Are you ever the "one" going through secruity? Share your experiences.

[bear_mom]

Because I am. Almost every time I fly. I try, but it isn't always my fault either.

-One time (the first time I flew since the 3-1-1 rules) I had my inhaler in my backpack. The TSA agent hand searched my backpack and found it. He held it up and sighed and commented that this is considered a liquid and needs to be declared. Hmm, okay.

-I forgot to take off my charm braclet leaving Disney.

-I had a 2 inch chocolate covered caramel from Goofy's Candy Co. which prompted my backpack to be hand searched. That TSA agent was good natured and joked around a little bit.

-Leaving Las Vegas my backpack was going through the x-ray machine. The TSA agent backed it up and ran it through again. Back and forth a few more times. She called over another TSA agent. Back and forth it goes. Now I'm really beginning to wonder what I could have in there - no large caramels, my inhaler was septerated and out in a bin, I'd emptied my water bottle. This went on for a good 3-4 minutes. Dh has his shoes on already and is tapping his foot. People behind us are starting to grumble (did I mention that the secruity line was LONG). Finally one of the TSA agents asks me "Do you have sunglasses in your backback?" Really? Sunglasses in Las Vegas?

Emily

 

[goofy4tink]

Sunglasses?? Truly? What is suspect about sunglasses?? I always have a pair of sunglasses in my carryon bag..it's never been an issue before.
But....there have been times I have been 'the person'..and I did apologize to those behind me.
1. there was the time I refused to leave 3/4 of a birthday cake that I had paid $125 for at WDW for my dd's 13th birthday behind. The GF boxed it up beautifully, used about 8 handtowels to surround the cake so it wouldn't move around inside the box. This cake was about 10" across, and about 10" tall, with about 1/4 of the cake missing. I put the box into my carryon bag..fit perfectly. That bag went through the xray scanner, then it stopped, went back through, back and forth about 5 or 6 times. The TSA guy yelled over to a friend working an area about 10' away...'Hey, Bill....come over here and check this out!!!' They all stood there, peering at the screen...I am trying to find a crack to hide in. Finally, they say..'Lady, what do you have in there...a wheel of cheese????' They died laughing when I told them it was a birthday cake. Just let it go through then.

2. then there was the time I was bringing my ds's coin collection to him. Security at Providence was boggled to say the least. That bag got pulled so fast it made my head spin. The TSA agent asked me what was inside the box. I told her it was a coin collection and I went to open it up. The woman yelled at me 'Don't touch that mam....step away from the belt..now!' Yikes..just tryiing to help here. That woman very carefully opened the box and then saw the coins..some loose, some rolled. Must have been the rolled coins that made her nervous.

3. then there was the time a roll of quarters got stuck in the lining of my carryon bag....they had to empty my entire bag, trying to find what was setting the alarms off. And I had completely forgotten about those quarters.

4. the time I had my ds's cat in tow. It took a bit of time to get her out of the carrier and then through the scanner in my arms, and then back into the carrier. At least the people behind me were howling with laughter at my plight. They figured they had a good chance of being on the local news that night when the crazy lady with the cat had to chase said cat around the airport because the cat jumped loose!! The cat didn't, and all ended happily.

Yes, I apologized to those behind me on every occasion. The vast majority of people were fine and didn't seem to be too put out, but it was pretty embarrassing for me each time.

 

[tinkrebell]

My mom and I were caught at customs trying to sneak in Spanish sausage - I say "sneak" because we actually should have lied, but we didn't want to try and get caught smuggling anything, so we actually did declare it. The entire product was thrown into a bin because the U.S. apparently doesn't have spices like that, so foreign products that contain them are banned for trade purposes.

My guess? That bin became dinner that night - just like in the Tom Hanks movie The Terminal =)

But, I've also been patted down for no reason before. Nothing set it off, I think they just like picking the drowsiest person sometimes after transatlantic flights because clearly my mopeyness meant I was guilty of something!

 

[Inkmahm]

Last March, I was going through security with my mom on our way to MCO and WDW. Mom is in a wheelchair so she was off to the side being wanded while I was getting her carryon bag and other stuff through the xray line. I had NO idea what was in her bag. The security guy called me over and asked what the white powder was in the old jelly jar. I had to ask my mom... it was her powder used to "keep her regulated." I guess the original bottle is huge and she only brought along as much as she thought she'd need for the week.

I convinced her to let the jelly jar with the remaining white powder at WDW when we left.

 

[WDW Traveler]

We were flying home from Sarasota, FL after my husbands father had passed away. His dad was cremated. And my DH was carrying his cremains in his carry on duffle bag. Now this was back in 1997 before 9/11.

We put our bags on the belt.

Security scans his bag. Backs it up, scans it again.

Carries DH's bag out to him.

Asks if he has something in a round cylinder (the cremains are in a container that looks like a large ice cream container).

My husband replies "Oh, that's just my father."

Sercurity guy didn't know what to say. A minute or so passes and he comes up with, "Do you have paperwork for that?"

So we produce the paperwork, and go on our merry way, but it was a bit comical for a moment with my DH's no biggie attitude!

 

[ancestry]

My mom and I were caught at customs trying to sneak in Spanish sausage - I say "sneak" because we actually should have lied, but we didn't want to try and get caught smuggling anything, so we actually did declare it. The entire product was thrown into a bin because the U.S. apparently doesn't have spices like that, so foreign products that contain them are banned for trade purposes.

My guess? That bin became dinner that night - just like in the Tom Hanks movie The Terminal =)

But, I've also been patted down for no reason before. Nothing set it off, I think they just like picking the drowsiest person sometimes after transatlantic flights because clearly my mopeyness meant I was guilty of something!

Oh, I so understand this. When I was in Slovakia they have a cheese that is used to make one of their popular ethnic dishes (Bryndzové Halušky). The cheese is called Bryndza and is a sheeps milk cheese. But the "true" version of Bryndza made in Slovakia frequently isn't pasteurized and therefore we were prohibited from bringing it back into the U.S. I traveled as an (adult) student with other (typically aged) college students and many of my group got in trouble for trying to "sneak" in Bryndza. We also joked that we all were going to end up with criminal records over cheese!

 

[lessing]

Well I carry some odd stuff in my carry on because I do concert lighting and video. Now this happened before 911, I flew out of jersey into LA with a carry on briefcase with some specialized meters and hand tools with no issues. I had flown this way dozens of times before.

On my return in LAX, I get stopped at security. Mind you, at this point in airline security I had put my bag in the xray and put my pocket knife and leatherman in the coin tray and the guy I was travelling with put his knife and leatherman in the coin tray.

A discussion starts at the xray, and security comes over. They ask me to identify my bag and hand me back my knife and leatherman. I open my bag and security has a fit. The head security guy starts a long speech about my tools and electronics should be checked. I tell him that my job is to show up tools in hand, and that the electronics are sensitive and can not be banged around or lost if checked.

Basicly it came down to a tsa security guideline, not a rule, that says a passenger should not carry on more than 2 tools. At this point I am more than annoyed at the chastising I was receiving, and asked why 2 tools was the limit. I got a "thats the rule" answer and then demanded to know what kind of danger my screwdrivers posed, since I could only wield two at a time anyway, never mind the knives I was just handed back. When I asked if they thought I was going to disassemble the plane from the inside, my coworker and I were escorted to a private "room" to calmly wait for an airline rep. The rep could allow us on their plane, but security was not allowed to allow exceptions. The airline rep was great and immediately let us on the plane and asked the tsa security to wait behind for a chat.

To this day I fly with the same toolbag, minus the knives and leatherman since 911 and have never been given anymore grief than to be asked what do you do for a living.

It was a crazy afternoon.

 

[bear_mom]

Last March, I was going through security with my mom on our way to MCO and WDW. Mom is in a wheelchair so she was off to the side being wanded while I was getting her carryon bag and other stuff through the xray line. I had NO idea what was in her bag. The security guy called me over and asked what the white powder was in the old jelly jar. I had to ask my mom... it was her powder used to "keep her regulated." I guess the original bottle is huge and she only brought along as much as she thought she'd need for the week.

I convinced her to let the jelly jar with the remaining white powder at WDW when we left.

Miralax is like gold to the elderly I'm surprised you got her to leave it there. (I'm a nurse and the elderly have a strong fixation with staying regular).

Emily

 

[ccgirl]

Oh...more times than I care to count.

My favorite is when I let my DD pack her own carry on bag when she was 5. They kept bringing it in and out of the x ray machine. Finally, they hand search it and find a ziploc bag of home made playdoh. THey threw it out saying it wasn't allowed. Oh...how my DD cried. Apparently, it can be mistaken for explosives. Not sure why they coudln't havee tested it and let us go on our merry way. Now, I no longer bring playdoy. And...I always check what she packs.

Another time my DS2 was all upset he had to put his shoes on the conveyer belt. He dropped to the ground and pitched a fit.

Yet, another time we had a very small bottle of unopened orange juice. Actually forgot that was there. They threw it away after chastising and embarassing me. But...apparently the juice box was okay because that made it thru.

 

[Inkmahm]

Miralax is like gold to the elderly I'm surprised you got her to leave it there. (I'm a nurse and the elderly have a strong fixation with staying regular).

Emily

I think she only agreed because she had just a little left in the jelly jar! And you're right, the one thing mom wanted me to smuggle in to the hospital last year when she had surgery was her Miralax. It seems the nurses weren't getting her the "right" stuff so she just knew it wouldn't work as well. She was REALLY mad at me when I told her she had to get all drugs from the hospital.

 

[AlexDurrani]

I am not usually the cause of most of the problems that happen when traveling with my "Family". None of it has been to Orlando. No matter what my mom always sets off the detectors because of bangles she was given by my late Grandmother (father's mother) as a wedding gift 40+ years ago. Now imagine she was a young lady at the time and over time those bangles do not come off. Anyway she always causes a backup either for my dad and I or for peeps behind her.

The one thing I found helpful when I travel anywhere and the airline asks for some information to speed up our "arrival" and "travel" it usually means they want to do checks to see if you will be a risk and if they need to suggest extra security pat downs.

I remember one time going through security and having emptied everything out of my pockets still set off the detectors. Never could figure out what set them off.

 

[Huff]

At MCO I forgot to take my watch off and the scanner beeped but the TSA agent just waved me through. We had a girl with us who was sipping on a full Disney mug as she walked through. Not a word was said about the mug but she did have to toss out a bottle of water she forgot about.

 

[Keacc]

It always takes me a long time to get through security. I have a CPAP machine which has to be checked by the TSA Agents. I have a laptop which has to be checked. I then have to be wanded because I have a knee replacement and a toe joint replacement. I always let them know before I walk through the detector. I have never had any problems with the agents. They have always been friendly and courteous.

 

[bumbershoot]

I remember one time going through security and having emptied everything out of my pockets still set off the detectors. Never could figure out what set them off.

Did you have a barrette? I once nearly got a patdown b/c of a barrette...thankfully the lady behind me reminded me of it! And I'm extra glad she did b/c DH was already being wanded because of the zipper in his shorts (can we say "LAX set their machines on the Way Too Sensitive setting that day?"), and they were about to send me off without remembering my 4 year old.

Thankfully, DH's clothing and my barrettes haven't set their machines off again.

 

[BDL]

Every time I go through the detectors, I'm ALWAYS asked "Please step to the side sir." I could be standing there in my boxers and for some reason set of the detector and even the wand. And I have no metal parts in my body.

In fact, it got to the point where, whenever I'd travel with my buddy, he's bet me $5 that I'd be pulled aside. Needless to say, I was buying him a Whopper in the airport food court every time.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

In the past when I have flown with my pin collection from Walt Disney World which I pack in my carryon bag most of the time the people working security in Toronto don't know what they are, so I tell them and once they begin to look through them they say I have a very nice collection. In Orlando they see a lot more Disney pin bags so when one TSA agent didn't know what they are another one knew right away.

 

[Leash]

I'm not the "one" but DH is. He has a metal bar and screws in his leg and he always beeps and has to have extra screening. To top it off he has a CPAP that they have to inspect so I have to be there for that since he is off being wanded.

This year we are taking my Mom and Dad with us so this will double the fun at security. Dad has a metal bar in his back that will set off the machine plus a CPAP and he is on oxygen that he cannot disconnect from and he has a very generic name so they flag him for extra extra security.

So we have a plan to make this as easy as possible. I go through first and start collecting stuff as it comes out of the x-ray, followed by DH who will get pulled, followed by Dad who will also get pulled but hopefully DH will be done by then so he can help collect things and be there for the electronics screening and finally Mom will be last in case they hold up some of our stuff on the belt she will be there to watch over it till it all goes through.

I'm hoping that plan makes it a bit easier but I do feel bad for the people who are in line behind us because no matter what we will take extra time and there just isn't anything we can do about it.

 

[Lewisc]

One brand of sunglasses, I think Serengeti, provides a case which is made of metal. The case doesn't look like it's made of metal but it is. It's enough to set off the metal detector and possibly look suspicious when X-Rayed.

I thought I heard they changed the cases. Too many issues with security.

If the passenger had said they didn't have sunglasses in their knapsack TSA would have either asked, or opened the bag, to determine what it was. TSA thought it was a sunglass case, the passenger said they had sunglasses in the bag--Good enough.

 

[*Seanaci*]

Sunglasses? LMAO!!! Guess pretty soon we won't be allowed sunglasses in our carry on's either.

Flying with our 14 month old back in 2008 I did a lot of research...and organizing for carry on's. Since there were 4 adults traveling together, we made a plan: my mom was in charge of my son (getting his shoes off, baby leash, etc) and herself, dad was in charge of his and mom's carry on, DH was in charge of the stroller, and I was in charge of my purse and the diaper bag and lunch box with DS snacks for the plane ride. The TSA agent that pulled the lunch box off the line asked my mom if we'd flown with a little one before because we were so organized. Lol. Things went great.

Returning home, things were hectic. It wasn't a terribly long line, but I still felt we were being rushed. So, we pretty much panicked. When they pulled my carry on bad/diaper bag to hand search it, the TSA agent handed it back to me and smiled "You're lucky I didn't keep that treat for myself." I totally forgot to take the popcicle stick out of my Mickey Rice Crispy treat. lol

The next time we flew, it was just DH, me and DS (to see DH's parents). DH and I took less this time (carseat in place of a stroller, I threw my wallet and other purse essentials in the diaper bag, and we had the lunch box of snacks). The agents again asked if we'd flown before because we were so organized.

The only thing I questioned on that trip (coming home) was the agent making me open a factory sealed bottle of juice we brought for my son in order to test it. They didn't do that in Denver (my home airport) OR Oralndo (just 6 months prior). *shrugs* Oh well.

I'm hoping we're never those people.

 

[seashoreCM]

In fact, it got to the point where, whenever I'd travel with my buddy, he's bet me $5 that I'd be pulled aside. Needless to say, I was buying him a Whopper in the airport food court every time.

Next time, agree with him instead of taking the bet.

One winter when flying down I didn't bring an overcoat, just wore a sweatshirt. The agent asked if I had anything under the sweatshirt. Reminded me and I said yes I had a neck chain which I took off and put in the little bin. Then I went through without sounding the alarm. A little later I realized that when I said yes he could have told me to take off the bulky sweatshirt, and I wasn't wearing anything else underneath (besides the neck chain). Then things would have gotten a little indecent.

Now if I had a metal bar in my leg (I don't) it would not have been indecent to pull up my trousers leg so they could see there was no knife in my sock or anything like that.

Alas I lost the chain several days later down there, that's a long story too off topic to describe here.

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm