We’re becoming prisoners of our own paranoia

9:15am Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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By Margo Grimshaw »

OVER the past week I have come to the sad conclusion that the terrorists have won.

I have been over to Belfast for the weekend.

We flew from Manchester Airport where the security gets more stringent every time I go through there.

I am assuming it’s the same elsewhere. Not only that, but staff were rude and aggressive.

“Got a lipstick?” “Yes.” “Then put it in this plastic bag, take your jacket off, that fancy belt, oh and those bracelets.”

Well that really got to me.

I replied “No I don’t think so.” At this she backed down and I passed through the metal detector with a loud buzz.

This meant that I got a thorough body search.

I felt quite sorry for an older gentleman who was having the utmost difficulty removing his boots, not an easy thing to do when you are a little unsteady and standing in a queue. Needless to say there were no chairs.

It was the same last Thursday. I was a guest at the Open Golf tournament at Royal Birkdale and I was rather astonished to find that we had to go through a similar and extremely rigorous security before being allowed onto the course.

In my handbag I had a very small manicure set about two inches long.

This was opened and the tiny scissors taken out and thrown in the pile of similar things.

Now, with great difficulty, I could just about accept it at the airport, but at the golf! I mean is that par for the course?

So it makes me think we are becoming prisoners of our own paranoia.

It’s the same with the notion of child abuse which we have built up to such a huge proportion that people are afraid to offer their services to youth projects for fear of being thought perverted.

We must be careful lest we become a nation tied hand and foot by petty restrictions and hounded by prim, pumped up public servants who take a great delight in throwing their bit of power about.