Security Etiquette

It is interesting that hotels have roughly managed to do the above without greatly inconveniencing customers. Further,hotels are pleased that customer attitudes have been more respectful – most used to have some security checks earlier,just not as stringent.

Kaushik Patil,Director of Security at the Four Seasons in Worli,says,“Before the 26/11 attacks last year,people would stubbornly ask why we had security checks. Now,they are more co-operative and understand that it is a proactive step taken by the hotel to ensure their safety”.

Understanding the need for security is sometimes forgotten with most other logical concepts for a small inebriated minority. “On a recent Saturday night,a reveller entering the Taj President displayed contempt for the security guards and,frankly,his friends as well. The staff,however,managed to coax him into being frisked in a polite,even apologetic manner,” recounts Nidhi Shah,a college student. “Anywhere else,” she says,“the person would be barred entry. It epitomises Indian hospitality when protecting your own hotel is seen as something to apologise for.”

What is imperative is that at least hotels ensure that every guest is screened; in a city filled with difficult and snooty consumers,it is clear that the experience has to be as friendly and comforting as possible. “Thankfully,going through security is one time when it doesn’t matter if you own a Miu Miu or Mango clutch; your bag will still be searched,” says Shah.

Some cynically ask about the effectiveness of such checks,and when we asked Devendra Bharma,Executive Vice President of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts,Mumbai,he said,“We have not caught anyone with weapons as such. However,the increased security is especially useful in the form of baggage screening as we can detect when guests have ornamental knives.” Such objects are kept with the hotel until the guest checks out.

Hotels have also been hushed about a circular sent by Additional Commissioner of Police (Protection),Vinay Kargaonkar,post the attacks wherein he directed five-star hotels to hire gunmen—admitted by Patil only after going through the hypothetical scenario of slipping through security checks.

At least that should convince anyone,even the inebriated,into complying with security procedures.