Why are people so compliant to 'authority' figures?

[User169]

Just a few weeks ago I was doing some circuits round Regents Park with 'er indores, and at one point on the circuit we passed some leafy entrance, sprinkled with those paramilitary-type policemen you now see quite often on the streets of London, touting sub-machine guns. I mentioned to her how stunned I was the first time I saw a British cop wearing a holstered gun at an airport. And now here we are a couple of decades on, and Uzi-touting plod barely raises an eyebrow.

US ambassadors gaff, I think.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I will say that I have had issues in the past - just by being born in a certain city north of the border. thankfully that is now a thing of the past but even I heard the customs officers say they were pulling everyone over who had a birth place of "xxxx" going through one ferry docks...

On our last tour, when asked if I had any dangerous items such as knives, fuel etc... I said yes outright to the customs officers at a ferry port which had decided that cyclists & bikes were foot passengers. Asked what - I pointed out I had both an outdoor knife and methylated spirits in an appropriate container (which was regretfully in one of my water bottle holders under her nose at the time!) So confused and baffled by someone saying yes, that she simply asked if it was secure and to ensure that it (the knife) was left with my bike on the car deck. So having told 2 customs officers being watched by 3 police officers that I had both an outdoor knife and flammable liquids, I was allowed on board with said items!

On the the next ferry, I arrived at the car area and was asked if I had any dangerous or flammable items by a customs officer who was shaking his head at me whilst asking... He clearly knew we did (it was a different port and a different company), it was obvious we were living outdoors and would have these items... As he asked if we had any dangerous items, my husband replied "only the wife!"

Now I try to keep the fuel containers on the inside of the panniers when we cross borders and say no each and every time... still have the knife after 22 countries and 24 border crossings...

 

[Black Sheep]

every time I fly into a large UK airport that has the equipment to go with my bio-metric passport I get dragged out of line, sent into the scanner.

I then turn to walk the wrong way back out of the scanner after it has failed to let me through, to be told "just put your passport on the scanner" twice, both before and after explaining that it has told me to join the regular line, the person merrily directing people to use this convenient technology comes to do it for me, finds that it won't let me in and puts me back in the queue where someone looks at me, looks at passport and repeats the process before asking me a question and letting me in.

I half expect one day to be dragged off to an interview room and asked to prove that I'm British, to which I'll reply in my unmistakably Yorkshire accent "what, with this accent?"

My dad, at one point could get waved through a Texas airport with the passport control saying "you again!" so frequent were his business trips.

 

[Kestevan]

I can concur on that one. need a wheelchair and you get whisked through without issues, as does anyone else with you (and your oversized luggage (bikes) turn up really fast as well) - also got me free upgrades to 1st class because they needed to have me as close to the front of the airplane as possible and with the most leg room. Seats A1 & A2

Yeah = but not sure I want to get half eaten by dogs, just to get through customs a bit quicker

 

[Silver Fox]

One of the very real problems with this, I fear, is that there doesn't tend to be any 'relaxation'. There's a very definite ratchet effect. 'Normality' becomes redefined. At a new level that favours the control-meisters.

Just a few weeks ago I was doing some circuits round Regents Park with 'er indores, and at one point on the circuit we passed some leafy entrance, sprinkled with those paramilitary-type policemen you now see quite often on the streets of London, touting sub-machine guns. I mentioned to her how stunned I was the first time I saw a British cop wearing a holstered gun at an airport. And now here we are a couple of decades on, and Uzi-touting plod barely raises an eyebrow.

Sign of the times unfortunately.

It's not necessarily to do with control, more responding to the issues of modern society.

 

[swee'pea99]

Sign of the times unfortunately.

It's not necessarily to do with control, more responding to the issues of modern society.

Well, yes & no. The real threat was probably more real back in the '70s - I actually heard an IRA bomb go off on my way to school one day. But the police weren't armed in those days. Like I say, it's not the arming that's the issue, per se; it's the fact that liberties, once relinquished, are hard if not impossible to regain.

 

[Brains]

The last time I went through a smaller “international” airport in the US – it has one international a day – the Americans getting off the plane were allowed through immigration first. The visiting foreigners had to wait until all Americans had been processed before the staff moved to the booths for visitors.

That is one issue I don't have a problem with, locals first is a quite reasonable way to run.

 

[Arch]

Well, yes & no. The real threat was probably more real back in the '70s - I actually heard an IRA bomb go off on my way to school one day. But the police weren't armed in those days. Like I say, it's not the arming that's the issue, per se; it's the fact that liberties, once relinquished, are hard if not impossible to regain.

I think they were where I grew up, and if they weren't, the soldiers certainly were! I found it very odd when we came over to England and there were no searches, no soldiers, no guns.

Of course, that's a place that has 'gone back to normal', even if tensions still simmer. No more security gates to get from one end of town to the other.

I'll raise you your bomb going off, to our car being hijacked and used to run guns over the border....

 

[Archie_tect]

I went to a wedding at Belfast City Hall in 1980... it was really tense driving into the security enclosure getting the underside of the car checked with mirrors on poles and sniffer dogs... it was another world.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I went to a wedding at Belfast City Hall in 1980... it was really tense driving into the security enclosure getting the underside of the car checked with mirrors on poles and sniffer dogs... it was another world.

we used to joke that we never needed to lock our cars at one of our work places. security was much more strict than that - on the bright side of things every employee had armed guards for their cars who would ring you up if you left a window open and it started to rain and we all got at least 10 minutes walking each way every day, car to desk... closer to 15-20 mins each way by the time you have done the checks & keyed in.

But I will never forget the day my best friend got pulled out of class and came back asking for me, in tears. Her mum had just been shot whilst walking down the street with her sister whilst visiting her in N.I. Never even made it into the local (english) papers let alone anything else, but also left us realising that you could survive being shot. Her mum made a full recovery, but it opened our eyes to what was actually going on "over there". From her mother's account, a car opened its window and a passenger started firing without aim as the driver drove down the street.

 

[G2EWS]

I flew into Belfast to meet one of my agents on the day it came over the Radio they they were seeking a terrorist called Chris Grew, which is my name!

No one stopped me when I showed my passport. Very bizarre!

Chris

 

[asterix]

Thing is, bothersome as it is, I think I'd be more bothered to read the files on the total number of threats that our small isles faces each day from overseas visitors and those coming in on fake UK passports.

I think we'd be surprised at just how many people want to cause the UK harm...each and every day

like it or lump it, this system seems to be working. Much of it is about applying overt security as a form of deterrent.

you dont really expect to just breeze in and out do you?

No, I don't. I am very concerned about the lack of interest shown in my arrival by Border Control. Last time I came in I watched them take 3 vehicles in front of me for inspection and they just waved me through, Why? What is it about me that they don't want to know about? Am I so insignificant?

 

[Doseone]

USA Ha. Try visiting Israel.

 

[Norm]

you dont really expect to just breeze in and out do you?

You can do that easily, by boat or private plane if sneaking through in a truck or van doesn't appeal, the stuff at airports is entirely there for the illusion that it is doing some good. If it was that important, they'd have the same controls at Dover, Ebbsfleet and Felixstowe.

 

[Norm]

Yes, flight is used by terrorists as history has proven time and time again. So being careful with any nationality is surely the right thing to do? And I always thank the people who have to do this job, as already mentioned it is not a pleasure for them to hold anyone up, they have a job to do and get on with it.

What relevance does stopping people at the point of entry have for anti-terrorism? And why only at international airports? It wouldn't take much of a mastermind to avoid LHR or LGW and head for Eastleigh or Bournemouth, or even the Eurostar.