Cycling UK Forum

Stopped and searched at Portsmouth outbound. It was a 'Jobs Worth' who made us go through a scanner after making my wife and I take of our shoes. It was raining hard at the time and the floor was wet and filthy. My wife expressed her view to him and his response was.' We've stopped a lot of terrorists taking weapons on board'. He then pointed to a clear plastic box and inside was one small penknife an 2 pairs of scissors!

Not quite the same but my car contents have been checked before getting on CalMac and Northlink ferries. CalMac were apparently doing random checks looking for empty fuel containers. Empty because I was heading off island. A great fire risk apparently but seems a bit daft as ferry full of cars with fuel tanks. Now CalMac avoid getting a load of aggro from me by just glancing in the back window with permission. Northlink more sensible as it was my motorhome and they just wanted to check that my gas cylinder was firmly turned off before the overnight journey.

The only time I've had a quick search at a border was crossing out of the Ukraine into Poland.
Every other border crossing with guards, it's just been show my passport.

YMMV .............

Tigerbiten wrote:The only time I've had a quick search at a border was crossing out of the Ukraine into Poland.
Every other border crossing with guards, it's just been show my passport.

YMMV .............

The only times I've been searched have been at UK borders. I've crossed to/from Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Switzerland and pre- EU Czechia by land with only passport checks, as well as a few airports to various places. It does make the UK seem incompetent, looking like they're doing random stops instead of having some idea who or what they're looking for.

francovendee wrote:Stopped and searched at Portsmouth outbound. It was a 'Jobs Worth' who made us go through a scanner after making my wife and I take of our shoes. It was raining hard at the time and the floor was wet and filthy. My wife expressed her view to him and his response was.' We've stopped a lot of terrorists taking weapons on board'. He then pointed to a clear plastic box and inside was one small penknife an 2 pairs of scissors!

Well, give me some slip on shoes to go through the scanner with...

Or I’ll borrow two of these trays...

Much easier in a wheelchair. They still ask you to take off shoes, but I could anything in the chair.