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

[LisaCat]

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.

I have some of that too. And yes, the bottle it comes in is HUGE.

 

[LisaCat]

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.

My "clamshell" glasses case for my rx glasses is plastic coated metal. I always have it in my carryon, but I've NEVER had them check that or even ask. How odd.

 

[pintamino]

Providence huh? I think we went through the same lady's line that you mentioned above with your DS's coins.

DS decided to bring his toy monorail with him back to disney. He crammed every stuffed animal he owned as well as the monorail into his carry on and of course that was the bag pulled by security since monorails must look like pipe bombs. The security woman called to us asking if the backpack was ours and that she had to go through it. As she started removing the stuffed animals they all began to pop out. I went to catch DS's favorite tattered bunny and she yelled "Don't touch that!" and smacked me on the hand so hard I swore she was holding a stick. I know she was only doing her job and I appreciate that, but her approach to doing her job was in a very nasty manner. I now try to look and see that the line we go through doesn't have her in it. Not sure if they'd allow me to switch lines if it did.

I would have reported her as long as I made it through security -- that was inappropriate on her part. We all have jobs to do and there is no reason to be nasty to others. And this is coming from somebody who is employed in another defense-related government agency (Army).

When I started traveling a lot about 2 years ago, a frequent flyer forum suggested programming the TSA complaint line in to my cell phone, and I did just that. Thank goodness I haven't had to call, but DHS and TSA are there to ensure your safety -- their salaries are paid by your tax dollars -- and she has no right to be acting like that to anybody. Anything that makes your travel experience more difficult than the security process already does is uncalled for.

They also have a website: https://contact.tsa.dhs.gov/DynaForm.aspx?FormID=10

Hope your future travels are nicer though! I'm flying with my mom and baby brother (well, 16 now) in November and they are not frequent travelers... I am sure we will be "that" family!

And on the note of the thread... once I was going through security at the local airport and an elderly couple in front of me was unaware of the liquid carryon rule. The TSA agent let them through "just this once" anyway with their full-sized shampoo and lotion bottles... go figure!

 

[Ariel on Land]

I have no fun stories, but this just made me laugh!

My mom travels with her cat coast to coast 3-4 times per year (cat only flies first class of course!). One of her favorite inane TSA moments had to do with the TSA agent saying he needed to pat down the cat---and he needed to hold the cat himself to do it. My mom wasn't too thrilled but she handed over the cat, who promptly dug her claws into the TSA agent's neck. She tried hard to control her laughter as she watched the pinpricks of blood trickle down toward that white TSA shirt collar. Cat passed the pat-down and thankfully hasn't had that happen again.

What was that agent thinking?!? You think as a stranger, you're going to pat down a cat and that's going to go over well with the animal???

 

[Ariel on Land]

From what you said I heartily disagree that it was your fault. They caused the problem.

Couldn't agree more. You told them he would run, and he did. They should never have treated you that way.

 

[winterman]

My bag was pulled out for a hand inspection just once. There was something that they couldn't identify. Turned out to be the 2 tiny screwdrivers in an eyeglass repair kit. The agent could not have been nicer. He said it was ok to carry, they just didn't know what it was. On the return trip the kit went in my checked bag. Now I never travel with my 'everyday' purse. I start with another one that is empty and only add the things that I will need.

Last May we were in the security line at MCO, heading home. The guy standing in back of DH kept mouthing off about how slow things were going and why couldn't he get in that line, which was shorter? (I didn't think it was unusually slow.) I get thru the line with no problem. DH gets thru also, but some of his stuff is stuck in the xray machine because the IDIOT behind him has something in his bag that they don't like. It was KNIVES!!!. Some people are just too stupid.