Airport security - Kid's shoes & Nebulizers

[BCVNovember]

I'm travelling this Saturday and will be flying from Indy to MCO. I want to minimize the security trauma for my 3 daughters as much as possible. I am hoping to avoid having any of them (ages 2, 5 and 7) selected for any extra searches. Should I take their shoes off and put them through on the belt rather chancing them setting off the metal detection? They all have Sketchers brand shoes and I read a thread on here somewhere that that brand is particularly bad in terms of setting off the alarms.

Also, one of my daughters occasionally needs a nebulizer for breathing treatments and I plan to bring it with me. I'm thinking it would be better (although heavier) to carry it on, rather than checking it?

Thanks!

 

[DizMare]

I can help with the nebulizer part! I carry it on, to avoid any potential hold-ups with my checked luggage. Screeners seem to be familiar with them (I even had one screener commiserate with me over kids and asthma).

 

[princetonnj]

I'm flying with my kids next week and am planning on sending their shoes on the belt. I will send mine along with the carryons and their gameboys etc.

Don't make a big deal of it and they will not know the difference.
Unless they are veteran flyers.

I would send the nebulizer in my luggage. Ours is heavy & we will be carrying enough stuff.

 

[Pooh67_68]

My sister and I wear sketchers all the time, and we have never set off the alarms when going through airport security.

Can't help with nebulizer. I only use an inhaler occasionally and the one time that I took it out of my coat pocket and put in a bin, the screener told me that I would not have needed to.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[jel0511]

We just returned from St. John and my DD wore Sketchers without incident through security. My DS also uses a nebulizer and I would NEVER check that. It could get broken or lost, and I'd never want to deal with that on vacation.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Definetely carry on the nebulizer. In our last 4 trips I think they have only once actually opened up the whole nebulizer case and pulled out the tubing, mouthpieces etc. Our ds is 13 so he can put it back together the way he wants but if they do that it does hold you up a little. Once one of our ds also got the shoe check for no apparent reason. If your kids get upset distract them by talking about your great trip and seeing mickey, minnie, princesses etc. Our kids travel at least twice a year and are older , so I guess you as a parent would be a better judge of how your kids would react.

 

[kmc33]

We too carry on the nebulizer. The screeners have never even asked me what it was or to take it out of the bag. So I guess they are familiar with them. Like medications, I always figured that it should not be in our checked bags in case they were to be delayed or lost.

 

[disneyfanzz]

I have a six year old and two year old triplets. I am worried about their light up shoes causing a problem. Should I have them take those off?

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

My daughter's light up shoes set off the alarms every time. They said it was because of the batteries in the shoes.

 

[skiwee1]

The light up shoes have to come off or you will need to be wanded. The batteries set off the alarm. We were told this in the security line and 4 y/o DD had a fit when we had to take her shoes off. She refused! The lady was so nice and said she would give them right back but DD thought she was going to take them! Finally we got them off her feet but then DD had to walk through the metal detector. She didn't want to! She was scared of the whole thing. I had to literally shove her through and the security guard had to block her from returning as she didn't want to be separated. Poor kid and poor security guard! I had tried to warn her about this metal detector but she just didn't get it until faced with it. Luckily on the return trip she was an old pro. She took off her shoes before asked and tossed them in the bucket on the x-ray belt. She strolled right through the detector much to my relief. I don't think I could have handled another scene! So please warn little ones, especially ones that are frightened easily.

 

[NotUrsula]

You should NEVER put emergency medical equipment into checked luggage. It's too valuable, and you never know when you might have a situation where the patient may need to use it en route. The only exception is bottled oxygen, because the air safety rules say that the airline must provide any bottled oxygen used in an aircraft. (BTW, that one scares me silly. If I were oxygen-dependent, I would have a hard time trusting that the airlines were going to make sure that their canisters were fully charged and available when I might need them.)

 

[JKLLady]

We've taken DS's (age 6) nebulizer many times, including the end of August. The TSA screeners all seem to know what they are. Just place it in it's case on the conveyor belt & you should be fine. We had another family with one in front of us & when the TSA screener said "Breathing machine", we all said yes!!! They got a laugh out of that one.
As others have said, I wouldn't even consider checking it; it's too delicate & important to chance not having it when you need it!!

 

[dvc guy]

My children DS 7 & DD 11 are used to the security check, both have been flying since they were babies.
I would tell the children what to expect and not make a big deal over it.DD in DEC 01 was pulled aside for a shoe and bag check in MCO. She know that it is part of flying, and is for our protection. You should see the kids when we go to sporting events, they go up to the security people and spread the arms out to be wanded.It is just part of life for them.