B737 crew was hassled by ground security personnel at btv.

Attributes
ACN	489361
Time
Date	200010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : btv.airport
State Reference	VT
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground other : in terminal
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 14000
ASRS Report	489367
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3.4
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While clearing security, the screening devices were set very sensitive, requiring flight crew's to empty pockets, etc. The security personnel were acting very intimidating and improper toward the flight crew. The first officer put his bags through screening and then emptied his pockets and still could not get through the metal detector without setting off the alarm. The security agent wanted to hand wand and search him, but due to a bad experience with the same person the week before, he chose not to be searched and asked for his bags back, and went down to flight operations and entered the aircraft ramp side. Note: the first officer was very polite to the security personnel and never said anything to them except to ask for his bags back. As we taxied out for takeoff, we got a message from the control tower to call the company. The company advised us that the security agent had filed a ground security incident report. I then asked to talk to the company ground security coordinator. The ground security coordinator and myself decided that there was no threat to security or safety, and the ground security coordinator advised us that we were okay to continue for takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW WAS HASSLED BY GND SECURITY PERSONNEL AT BTV.

Narrative: WHILE CLRING SECURITY, THE SCREENING DEVICES WERE SET VERY SENSITIVE, REQUIRING FLC'S TO EMPTY POCKETS, ETC. THE SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE ACTING VERY INTIMIDATING AND IMPROPER TOWARD THE FLC. THE FO PUT HIS BAGS THROUGH SCREENING AND THEN EMPTIED HIS POCKETS AND STILL COULD NOT GET THROUGH THE METAL DETECTOR WITHOUT SETTING OFF THE ALARM. THE SECURITY AGENT WANTED TO HAND WAND AND SEARCH HIM, BUT DUE TO A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE SAME PERSON THE WK BEFORE, HE CHOSE NOT TO BE SEARCHED AND ASKED FOR HIS BAGS BACK, AND WENT DOWN TO FLT OPS AND ENTERED THE ACFT RAMP SIDE. NOTE: THE FO WAS VERY POLITE TO THE SECURITY PERSONNEL AND NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO THEM EXCEPT TO ASK FOR HIS BAGS BACK. AS WE TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF, WE GOT A MESSAGE FROM THE CTL TWR TO CALL THE COMPANY. THE COMPANY ADVISED US THAT THE SECURITY AGENT HAD FILED A GND SECURITY INCIDENT RPT. I THEN ASKED TO TALK TO THE COMPANY GND SECURITY COORDINATOR. THE GND SECURITY COORDINATOR AND MYSELF DECIDED THAT THERE WAS NO THREAT TO SECURITY OR SAFETY, AND THE GND SECURITY COORDINATOR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE OKAY TO CONTINUE FOR TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.