope these morons are never confronted with a real bomb if that's the way they reacted to that, and if the cover does come off easily, and the product works, surely that is even easier to confirm what it is if you can see the batteries and electronics inside.

When I used to carry one of these around with me to charge my e-cigarette, I was only ever once challenged over it, at the London Eye, and that involved the security asking me to switch it on to prove it worked, asked me to similarly take a drag from the e-cig, reminded me politely not to use it in the pods and then thanking me for my co-operation and wished me a good day, took all of 30 seconds, the guy knew full well what it was, he was a professional.

There is no excuse for how this was handled, it was so far wrong if you took it to Hollywood they'd dismiss it as unrealistic, considering the number of e-cigarette users there are, an subsequently nearly every one of them carrying round a battery pack with them, they should know what these things are, not treat you like a criminal because you have long hair (just guessing based on the photo) and are young.

Seriously, get Varney involved, contuary to popular belief I'm sure he'd be really interested to hear how one of his beloved passholders was threatened with having their property confiscated (aka stolen) by a balshy rent-a-cop because he thought it was a bomb (probably wanted it for himself, needed something to charge his knackered iPhone), at the very least he can go through security himself with a battery box and see how he is treated for comparison because they won't have a clue who he is.
 
I find the bag searchers at towers do call the supervisor if they get an item they are not sure about.
I have never had a bad experience with them.


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IanSR said:
**** me I hope these morons are never confronted with a real bomb if that's the way they reacted to that, and if the cover does come off easily, and the product works, surely that is even easier to confirm what it is if you can see the batteries and electronics inside.

When I used to carry one of these around with me to charge my e-cigarette, I was only ever once challenged over it, at the London Eye, and that involved the security asking me to switch it on to prove it worked, asked me to similarly take a drag from the e-cig, reminded me politely not to use it in the pods and then thanking me for my co-operation and wished me a good day, took all of 30 seconds, the guy knew full well what it was, he was a professional.

There is no excuse for how this was handled, it was so far wrong if you took it to Hollywood they'd dismiss it as unrealistic, considering the number of e-cigarette users there are, an subsequently nearly every one of them carrying round a battery pack with them, they should know what these things are, not treat you like a criminal because you have long hair (just guessing based on the photo) and are young.

Seriously, get Varney involved, contuary to popular belief I'm sure he'd be really interested to hear how one of his beloved passholders was threatened with having their property confiscated (aka stolen) by a balshy rent-a-cop because he thought it was a bomb (probably wanted it for himself, needed something to charge his knackered iPhone), at the very least he can go through security himself with a battery box and see how he is treated for comparison because they won't have a clue who he is.
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I offered to show it working, guys response "I'd rather you not"

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ihaveaspergers said:
I offered to show it working, guys response "I'd rather you not"
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Oh my... LOL
Should have just done it, watch him shit his pants. Sound like he's been watching far too much person of interest.

Best one I saw was a friend who put a vibrator in her hand bag to go through security with, the look on the guy's face was a picture.

delta79 said:
I find the bag searchers at towers do call the supervisor if they get an item they are not sure about.
I have never had a bad experience with them.
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Other than once at Towers, neither have I, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a new guy, or someone who just had a problem with @ihaveaspergers because of his age and appearance.
 
IanSR said:
Oh my... LOL
Should have just done it, watch him **** his pants. Sound like he's been watching far too much person of interest.

Best one I saw was a friend who put a vibrator in her hand bag to go through security with, the look on the guy's face was a picture.



Other than once at Towers, neither have I, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a new guy, or someone who just had a problem with @ihaveaspergers because of his age and appearance.
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He could have also not been happy with me a VIP asking to skip the bag search queue (something Thorpe security have advised us to do-flash pass,bags checked then down the middle)

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ihaveaspergers said:
He could have also not been happy with me a VIP asking to skip the bag search queue (something Thorpe security have advised us to do-flash pass,bags checked then down the middle)
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Yes, that will likely be it, you undermined his authority, "security" don't like that because the very name of their job gives them a hugely inflated opinion of their own self importance, I could tell you a few stories about them, but I won't waste your time.

I was going to say I though as a VIP you went to the door to the right of advanced ticket collection, so in a way skipped the bag check.

Also, as I haven't been for a while, but do they have a disabled line for bag checks down the middle, or is this only for "visible disabilities"? I seem to remember seeing a sign last time I was there but it was evening so, laughably, there was no queue so we just walked straight through the bag checks area because they'd all gone home.

That's another gripe of mine, aside from the public footpath running down the side of the park that the kids use to throw their drugs through the fence to circumvent security (only dumbarses try to take stuff through the main gate I was told by one of my sons friends), if you're going to have bag checks, do them all the time, it's no good only checking "up until 6pm", Legoland was bad for this too, walked in at 6.00 for fireworks, bags were being checked, walked back out to car and back in again at 7pm, no bag check, it had all been packed up and security were nowhere to be seen.
 
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IanSR said:
I was going to say I though as a VIP you went to the door to the right of advanced ticket collection, so in a way skipped the bag check.

Also, as I haven't been for a while, but do they have a disabled line for bag checks down the middle, or is this only for "visible disabilities"? I seem to remember seeing a sign last time I was there but it was evening so, laughably, there was no queue so we just walked straight through the bag checks area because they'd all gone home.
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VIPs use the door on the right of the turnstiles but that's after bag check, we haven't been advised to use the staff door on the right that bypasses bag check.

There's no signage but im told middle(bag free) is disabled however the only person I've seen use it is a wheelchair user

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Yeah, that's the door, I forgot it was after bag checking, the last time I went they only just started railing off the area in between the bag checks and the turnstyles because arseholes like me just walked around the old security bag check area they had. The new one is better as iirc you can't go round it (unless you walk round the exit and there is usually a guy standing there to stop you doing that).

They probably took the sign down as I'm sure just about everybody with a carer pass would go down there if given the opportunity, I know I would.

Just out of interest, before the incident, how long did you have to wait in the bag check queue before you got to Mr Grumpy?
 
IanSR said:
Yeah, that's the door, I forgot it was after bag checking, the last time I went they only just started railing off the area in between the bag checks and the turnstyles because arseholes like me just walked around the old security bag check area they had. The new one is better as iirc you can't go round it (unless you walk round the exit and there is usually a guy standing there to stop you doing that).

They probably took the sign down as I'm sure just about everybody with a carer pass would go down there if given the opportunity, I know I would.

Just out of interest, before the incident, how long did you have to wait in the bag check queue before you got to Mr Grumpy?
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Not long, I walked up to the guy Manning the bag free queue showing my VIP pass and asked if he could check my bag there. (As security have advised VIPs to do).

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Today I visited Universal Studios Singapore for the second time (I have a students pass).

There is no security on the MRT, the Sentosa Express or entering the park itself. Mind you they have metal detectors for Battlestar and Revenge of the Mummy, but of course that's for a different reason.

This fear of terrorism must be a British thing. What are we doing wrong??
 
ihaveaspergers said:
Not long, I walked up to the guy Manning the bag free queue showing my VIP pass and asked if he could check my bag there. (As security have advised VIPs to do).
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Bag free queue? They didn't have that last time, which one is it? As I'm going this week, and will be bagless, anything to speed up my entry helps lol.

speedy said:
This fear of terrorism must be a British thing. What are we doing wrong
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Not much, although appointing ourselves head of the world police didn't help.

There's actually a more in depth reason for security checks, it keeps people employed who may otherwise be signing on, same for a lot of other things that are far too boring to be discussed on a theme park forum, but yeah, terrorism and knowing your every move is a very British thing, I had a friend come over from the states recently and he was astonished at the amount of security everywhere, plus when you compare the present policy to that of the IRA era, it's laughable to consider we ever survived that period without the same crap we have to put up with now in the name of "keeping you safe".

Brexit will result in even more need for security, didn't you know the housing market is going to collapse (again) and there is going to be so much civil unrest that martial law will be declared....
 
And after waiting 30 minutes for a gourmet burger from possibly the slowest fast food outlet I've ever been to, I can see they need that protection.
 
Oh yes...every burger cooked from scratch, and they only serve the two or three at the front of the queue, so if you are beyond number four in the queue, you have a very long wait.
The burgers on the barbie place outside the Avalanche are just as good, but they chuck a few burgers on the griddle as soon as a queue starts forming, so you tend to get served there more quickly.
But no chilli jam for dippy and shakey there though.
 
I went to the last Ministry of Sound night at Thorpe, stayed over in Shark.
As I went back to my car at around 7pm to collect my bag I saw the security staff loading up a car with bottle after bottle after bottle of confiscated alcohol.
Now Im sure they were going to take it somewhere to dispose of... o_O:rolleyes:

the perks of the job I guess :D
 
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