I'm really starting to dislike TSA folks....

[Unas]

I had a buttoned light cardigan on with a little cami under it. Ladies, you know the kind I mean. I considered the cardigan my "shirt" and the cami just extra cleavage cover. I was pretty embarrassed when they made me take the sweater off as it uncovered parts of the cami (and me!) I'm sure the world would rather not have seen!!

 

[goofy4tink]

I had a buttoned light cardigan on with a little cami under it. Ladies, you know the kind I mean. I considered the cardigan my "shirt" and the cami just extra cleavage cover. I was pretty embarrassed when they made me take the sweater off as it uncovered parts of the cami (and me!) I'm sure the world would rather not have seen!!

Yep, that's what happened to dd!! I'm pretty sure most of the men in the area were more than happy to check out the situation!!!

I completely understand some lack of consistency. My issue? If you've been allowed to do something a certain way, pretty much every time, then you are told, no, that isn't how it works and you get a ton of attitude. There's no reason to make people feel like idiots because you decide to change things up a bit.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

I am careful about what I wear on travel days. T-shirt, pants or jeans and some sort of jacket or hoodie. I always remove the jacket or hoodie, make sure my 311 bag is ready to go, and head through the line.

I really try to make things basic and simple for TSA. Frankly, I want to get through the line ASAP.

I still remember a woman in line at the airport in SLC. She had a sort of cami/tank under a blouse, with the blouse partially buttoned over it. They made her take off the outer blouse, and there was quite a discussion. The passenger was very unhappy. I didn't think it was necessary or nice to require her to do that, but there ya go.
That's when I started being extra careful about planning my travel day outfits with the expectation than any outer garment might need to be removed. (And I remove it myself to avoid any discussion and speed my way through the line.)

I never wear jeans when I fly since the rivets on one pair set off the metal detectors and resulted in the new super-intimate pat down.

It's funny, I only run into TSA issues flying alone. If DH is with me, we literally never have a problem. I did have a funny Spaceballs-esque incident flying home to Seattle from Boston. I'd been given preserves and I honestly never made the 'liquid' connection with them. I had them in my carry-on. The screener was holding my bag up and his co-worker asked what was up. He said, "It's jam." His co-worker asked, "The machine is jammed again?" The screener rolled his eyes and said, "No, it's JAM!" I was giggling, but the jam wasn't worth checking my bag for $25, so it stayed with the screeners.

 

[Unas]

I never wear jeans when I fly since the rivets on one pair set off the metal detectors and resulted in the new super-intimate pat down.

It's funny, I only run into TSA issues flying alone. If DH is with me, we literally never have a problem. I did have a funny Spaceballs-esque incident flying home to Seattle from Boston. I'd been given preserves and I honestly never made the 'liquid' connection with them. I had them in my carry-on. The screener was holding my bag up and his co-worker asked what was up. He said, "It's jam." His co-worker asked, "The machine is jammed again?" The screener rolled his eyes and said, "No, it's JAM!" I was giggling, but the jam wasn't worth checking my bag for $25, so it stayed with the screeners.

When something like this happens, it's a good idea to "surrender" everything except the lid.

 

[bear_mom]

I've learned with my inhaler: there is no consistency so I take it out of my bag and drop it in the bin with my shoes. It doesn't count towards my 3-1-1. I've left it in my bag before and had it go through fine and other times had my bag searched with a comment about it being a liquid......

 

[bumbershoot]

When something like this happens, it's a good idea to "surrender" everything except the lid.

Clever.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I had a similar situation a year after 9/11. I had a pullover sweatshirt on as I was going through and they wanted me to take it off. At that time there was a sheriff deputy standing there and I told him I have nothing on underneath this. He just waved me through.

 

[jec6613]

I've gotten stopped a LOT going through the TSA. At least one out of every 3-4 times. I have inserts in my shoes, a CPAP, contact lens solution, travel with a pile of camera lenses which really mess with X-rays if they're in the wrong position (yes, optical glass affects x-rays), and then am usually traveling with at least two computers and three cell phones - oh, and I usually travel alone. I typically require seven or more bins for all of the stuff they have you put in their own bins. I've had my luggage hand-searched more than twenty times, and been patted down a half dozen times, and I'm even TSA Pre and gotten the pat-down there. You just do it with a smile, thank the TSA agent for doing their job, and build in an extra bit of time in case this happens. Being polite and kind and not being in a rush makes things go much more smoothly, and then buy yourself a nice, tasty beverage afterwards.

So long as you got through security, it's really not worth the stress or blood pressure of letting these things get to you.

 

[fairy oma]

We have actually been asked by TSA to take our DSLRs out of the bags and prove that they indeed work. I have also been asked to remove my slender gold and diamond bangle and I just look them in the eye and politely ask them to frisk me instead as I will not send it thru the scanners...it only comes off to be cleaned. They frisk me and I am on my way.

I travel many times with my husband on business trips and vacations and because we usually have a luncheon or dinner very shortly after arrival I would dress in either longer skirts or maxi dresses, but that stopped about 4 years ago when I almost missed our flight because the TSA screener misplaced my DL & ticket that she had demanded to see (they finally located both 40 minutes later); now I only travel in activewear pants, capris, tee shirts, sports bras and no jackets.

 

[SarahInMN]

This is why Global Entry and TSA pre-check are worth it: everything stays on, laptops stay in bags, no unpacking, just walk through a metal detector and good to go.

 

[goofy4tink]

This is why Global Entry and TSA pre-check are worth it: everything stays on, laptops stay in bags, no unpacking, just walk through a metal detector and good to go.

Perhaps I should get that for myself!!!! Let everyone else wing it.

 

[Unas]

Perhaps I should get that for myself!!!! Let everyone else wing it.

Just realize that you can still be randomly selected for a more thorough screening. Depending on how often you fly, slipping the "moat dragon" a $5 might be more cost effective.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I've had more personal attention in July. Evidently, my hands crossed when assuming the TSA position. Beeped like crazy. I was pleasant, kidded around a bit, was wanded' and gently pay down. No biggie. On my way.

 

[Unas]

Well, I've had more personal attention in July. Evidently, my hands crossed when assuming the TSA position. Beeped like crazy. I was pleasant, kidded around a bit, was wanded' and gently pay down. No biggie. On my way.

Was this after going through the body imager? Interesting to hear they went back to using the hand held magnetometers. Was this MCO?

 

[goofy4tink]

I can't remember whether it was Providence or Orlando. I asked what had happened. They told me that my hands had crossed vs fingers just touching overhead. But I saw other highlighted areas in the scan. So, who knows. I doubt it was just a hands crossed issue. I've been through those machines many times and haven't had an issue. I can't imagine they are that sensitive that crossing your hands overhead would set them off. I see many people doing that and they breeze right on through.
Just more inconsistency.

 

[keishashadow]

Saline is a medical liquid, and isn't treated as a 311. Declaring it is the first step.
.

learned something new. I don't wear contacts but pack for those who do...have sat there night before off-loading solution out of big bottle into the 2 oz size. one chore off my packing list!

I had a buttoned light cardigan on with a little cami under it. Ladies, you know the kind I mean. I considered the cardigan my "shirt" and the cami just extra cleavage cover. I was pretty embarrassed when they made me take the sweater off as it uncovered parts of the cami (and me!) I'm sure the world would rather not have seen!!

I know exactly what you mean! made the mistake of just wearing sweats w/a zipped hoodie once on way home w/o any sort of undergarment under the hoodie (in my defense a 6 hour flight and I wanted to be comfy). Told TSA I wasn't about to strip it off, they didn't drag me off 'the room' as I had expected, just rolled their eyes & had me go thru the scanner.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Count me amongst those who had to strip down to a cami in an airport, even though I considered the shirt I had on over it to be a SHIRT and not a jacket. Mine was buttoned, not zipped, if that makes a difference.

Having Global Entry is priceless to me. It saves so much time, particularly at my home airport (MSP) and eliminates all the hassles. I've been selected for additional screening twice and it was really no big deal. A quick hand swipe and we were on our way.

 

[NotUrsula]

I once had a TSA agent tell me to take off a light sweater, not a zip up, because it had a hood. According to him, anything with a hood is a jacket.

I didn't have anything on underneath so I just took it off to make him feel like an idiot (I'm a male, sorry to disappoint). He looked a little rankled and told me to put it back on.

I'm not male, but I once did the same thing for the same reason. The self-important twit deserved it. (I did have a bra on, of course.)

In my experience, teens flying alone are always given a bit more hassle than when they have adults with them. My DS always gets the third degree when he flies alone, but not when he is with us.

Just FYI for the OP; the UK security rules do not exempt contact solution from the 100ml rule. (Their medical exemptions require a physician's note.) When she leaves she will have to dump it or wrap it up carefully in her checked baggage.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just to be clear....my dd is no longer a teen. She's almost 22, flying with a passport, knowledgable about security and the rules. She flies more than most, average people.
I told her, before she left, that she might have an issue with her school zippered sweatshirt. She opted to take her chances....having flown in the same sweatshirt several times before.
The saline issue? It was easily accessible since we knew it may have to come out. Did she declare it? I told her to, just to be in the safe side. Did she? Don't know. She may have been thinking about being, basically, in her underwear, so forgot about the saline.
Will she wear a tee shirt under the sweatshirt the next time? I imagine so....just in case. The saline? She needs to take it out..period.
It was the attitude of the TSA that I have an issue with. After many, many flights out of Boston, this was a first.

I have to wonder if time of day makes a difference. We normally fly early in the day. This was around 5pm. Who knows.

 

[bumbershoot]

TSA is just never the same from one time to the next.

We literally just got home from San Diego, and I started off by sending my brother an email that we were home, and ended up clicking to check the boards. And TSA out of SAn Diego was perfection. Not sure if they all just had cupcakes in the lounge or something, but they were pleasant, smiling, understandable, and it was a good minute out of my day. Our flight was at 10am and we were nice and early just like we like it, and both DH and I got Precheck. Since DS is 11 he does too, when with adults who have it on their boarding passes. (https://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/apply : "Family members ages 12 and under traveling with an eligible parent or guardian with a TSA Pre✓® indicator on their boarding pass can participate in expedited screening.")

I went first b/c DS was on my booking, handed over my boarding pass and ID, handed over DS's pass. They asked him how old he was and how he says his name, both answers were given, and off we went. I was holding my big floppy hat and of course they had no bins (because Pre) and on our flight out it nearly got stuck (we didn't have Pre and there were no signs about "you're in the Pre line today!" but we got to act like we had Pre with no bins) and I asked if I could carry it. The guy said no, but I could wear it, and since there was no one but DS and DH behind me, I asked nicely why, and he explained (if I'm carrying it I could be holding something inside my hands and hiding it with the hat...) and I just sent it on through anyway between two bags. Then all the agents on the other side (SAN is a congested security area once you get through the metal detectors) were smiley and happy...and it was just a lovely experience.

For every 4 nonsensical TSA moments at MCO, I guess I get rewarded with something like today!