Missed the Security Search

[Davecrawf]

Just arrived in Caen via ferry from Portsmouth and witnessed the extensive security search of most vehicles. I'm not sure how they decide which vehicles to search, but it looked like purely random. We were sent straight onto the ferry without any searching (lucky us).
Has anyone actually been searched by the port security? Do you know what sort of things they are looking for?
Anyway it's great to be travelling again, even though there's a bit more hassle with AHC etc, but onwards and downwards to Cabopino we go.

 

[monzer]

If it's pre-booked would they have intelligence of some kind alerting them to certain vehicles worth a check?

Makes sense as I am as dodgy as they come and I've been searched a few times. Never very thorough right enough.

 

[nicholsong]

Just arrived in Caen via ferry from Portsmouth and witnessed the extensive security search of most vehicles. I'm not sure how they decide which vehicles to search, but it looked like purely random. We were sent straight onto the ferry without any searching (lucky us).
Has anyone actually been searched by the port security? Do you know what sort of things they are looking for?
Anyway it's great to be travelling again, even though there's a bit more hassle with AHC etc, but onwards and downwards to Cabopino we go.

Sorry to question, but you said 'just arrived in Caen via ferry from P'mouth' then 'sent straight onto the ferry', so were you talking about departing P'mouth or arriving in Caen?

Also are you sure it was 'port security' and not customs or immigration?

Bit confusing for an old git.

Geoff

 

[maison]

Some years ago we were stopped by the authorities in Dover port as we waited for the ferry to Calais. We were pulled out of the queue and asked if we had any knives or sharp objects with us.

Our car was piled to the roof with everything we needed to set up our new house in France, including dining cutlery and chef’s knives. We explained that we had them and my wife said “please don’t ask me to unpack to show you. It took me two hours to pack the car”.

Fortunately they appeared to see the funny side, laughed and waved us through.

 

[L' Hobo]

My VW T25 got searched a lot and in the end I asked why?
I was told that, as it had dark tinted windows and a curtain across behind the front seats, it was the only way they could see inside.

After that, every time I approached the ports, I removed my curtain and the searches reduced by about 90%. it's that simple?

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[nicholsong]

A pilot friend of mine was taking two new life jackets, with CO2 cylinders, down to Greece for his boat. He was told they were not allowed on board - his response. 'That's strange, because there are already 148 of them under the passenger seats'. They let him take them, but maybe he produced his BA ID.

 

[Bailey58]

Sorry to question, but you said 'just arrived in Caen via ferry from P'mouth' then 'sent straight onto the ferry', so were you talking about departing P'mouth or arriving in Caen?

Also are you sure it was 'port security' and not customs or immigration?

Bit confusing for an old git.

Geoff

I reckon he means he wasn't searched before boarding in Portsmouth.

 

[nicholsong]

I reckon he means he wasn't searched before boarding in Portsmouth.

You are probably right, but definitive answers to that, and by whom others were being searched would be useful. I can imagine port security might search before entering the docks but after that I would have thought it is down to National authorities.

 

[Two of usI]

I have this evening returned home from Caen, after 5 weeks........ on the way out we were searched ( as I always am ) they look through all lockers under the bonnet and under the car....... returning this afternoon an extensive search by customs, then dog handlers in Caen, then again in Pompey this evening........ and you know what..... I don't care, if they search every car and that makes a ferry trip safer good on them, they are doing their job, I know that returning they are looking for 'illegals' and if I can help stop that happening good job. In Pompey this evening, the chap wanted to look in a locker, I said they couldn't get in there (Jokingly)..... he said that one van had 7 on board this morning !!!!!!!!

 

[L' Hobo]

I have this evening returned home from Caen, after 5 weeks........ on the way out we were searched ( as I always am ) they look through all lockers under the bonnet and under the car....... returning this afternoon an extensive search by customs, then dog handlers in Caen, then again in Pompey this evening........ and you know what..... I don't care, if they search every car and that makes a ferry trip safer good on them, they are doing their job, I know that returning they are looking for 'illegals' and if I can help stop that happening good job. In Pompey this evening, the chap wanted to look in a locker, I said they couldn't get in there (Jokingly)..... he said that one van had 7 on board this morning !!!!!!!!

Just a word of warning about jokes, when one of my Coaches was returning from the 24hr Le Mans in the mid 80's, one of the passengers joked that there was drugs aboard and stood, spread eagle, in the search position, against the side of the Coach.

The Coach was immediately pulled over to the search shed and many panels + wheels, were removed.
Of course, they didn't find anything, and the driver was told to put the wheels back on and remove the vehicle ASAP.

Thank goodness I was based in Surrey because, in the early hours of the morning, I had to wake the fitter, get a replacement coach ready so he could take it down to the South coast (I seem to think it was Southampton but that cannot be right, can it?) and swap coaches so the punters could get home to London and he could repair and return the original coach to the depot.

The punters arrived home 7hrs late.

It turned out that the port where the Ferry arrived was a Customs Training Port and Customs & Excise were allowed to remove bodywork to facilitate a search BUT not forced to replace it. That job is down to the owner!

This MAY have changed but, I for one, have never taken the chance as Custom & Excise have more search permissions than the Police especially now that they are teamed up to the VAT office.

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[The general]

Just a word of warning about jokes,

One thing you don’t do on crossing country borders is joke and creat ‘situations ‘ ? Best just go with the flow .

 

[nicholsong]

This MAY have changed but, I for one, have never taken the chance as Custom & Excise have more search permissions than the Police especially now that they are teamed up to the VAT office.

And they have the right to excercise them anywhere, not just at ports/airports.

 

[TDub49]

Just a word of warning about jokes, when one of my Coaches was returning from the 24hr Le Mans in the mid 80's, one of the passengers joked that there was drugs aboard and stood, spread eagle, in the search position, against the side of the Coach.

The Coach was immediately pulled over to the search shed and many panels + wheels, were removed.
Of course, they didn't find anything, and the driver was told to put the wheels back on and remove the vehicle ASAP.

Thank goodness I was based in Surrey because, in the early hours of the morning, I had to wake the fitter, get a replacement coach ready so he could take it down to the South coast (I seem to think it was Southampton but that cannot be right, can it?) and swap coaches so the punters could get home to London and he could repair and return the original coach to the depot.

The punters arrived home 7hrs late.

It turned out that the port where the Ferry arrived was a Customs Training Port and Customs & Excise were allowed to remove bodywork to facilitate a search BUT not forced to replace it. That job is down to the owner!

This MAY have changed but, I for one, have never taken the chance as Custom & Excise have more search permissions than the Police especially now that they are teamed up to the VAT office.

There was a brief period when you could get a ferry from Southampton to Cherbourg or St Malo - went on it once back in the early '90s - Stena Sealink was the service.

 

[Tonks]

I got pulled over on the way out to Jersey! With a number of other vans both commercial and camper.
They did an extremely cursory search, and the chap then said he was mostly interested in having a look at how it was fitted out!
But I'm perfectly happy with my van being searched and would always be cooperative and unobstructive in such situations.

 

[Ingwe]

During WW2, a friend of my father’s lived in Durban where a lot of ships stopped and refuelled etc. There was a thriving trade in illegally imported ciggies. The friend had his boot packed with cigs and was leaving the port when he was stopped by soldiers at the harbour gates. “Anything we should know about?“ he was asked. “A bootload of cigarettes” was the reply. “F**k off and stop wasting our time!” was the soldier’s angry reply and waived the car through.

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[pelican]

There was a brief period when you could get a ferry from Southampton to Cherbourg or St Malo - went on it once back in the early '90s - Stena Sealink was the service.

Early 60s Townsend Thoresen!

 

[L' Hobo]

There was a brief period when you could get a ferry from Southampton to Cherbourg or St Malo - went on it once back in the early '90s - Stena Sealink was the service.

My Coach could have gone to St Malo for Le Mans but I seem to think it was La Havre? (Too thrifty/tight for the longer crossing )

(Just looked it up Southampton to La Havre was possible in the mid/late 60's)

 

[scotzsue]

We've been stopped a few times,once went through the big xray shed other time, another was in one of the first escapes, they admitted they had never seen one before and wanted a look. Then of course there was the time john had his bike lid on the overcab bed and a rolled up bundle of bedding , unfortunately laid out to look like someone was up there, they had a good look, and at the bike then waved us on. Never put the helmet up there again.

 

[Ian Bosman]

Just arrived in Caen via ferry from Portsmouth and witnessed the extensive security search of most vehicles. I'm not sure how they decide which vehicles to search, but it looked like purely random. We were sent straight onto the ferry without any searching (lucky us).
Has anyone actually been searched by the port security? Do you know what sort of things they are looking for?
Anyway it's great to be travelling again, even though there's a bit more hassle with AHC etc, but onwards and downwards to Cabopino we go.

Yes, by a French (armed) soldier while at Dunkirk ferry port. They are mainly looking for people smuggling. On our van we have underfloor areas large enough for a person.to hide (mind you we nearly always have little room for anyone).

 

[TDub49]

One thing you don’t do on crossing country borders is joke and creat ‘situations ‘ ? Best just go with the flow .

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[Two of usI]

yes..... 60's was Thoresen, but then in the 90's Stena did run to Cherbourg from Southampton....... it was a brilliant trip 20-00hrs sailing Friday overnight, entertainment was good docked Sat morn, loads of shopping then return to Southampton docking at 21-00hrs..... did that a lot of times and we could normally find a voucher and pay £25 return with car. We were just saying last night on our way home how Brittany have hijacked the crossing and service down price up...... shame another company can't give some competition.

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
We get checked often,both sides in the PVC 's also did in the lorry. ( X-ray ? Was that a con ?...Curtain siders,stuck a pipe up under the curtains ).
Tea Bag

 

[carolyn]

We’ve been searched a number of times in France and a couple of times in Spain. Once in France they even got a dog in for a good sniff around so that must have been for drugs or bomb making materials. We have only ever had PVCs and I really couldn’t believe it when they searched our 5.3 meter Autosleeper Symbol coming back from France once, they were letting through all the big vans. I wondered if they were feeling lazy and we just filled their quota for the day!

 

[Duck Truck]

I once took a a minibus with 15 and 16 year olds in it
and terrified them to ensure that they didn't lark about an make stupid comments like that
They looked like an angelic choir as we passed through the port
and resumed being hell on wheels after we exited

 

[Suenliam]

In the early 90's we returned from France in the car - first time over there on our own (not a coach trip). It was the days of red and green channels. We had bought a few extra bottles of wine which I didn't want impounding and was happy (ish) to pay the duty owed. So, much to the dismay of other car drivers and the port staff I insisted we cross about 6 lanes of traffic exiting the 2 boats which had docked to enter the red channel - items to declare. Once there we waited about 5 minutes until a customs official asked us what we had. Said about a dozen extra bottles of wine (not bought in the duty free). His immediate response was "just go away and don't bother me with such trivial items". Happy to obey, we by-passed the queues to exit the port and were well on our way before the green channel cars had got past passport control. Probably the quickest we had ever got on the road from the ferry.
It sometimes does pay to be honest

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[SpeedyDux]

We’ve been searched a number of times in France and a couple of times in Spain. Once in France they even got a dog in for a good sniff around so that must have been for drugs or bomb making materials. We have only ever had PVCs and I really couldn’t believe it when they searched our 5.3 meter Autosleeper Symbol coming back from France once, they were letting through all the big vans. I wondered if they were feeling lazy and we just filled their quota for the day!

The Douaniers can stop you anywhere. We got searched after exiting the Mont Blanc tunnel. They were looking for large amounts of currency so were a bit disappointed by us British who were skint at the end of our hols.

 

[LeonC]

I go to France every July for the Tour de France. About five years ago I decided to come back a day early on my flexi ticket and that seemed to trigger all sorts of alarms with the security people. I was sent to a deserted part of the car park (talk about Nobby-No-Mates!), my van was searched three times by armed Gendarmes/Security. They kept asking me the purpose of my visit: when I said I've come to watch the Tour de France they were incredulous, like no-one does that, surely?

I thought: no, only me and ten million others!!

Another completely different story about being searched: When I lived in Somerset I had a lorry-driver friend who was under contract during the Gulf War to deliver armaments to a Top-Secret airbase just off the M4. (As it's still secret, I won't say exactly where!)

As he got to the gate, a sentry with one of those mirror-on-a-stick thingies walked around his vehicle looking underneath. My friend said: "What are you looking for, mate?"

Sentry: "We have to check every vehicle for bombs."

My friend: "You should look under that tarpaulin, then. There's 25 tons of them under there!"

 

[gus-lopez]

His immediate response was "just go away and don't bother me with such trivial items". Happy to obey, we by-passed the queues to exit the port and were well on our way

we always did that flying back in to heathrow from dublin when working. every time straight through with trolley loads of drink

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Last few trips back through Caen was security checked by local police. Opened the garage and every out locker and checked inside. In November returning from Santander, Border force at passport control searched vehicle for extra passengers. I was asked to open garage and he had a quick look in the van. This was nothing to do with Customs. Returned last night from Santander in the car and again stayed away from the Q with MH in as all were being looked over for additional passengers also cars with covered trailers were being inspected. All this before before customs control.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

We're three for three on being pulled out of the line at Ouistreham for a search. I'm developing a theory that they note the numbers of cars used by polite compliant types who speak 'enough' French so they can get their numbers up without hassle.

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