Bag search issue

[progroupie]

Considering there have never been any major safety incidents in the parks security seems to be doing a pretty good job, window dressing or not.

 

[nytimez]

Considering there have never been any major safety incidents in the parks security seems to be doing a pretty good job, window dressing or not.

I did not say park security is window dressing. I said the bag check is window dressing.

 

[aubriee]

When we entered Animal Kingdom the guy behind us was pushing a baby in a stroller. The security guard asked the guy, "Did you come in a car?"

And the guy nods in the affirmative.


And the security guard reached under the stroller, pulled out a six-pack and said, "Great. You can put THIS in it now."

We were once behind a family going through the bag check at AK. The CM pulled a flask out of a diaper bag and asked the guy to open it. The guy insisted it was just water. The CM continued to insist the guy open it. He did and the CM smelled of it and said ,"Pretty strong water you got there. You can either drink it now or pour it out." The dad got mad and tilted his 'light brown water' out over the ground right in front of us and the security guy. My poor spongy flip flops smelled like whiskey for quite awhile, where it ran around and splashed up on them.

 

[ThreeBeans]

We were once behind a family going through the bag check at AK. The CM pulled a flask out of a diaper bag and asked the guy to open it. The guy insisted it was just water. The CM continued to insist the guy open it. He did and the CM smelled of it and said ,"Pretty strong water you got there. You can either drink it now or pour it out." The dad got mad and tilted his 'light brown water' water out over the ground right in front of us and the security guy. My poor spongy flip flops smelled like whiskey for quite awhile, where it ran around and splashed up on them.

Flask in the diaper bag is even better than beer in the baby stroller

 

[buffettgirl]

Let me start by saying that my experience has always been that the guards are trying to be as quick and as pleasant as possible (especially with women's purses etc).

We had an interesting experience only ONE day - we carry a whole range of diabetes supplies for my child and as dh was having that bag checked the security guard asked dh why there was no insulin in the bag anywhere and dh answered it was because ds wears a pump and we don't need to carry insulin. (ds was 2 people behind with me) We had no syringes, so nothing really harmful in the bag (other than the closed up glucagon - think epipen for diabetes) , but she sort of made a big issue out of why we had a meter/strips/glucagon/glucose tabs and no insulin even after dh's answer. We weren't offended but she was clearly a bit confused as to the whole situation. She mentioned then that we were the second family through "with diabetes" today - like it was some sort of conspiracy. She's going to have a heck of a time in a few weeks when the big diabetes convention happens. LOL.

Most times the security guards say something pleasant to ds like "everything sweeter in Disney!" or "watch out for those mickey bars" or "my neice/grandson/nephew/granddaughter has diabetes".. so this was certainly a small change of pace for us.

 

[goofyernmost]

So on Wednesday we went to the MK for the first time in almost a year. Something awesome did happen - guest services changed the expiration date on our passes from December to June because we hadn't used them at all since renewal due to my pregnancy complications. So that was really cool.

Anyway, so we took our 2 month old baby for the first time and needless to say, we had a stroller and diaper bag. So we went through the bag check and the security guard went kind of nuts digging through my diaper bag. I took out the blankets and bulky items so she could see inside, but she stuck her hands all up in there including all the pockets and ended up touching my baby's pacifiers, bottles, burp cloths, etc. I then started thinking about how she had just had her hands in who knows how many other bags since she last washed her hands and it really bothered me that she touched so much of my baby's stuff, especially things that go in/near her mouth. I can't remember any time in the past that I've actually had a guard dig through my belongings but we rarely ever went through the bag check line until now. Is this level of search routine now or did we just pick the wrong line to go through? Is there way to get through the line without someone touching my stuff in the future?

Even though I understand a parents concern about things like that...I can't help but wonder what stops them from seeing the BIG picture instead of focusing on the little stuff.

For example...when you consider the vastness of WDW or even individual parks, think of the number of people and what has been touched by literally thousands of people that your child is liable to touch. I haven't met a baby yet that won't reach out for and put in their mouth everything they see. Does anyone really have control over what kids come in contact with. It's usually take that out of your mouth...not don't put that in your mouth. It's too late by then!

Then let's go to the bag search. It's natural to be concerned about what the searcher touches, however, what about the bag itself. If pacifiers, sippy cups, teething rings, etc. are just lying in a cloth or plastic carry all...what have the sides and bottoms of those things come in contact with? Anything like that should be put in separate baggies or containers to keep them as sterile as possible. Nothing short of a portable autoclave will protect any of these things from some exposure.

Now I didn't bring this up because I have this unquenchable desire to see all parents go OCD on the spot, but, to get them to relax a little. Your child is exposed to more things in 15 minutes touring the parks then any security guard can pass along. It's just not avoidable and to my mind, considering how the human immune system works, it is desirable.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I hate bag check. I hate how they funnel everyone to one entry point. It has ruined the front of the parks especially at MK. I miss the old days.

 

[POOHsie]

We were once behind a family going through the bag check at AK. The CM pulled a flask out of a diaper bag and asked the guy to open it. The guy insisted it was just water. The CM continued to insist the guy open it. He did and the CM smelled of it and said ,"Pretty strong water you got there. You can either drink it now or pour it out." The dad got mad and tilted his 'light brown water' water out over the ground right in front of us and the security guy. My poor spongy flip flops smelled like whiskey for quite awhile, where it ran around and splashed up on them.

I am making a personal comment here: I find it beyond sad that a parent has to bring in alcohol to a family day at a park. Not for moral or religious reasons, but for the man's desire for a mood-changing substance in the setting of a simple family get-together. I feel bad for that man's family. I have been there.

 

[ThreeBeans]

I am making a personal comment here: I find it beyond sad that a parent has to bring in alcohol to a family day at a park. Not for moral or religious reasons, but for the man's desire for a mood-changing substance in the setting of a simple family get-together. I feel bad for that man's family. I have been there.

My beer story struck me as just sort of quaint and goofy (the attritbute not the character ) but the flask of hidden booze...yeah, that's another ball game. You're right...it is a little sad.

 

[Jakesmom504]

I would have hated that too. One Microbiology class "ruined" me for things like this.

I've been many times and never had a security guard be quite that thorough. Usually, its a quick peek, often they don't even check all the zippered compartments. Sometimes they'll actually look in each compartment and ask me to hold something open, but the've never taken everything out.

I can totally understand why you'd be upset.

HA YES! Micro totally did me in! I will never be the same!

 

[bear_mom]

HA YES! Micro totally did me in! I will never be the same!

Really? It had the opposite effect on me. I realized how many things we are exposed to on a daily basis and we are still alive so our immune system must do a darn good job and I shouldn't be so worried about all the germs. Plus we learned how good germs are and how very few of them are actually harmful.

Germs are EVERYWHERE and if you think that the inside of you diaper bag is clean, then you are wrong. Well, your might be fairly clean seeing as your baby is only 2 months old, but after a few months the inside will be pretty germy - unless you are washing your hands everytime you are getting inside and only putting clean things in.

Emily

 

[linzbear]

I hate bag check. I hate how they funnel everyone to one entry point. It has ruined the front of the parks especially at MK. I miss the old days.

Interestingly, this is what the security in the bag checks is. It slows everyone down and puts them through a small number of points of entry, so that profilers can watch on the side and pull anyone they suspect may be dangerous (I know of at least one guy that was pulled, he was coming in alone to meet his sister in the park, and knowing what he looks like they probably thought he was a pedophile.).

 

[ThreeBeans]

Interestingly, this is what the security in the bag checks is. It slows everyone down and puts them through a small number of points of entry, so that profilers can watch on the side and pull anyone they suspect may be dangerous (I know of at least one guy that was pulled, he was coming in alone to meet his sister in the park, and knowing what he looks like they probably thought he was a pedophile.).

....What does a pedophile look like?!

 

[Kelblum]

My suggestion, anything that goes in the baby's mouth put in a clear zip lock bag. That way the security guard can see it and not touch it. I would rather have them go "nuts" when searching instead of being lax and someone bringing a weapon in the parks.

Great idea! I agree!

 

[Cloudwatcher]

***Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have posted that***

 

[iheartdisney]

I am making a personal comment here: I find it beyond sad that a parent has to bring in alcohol to a family day at a park. Not for moral or religious reasons, but for the man's desire for a mood-changing substance in the setting of a simple family get-together. I feel bad for that man's family. I have been there.

No to completely derail, I just wanted to give you another perspective....
Me and the kids LOVE Disneyland. DH HATES it. He would be happy visiting once every decade. but for me and the kids slaps a smile on his face a few times a year. After the first few trips, I realized how much a better of a day everyone has when he can run to the beer cart in DCA. He is not as stressed, in turn I am not as stressed, which makes the kids less stressed- it is a win-win situation. (plus, the tight purse strings loosen a little bit.)
Also keep in mind, caffeine is a mood altering substance. Does anyone have the same attitudes if a parent has a latte?

 

[ccgirl]

No to completely derail, I just wanted to give you another perspective....
Me and the kids LOVE Disneyland. DH HATES it. He would be happy visiting once every decade. but for me and the kids slaps a smile on his face a few times a year. After the first few trips, I realized how much a better of a day everyone has when he can run to the beer cart in DCA. He is not as stressed, in turn I am not as stressed, which makes the kids less stressed- it is a win-win situation. (plus, the tight purse strings loosen a little bit.)
Also keep in mind, caffeine is a mood altering substance. Does anyone have the same attitudes if a parent has a latte?

Just wanted to expand on this. MK is the only park that does not serve alcohol. My DH and myself love to partake in a couple of the alcoholic beverages around the "world" at Epcot. Of course we do not get drunk with our children there but we do like and and we teach them you can drink responsibly as well (since we are not driving either). We wouldn't think of bringing the alcohol in but that's us. Maybe that parent was thinking they could save a lot of money by doing that???

 

[ccgirl]

Really? It had the opposite effect on me. I realized how many things we are exposed to on a daily basis and we are still alive so our immune system must do a darn good job and I shouldn't be so worried about all the germs. Plus we learned how good germs are and how very few of them are actually harmful.

Germs are EVERYWHERE and if you think that the inside of you diaper bag is clean, then you are wrong. Well, your might be fairly clean seeing as your baby is only 2 months old, but after a few months the inside will be pretty germy - unless you are washing your hands everytime you are getting inside and only putting clean things in.

Emily

This. I have a Biology degree. While I am a vigilant hand washer I realize germs are going to get touched. Shopping carts are the filthiest things ever. Do you rent a stroller? I doubt those things are sanitized every night. Hand rails..ewww.... Gas pumps, gross. You see my point. I guess we all have a level we are comfortable with though. If I didn't want someone touching my things I would have it in a clear baggie so they could see it. My son used a binky and we bought the ones that came in a clear plastic cover.

The concept of bag checks not just here but elsewhere is interesting to me. I think it's difficult to get accurate statistics because while there may not be many things confiscated how many people didn't bother trying to bring those things in because they knew the bag would be checked?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I have not read thru all of these posts, and I am sure another "mom" has said this, but there is a simple solution to avoid having hands touching anything that may go near one's mouth, place it in a clear baggie . Security can visually see what they need to, and even touch it if they want. Their hands will not be physically touching the portion of what goes into the mouth!

 

[goofyernmost]

....What does a pedophile look like?!

Good question and I have numerous answers that would either get me hated or thrown off the site...so let's just say that they would probably have candy hanging out of their pockets. Other than that...I cannot say.