‘Security staff thought I was a bomber’
Tuesday 17th May 2011, 11:30AM BST.
A 73-YEAR-OLD man has claimed he was accused by Southampton Airport security staff of being a suicide bomber who would use his stoma bag to blow up the plane.
Retired fruit and vegetable salesman Barry Parkyn (pictured) said he was searched for 25 minutes until he suffered an epileptic fit.
He now wants to ensure no one else has to go through what he had to. ‘It’s ridiculous,’ he said. ‘No one should be treated like that, especially when they are ill.’
But airport staff have completely disputed the claims and say they acted with compassion.
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They do get a bit carried away with themselves at Southampton sometimes but I suppose they aren’t paid to think, only to blindly follow the rules.
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It’s Airport security, deal with it.
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I doubt the Southampton airport staff know the meaning of the word compassion, more than one occasion I have seen islanders treated to extremely rough/ shoddy treatment from their security personnel. I even complained once after seeing an old lady shoved in the back over to the searching point where she was then subjected to a pretty rough oredeal in full view of the public.
The complaint fell on deaf ears and the usual “we are here for your safety”.
I use many airports on a regular basis, and hands down Southampton is by far the worst for unfriendly and rude staff many of whom take their little tiny piece of power and take it as far as they can.
This story although on the surface seems like a good old bit of sensationalism, is unfortunately probably very true.
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Another example of over-exuberance and lack of common sense displayed by people who are not allowed to think for themselves. There is no evidence that I am aware in the world where someone of a “certain age” has been a terrorist. Sadly, they do not employ profiling. What really irks is that security companies and governments in employing such actions display huge ignorance of the myriad of ways that a determined terrorist can employ without any risk of detection whatsoever.
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Never trust men with beards and trust women with beards even less!
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those idiot security “staff” on duty that day should lose their jobs, how dare they treat someone like a terrorist for having a serious medical condition.
And to add insult to injury they deny everything.
Bring on the lawyers on this one, I want to see this go to court and the guy get at least six figures compensation for this outrage.
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Hello
I thought all those type of employees had been snapped up by Environment
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Getting an explosive device aboard a plane needs a very good cover and an unlikely suspect to pull it off these days.I will continue to cooperate fully with airport security myself, which reading between the lines here I gather this man didnt.
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“until he suffered an epileptic fit.”
Dogs have fits. People have seizures.
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I find it hard to believe that Aiport Security would turn around to someone and take hold of their Stoma bag, give a good feel and say “we think you have a Bomb attched to your Stoma bag and believe you are going to blow up the plane!! Your not getting on!” I’m sure it wasn’t quite like that and the poor gentleman is over reacting!!Hppefully to receive a bit of attention. It is not a pleasent experience getting stopped in Airport Security but if Terrorists kept blowing up planes and killing innocent people then they would all be moaning that Security system is not strict enough!! And anyway it was only 25mins! try being searched for 3hours!! Lol!
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John
I bet the authorities just love people such as yourself.
Just do as your told and “deal with it” with no right to complain?.
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Maeta what has your comment got to do with the article so what if they got it wrong if they got it wrong. As long as I can remember they have always been called a fit.
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I honestly wonder if this man is over reacting, maybe a little too sensitive with regard to his life support system?
Southampton flight staff are more than well aware of various attachments on travellers from Guernsey and cope with them very well – after all, this is the airport we travel into from Guernsey to reach the hospital. If he made a big deal, then security would be bound to follow it through, for everyone’s sake.
I hope he made it back to Guernsey without making causing a further fuss.
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Oh! Southampton security. The worst that I come across and I travel a lot. Not a please or thank you about them. They are the pits!
Peanuts and monkeys come to mind.
Really doesn’t all this take the shine off of flying. It used to be such a pleasurable experience.
Whilst I am on about that; the staff at the White Rock who are so jobs worth with foot passengers whilst car passengers on the same vessel are left alone. What is all that about? It doesn’t give Guernsey a good name I tell you
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@ bcb – You can complain but this guy isn’t the first person to have a problem with it, i’d rather them be strict than be blown up, if airport security said ‘oh he’s just an old man, he can’t be a bomber’ than i’d be worried.
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Yeah…..Dyed hair and false beard and moustache…He looks like a suicide bomber to me!
Thank goodness they grabbed him in time, eh?
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Hey, better to be safe and “over the top” with security as opposed to having an aircraft blown up and many families ripped apart. Can you imagine the comments on this site if an aircraft was blown up and it came out in the investigation that airport security staff basically didn’t care and pushed anything through the system. It’s down to the world we all live in today – it’s the terrorists to blame, no one else !!
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This is pathetic.
Anyone who thinks this man should not have been searched, or suspected is well, well out of touch with reality.
Thank god Southampton airport staff do not engage in the profiling these complainants seem to be doing. Typical response from armchair experts who’d do better to realise sometimes the authorities actually do know best.
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If Southampton is that bad then fly elsewhere. I mean honestly you use our airport and hospital and nothing is good enough for you.
Take your business elsewhere please. As someone who lives near the airport I am fed up with useless channel islands drivers who have no idea how to drive in the UK. And yes we get many of you around Southampton.
You have a choice, use it, don’t sit there complaining.
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The idea is not to catch supposed terrorists (who are demonstrably false flag patsies) but is rather part of a government effort to condition the public that it is normal (even patriotic) to submit to unreasonable, dangerous, and invasive “security” measures. Airports are incubators for tyranny and the emerging police state. It has nothing to do with your safety and security. It’s all about conditioning you to submit to government.
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Absolute madness.
Does he think he is exempt from airport security checks?
If you dont want to go through airport security dont travel by air. Simples.
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Michael
Well done for proving the points of all the people who have expressed concern over the attitude of the Southampton Airport Staff towards islanders.
And actually, when it comes to choice of hospital and airport, many dont have a choice!
It’s a shame really, people like yourself and the airport staff ruin the experience of what is a lovely city, populated by mainly very freindly people. It just appears to evaporate by the time you get to the airport, you being a case in point!
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He does not think he is above security, as mentioned in the article he has a certificate to say that the Stoma bag can only be examined with a Nurse or Doctor present.
He did have a fit, fits are not always obvious to the untrained eye. No problems at other airports, just Southampton. Unfortunately he has no option but to travel there for Medical treatment.
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My mother, who was terminally ill and very fragile was subjected to a terrible time by security staff at customs. She was upset and quite visibly ill, chemo and radio therapy had taken it’s toll.
She had nowhere to sit down and my father had to get quite vocal to enable security staff to arrange for her to have access to a chair. Disgraceful. We should have complained at the time but when someone is as ill as she was, more pressing things took priority.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Lloyd’s response to Michael’s post, I’m glad you’re in the minority, most people that I come across that live in Southampton are usually lovely.
My mother didn’t have a choice of which hospital to go to (we have no complaint with the hospital, she was treated superbly) it was just the airport staff.
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ManWithNoName:
Certificate saying his bag cannot be searched unless certain criteria are met?! If only Osama had realised the power of the written word – his people would have found it easy to infiltrate anywhere using your logic.
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Security guarding is a calling for the hallowed few.
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We don’t need over zealous security gorillas, we need profiling of pax to be introduced without delay. Sadly no one seems prepared to institute profiling of pax as they are too damn scared of the outcry from non caucasians. To be blunt, bombers are of a certain race/religion and their actions can be easily profiled. The Israelies profile pax, they are not scared of profiling and I don’t believe a bomber has ever got on to El Al?
Political Correctness is the cause. The UK used to do this with the IRA bombers, but while that was seemingly OK to target white Irishmen, doing the same with the present ‘enemy’ is not, why?
Appeasment never works.
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Airport security staff, under payed, under brained,under educated bullys hidding behind that sign as you walk through departures,you know the one.It says answer back at your peril.You make us all sick learn manners and respect please,
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I got asked to remove my belt at Guernsey Airport security before getting a Trilander flight to Jersey yesterday. Obviously looking for explosives but as I was sat immediately behind the pilot I could easily have used it to strangle him from behind.
Brilliant!
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OK so Southampton people are nice, but I am not. Thank you for taking it to a personal attack on me. I do not live in Southampton, I live near the airport.
Hospital you may not have a choice. Airport you most certainly do, and unless your only reason for visiting is the hospital then I fail to see your point.
I will of course be a gentleman and not resort to personal insults.
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@Michael – While I don’t subscribe to the whole personal insult thing that goes on on this forum, you can’t really be that surprised that someone has taken a pop at you as a result of your earlier post about “useless channel islands drivers” etc! That was pretty uncalled for.
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Michael
Haha, so you expect to come on here and have a pop at islanders and for no one to make a judgement on this?
Dont play the martyr mate! It helps to be innocent if you are going to play that card. Instead you came on here swinging and then suddenly became all precious when you get called on it!
I thought the whole “point” was that we dont have a choice! Yet you keep claiming that we do.
Clearly you dont understand how many of our medical insurance policies work!
Just to make it clear to you, if I become ill and need to go to a hospital, then I have to use Southampton and I have to fly to Southampton airport also.
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Michael, many Guernsey residents don’t have a choice over airport. Southampton is the closest UK airport with good transport routes and many travel there to use the hospital which they’ve been referred to.
We can say the same thing about UK drivers in the island. The truth is they’re not used to driving through the small lanes or using filter in turns, much the same way that Guernsey residents are not used to daily commutes on the motorway and travelling at speeds over 35mph. With a little bit of consideration people will get along fine, including the airport security guards. If you don’t want to be opened to criticism then I suggest you don’t post antagonistic comments on public forums.
I too have been subject to these ‘mini-Hitler’ types. I’m all for safety and in-deed the guards in Gatwick airport are lovely! I remember having a chat to one of them about my holiday destination. I did think it must be a very monotonous and boring job and the poor chap probably couldn’t care less where I was going on holiday too but was very polite and entered into the conversation.
Respect and courtesy go a long way. I don’t think it’s just limited to Southampton secuirty. Jersey security personnel are also very rude when I’ve travelled through.
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Mr Lloyd
| May 19, 2011 at 11:35 am
Michael
Haha, so you expect to come on here and have a pop at islanders and for no one to make a judgement on this?
You are correct, I had a pop at islanders, not individuals. It seems you wish to make it personal.
It was not like islanders where not slagging off where I live was it ? or maybe having a go at someone who could be my neighbour.
For the record. I do not live in Southampton. I do not know anyone who works at the airport. I have flown from there a few times in my life. I firmly believe the security there is much safer than many european airports I have been to.
I do not wish this to be a personal attack on any individual. Perhaps you could afford me the same respect.
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Truth Man
Very predictable from you.
You talk about armchair experts but i see you have already made up your mind as to who is in the wrong here?.
I bet if you were in charge of any public complaints against any of your whiter than white chums the only thing you would need is a paper shredder.
The guy complained about the way he was treated not because he was stopped.
But as long as the authorities keep pumping out how much our lives are at risk they will get away with anything.
John
Which terrorists are you talking about? theirs or ours?
pramad & chris well said.
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Michael
You post in such a manner where you want to be able to slag people off but not expect any critiscism in return.
I could quite easily have pigeonholed all Hampshire people in a response to you, but I chose not to, because in my experience most people from round your way are very nice.
You however have seemed happy to insult EVERYONE, carte blanche. So you have to ask yourself whats worse, me criticising your posts, or you criticising a whole group of people?
Ltes not forget that we are responding to a story about a man being mis-treated near where you live, others have chimed in with their stories suggesting that this is not an isolated incident. Maybe instead of jumping in and taking a swipe at all islanders you may firstly want to think that our critiscism maybe justified.
May I suggest if you take things this personally, you refrain from insulting an island of people on a public forum.
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Mr Lloyd
I see little benefit from any further comment on this subject. I suspect we will not see eye to eye on it.
Have a very good day.
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Brian Harper – Oh so terrorist’s have a look do they?
Well perhaps I want to blow up a plane I wonder if I would look like what you think a terrorist looks like!
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A bit of humanity makes all the difference with staff manning security checks – the smug jobsworth versus someone who acknowledges that their job can at best cause a nuisance and at worst distress. It sounds like Mr Parkyn met the former, poor man.
I’m married to an ex-commercial pilot and he reckons that Southampton would be an easy terrorist target, not by passengers but by staff. There’re a lot of stories about how easy it is for undesirables, including illegal immigrants, to gain employment at UK airports. Usually for the same reason as Chris’s comment above about passenger profiling – PC regulations.
Flight crews get the same treatment from the obnoxious security lot. Some people are just drawn to a job where they can lord it over others.
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its reassuring that following the 7/7 bombings in London all passengers luggage is thoroughly checked before you can board a bus or a train in London ….
for the vindictive amongst you, i have recently heard an excellent prank to play on the Southampton security staff …. fill an empty expensive perfume bottle yourself, in the privacy of your own bathroom if you get my drift, and “accidentally” leave it in you hand baggage …. if security staff are honest upstanding individuals then noone will come to any harm, because they would never think of taking home confiscated items for their own use …..
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bcb:
Silly bcb – have another read of my post. I make the point that “Anyone who thinks this man should not have been searched, or suspected is well, well out of touch with reality” I do not direct my comments at the man who was searched, and I am not making comment about his treatment whilst being searched.
The staff were, and are quite right not to assume you need to be dressed up in full terrorist uniform in order to be open to suspicion and searching.
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In all fairness he does look a bit dodgy.
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Truth Man
But the thrust of the story was about the way he was treated and not just because he was stopped which is something we all have to accept and i hope we do (being stopped) like it or not.
I haven`t read any posts suggesting he should be able to just waltz through and be treated as a special case.
If the complaint was just because he was stopped then i would agree with you.
Yes they have a job to do but that does not include treating someone in such a manner. Thats if this guys complaint is valid which i don`t know if it is or not, but that is not the point.
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bcb:
Er no. You’re wrong. Read the headline: “security staff thought I was a bomber” (as if they shouldn’t have suspected him) and the first paragraph “73-YEAR-OLD man has claimed he was accused by Southampton Airport security staff of being a suicide bomber who would use his stoma bag to blow up the plane.” (again as if they should not have suspected him, or been so thorough in the search).
Nonetheless, my first post was actually aimed at persons such as Keith Lloyd who clearly thinks profiling based on age and race works – it does not, and thank god people like him do not run airport security.
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Truth Man,
The headline is the angle that the Press took, they love a good hedline. It was from one sentence in an interview. The main complaint is the way he was treated by the jobsworth security staff. He said that he fully expects to be searched like anyone else but due to the bag he askes for some privacy and for a nurse/doctor to be present. This is from advice from his Doctor and the Colostomy association.
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This is a man in his 70′s, in poor health by his own admission, accused of having a bomb where his poo comes out…
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ManWithNoName:
Thank you for the clarification. I guess you know the man in question? There is no doubt that we should all be treated with respect. It is so refreshing to hear that he fully expects to be searched and does not support the profiling that some seem to think is so important.
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Southampton arent very well trained. Sorry to say this but very true
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Truth Man
Er no
I don`t think he or anyone else should be a suspect in regards to being a bomber unless there is good reason to do so.
What was it that made him into a suspect anymore than the thousands of others that get through without being stopped?
Surely that would mean they are letting thousands of “suspects” through without being searched?.
I would have thought these checks are there as they are now to deter the real bombers from carrying out their deeds? in otherwords anyone can be stopped and checked so beware?.
Saying that someone could be a bomber is not quite the same as saying they are a suspect.
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bcb:
I am not sure how your first sentence links to what i am saying. Since you were not at the airport, and you are not trained in the subject you do not know what triggered the search, do you?
Nonetheless, you raise a valid issue – personally, I think security staff should have their suspicionometre set to about level 2 or 3 out-of 10 at all times. It’s fine for you and I to bumble around with our heads in the clouds, security staff do not have that luxury.
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Unfortuantely I have to use Southampton airport at least once a week and more often at times. I have been doing this for the past 15 years as my father lives there and I look after him at weekends following a massive stroke.
I have always been surprised that Southampton Airport recently won airport of the year for 2011.
The staff are particularly unhelpful although i always find the people who che3ck me in for Blue Island flights very pleasant.
It is the security staff that are the worst. I know security is important and that they have a very important job to do. However they are surly, rude and uncaring.
I have heard the way they talk to elderly peopleand it is unacceptable. Often elderly people do not travel regularly and the airport can confuse and disorientate them.
the security staff never say please or thank you. on the odd occassion that i have been searched or they have asked to search my bag they have been rude and left my bag in a complete mess.
I have complained on several occassions using their feedback forms but never once received a response.
I would suggest that when travelling through Southampton Airport if yopu are disatisfied with the service or spot the staff being rude or uncaring report it to the Managing Director, Dave lees and if he gets enough complaints maybe he will do something about it.
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