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

[goofy4tink]

So, my dd is flying to London, as we speak. She was somewhat nervous today....long flight, without a parent. She us traveling with a bunch of kids, but was still anxious.
Having flown before, she thought she knew the drill at security. She had in a zippered sweatshirt over a camisole. Had never had to remove the sweatshirt before if worn that way.....basically underwear underneath it. But, as I watched her get to the conveyor belt, off came the sweatshirt. Now, I gave no idea if she was told to remove it or not. She did tell me though, that her saline solution caused a commotion. She has flown with the exact same sized container before. The vast majority of the time she is told to leave it in her carry on bag. But, just in case that wasn't the case this time, I had her pack it in an easy to reach area. Yep. They pulled her aside evidently, slowed the whole process down while they decided whether or not it was a 'dangerous' item. She was mortified.
I get it...stuff happens. But a little consistency would be nice.
Rant over!

 

[bumbershoot]

With saline I think you're supposed to declare it; to me, that lets them make up their minds about if it should stay in the bag or not.

With a zippered sweatshirt I would ALWAYS assume it has to come off unless I get precheck.

I think they like to keep us on our toes. What I would like is more communication and less acting like any random thing they do is THE way to do it. In Seattle 9 days ago we were in the normal line for non-pre people, not premium, etc, and everyone was looking for bins. There was an empty bin container. People were trying to get the attention of agents. Finally one came over and called out as though we were totally stupid or there was a sign, saying "shoes back on, computers in the bag, liquids in the bag...that's why there are no bins!"

So next time I go through and there are no bins, if I draw upon that experience and just start to go on through, you KNOW the TSA person (probably her) will scream at me that they are just waiting for clean bins.

Just saying "there are no bins because today just keep everything on and in" would be much nicer; or "today we need all saline to be out of the bag", etc etc, would make things SO much less unpleasant. For everyone.

 

[goofy4tink]

We've both worn zipper sweatshirts and kept them on, many times. I did tell her to tell them that she had the saline. Whether she did or not, I have no idea.
Consistency is the key. Flying is anxiety ridden to begin with. It just seems like a good idea to know what expectations are, going in. It's not as though neither one of us has never flown before. Nothing could be further from the truth. She knows what she's doing. More so than most. Guess she's learned yet another lesson. No matter what has happened in the past, or what you've been told, be prepared for the TSA to change things up on you.
I 'get' keeping us in our toes. But if you're going to do stuff that's unexpected, you need to realize it's going to slow down the process. So don't make passengers feel like idiots because they didn't do things the way they should have. Consistency.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Unless you're in the TSA pre check line, you've always had to remove zip up sweatshirts, coats and other outer garments. And if you're not in the TSA pre line, always remove all liquids and put them in a separate bin. I'm not sure why an experienced traveler would leave liquids inside a carry-on.

Hope she has a fun trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

No matter what has happened in the past, or what you've been told, be prepared for the TSA to change things up on you.

Absolutely.

But if you're going to do stuff that's unexpected, you need to realize it's going to slow down the process. So don't make passengers feel like idiots because they didn't do things the way they should have.

I agree. I really hate being made to feel like an idiot when I'm not being one and it's not necessary to feel like that.

Unless you're in the TSA pre check line, you've always had to remove zip up sweatshirts, coats and other outer garments. And if you're not in the TSA pre line, always remove all liquids and put them in a separate bin. I'm not sure why an experienced traveler would leave liquids inside a carry-on.

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

I wasn't in the pre line and we were NOT made to remove ANYTHING, just last week Tuesday in SEA. She didn't even say we were in Pre, she just said not to do anything and that's why they didn't have bins.

I've been shunted into the Pre line, and there were signs about it. This had no signs.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Having flown soo many times to many different countries over the last 15 years, I always expect the unexpected. Some airports / countries ask you to remove shoes, some dont so I always have easy to remove shoes, I would always expect to remove a hoodie, I always remove my laptop, and have my 311 baggie in easy reach. In the queue I remove my belt. Even if I had something like saline, which is not in the 311 baggie, I would still take it out and make it visible. Just because you flew the last time and didn't have to remove x or y item, always go with the assumption you WILL have to remove it. The same with bras, hair grips etc. In some airports, bra wire sets off the alarms and you get called aside for a pat down, so don't assume that your bra wont set off the alarm. The same with hair grips, hair slides. Some times they do set off the alarms and you get called aside for a pat down.

Its all about being prepared BEFORE you go through the scanners. I can get through fast, because I make sure that when I reach the top of the line, I have everything ready to put into the trays, and if I have to remove shoes, I just quickly slip them off.

 

[gwynne]

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.)

 

[Yellowjj]

The official guideline is anything zippered is treated as a jacket and should be removed unless that is the only layer of clothing over your chest.

You just got lazy/un-interested screeners who allowed you to go through whenever you did before. Everybody doing their own thing due to no monitoring of their work ethics.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

So, my dd is flying to London, as we speak. She was somewhat nervous today....long flight, without a parent. She us traveling with a bunch of kids, but was still anxious.
Having flown before, she thought she knew the drill at security. She had in a zippered sweatshirt over a camisole. Had never had to remove the sweatshirt before if worn that way.....basically underwear underneath it. But, as I watched her get to the conveyor belt, off came the sweatshirt. Now, I gave no idea if she was told to remove it or not. She did tell me though, that her saline solution caused a commotion. She has flown with the exact same sized container before. The vast majority of the time she is told to leave it in her carry on bag. But, just in case that wasn't the case this time, I had her pack it in an easy to reach area. Yep. They pulled her aside evidently, slowed the whole process down while they decided whether or not it was a 'dangerous' item. She was mortified.
I get it...stuff happens. But a little consistency would be nice.
Rant over!

I can understand how you feel sending a child across the great pool and have to deal with security right off!.

I don't know for a fact why TSA did what they did, but I only want to point out that being *inconsistent* is part of security. Keeping the terrorists off balance.

Hope she had a great trip!

AKK

 

[n2mm]

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.)

Add me to that list. I was wearing a V neck sweater and my cami was showing just a tiny bit a the V. The agent made me take my sweater off and I was standing there basically in an undershirt. It was the middle of winter so wore a pullover sweater instead of a coat or zip up sweatshirt or sweater. I've since gotten my KTN so have gotten tsa precheck every flight so far. (I know they can still pull me out, but it was well worth the cost of $17 a year)

 

[goofy4tink]

Unless you're in the TSA pre check line, you've always had to remove zip up sweatshirts, coats and other outer garments. And if you're not in the TSA pre line, always remove all liquids and put them in a separate bin. I'm not sure why an experienced traveler would leave liquids inside a carry-on.

Hope she has a fun trip.

Because she had been told before to just tell them she had the saline.....if they wanted to, they would have her pull it out. That's why I left it so easily accessible. But no...they had to make a big deal out of it evidently. And we have both worn zip sweatshirts, outside of the TSA precheck line, and not had to remove it.

The official guideline is anything zippered is treated as a jacket and should be removed unless that is the only layer of clothing over your chest.

You just got lazy/un-interested screeners who allowed you to go through whenever you did before. Everybody doing their own thing due to no monitoring of their work ethics.

And that's my biggest issue. I have absolutely no issue with any of their rules or operations. I just want to know what to expect and what to tell others what to expect. Good thing my dd doesn't have a modest bone in her body...theatre major....so standing there in basically her underwear wasn't a big deal. I'm pretty sure all the men close to her was very happy!! Consistency would be nice. From now on, it will be 'be prepared for everything to happen'!!

 

[Jon84]

At least she didn't get the random drug swab, my poor wife always seems to get swabbed at either side of the Atlantic!

 

[gwynne]

And that's my biggest issue. I have absolutely no issue with any of their rules or operations. I just want to know what to expect and what to tell others what to expect. Good thing my dd doesn't have a modest bone in her body...theatre major....so standing there in basically her underwear wasn't a big deal. I'm pretty sure all the men close to her was very happy!! Consistency would be nice. From now on, it will be 'be prepared for everything to happen'!!

You are right, of course. They should be consistent. But in all the years TSA has been around, it's never consistent.
I finally found what worked for me. I make it as easy, simple and basic for them as I can. I don't want to give them any reason to bother me (that I can control).

 

[Jarmo]

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.

 

[Unas]

Interesting . . . some folks here used to castigate airport security for exactly the same thing. OP often pooh poohed those complaints

The official guideline is anything zippered is treated as a jacket and should be removed unless that is the only layer of clothing over your chest.

You just got lazy/un-interested screeners who allowed you to go through whenever you did before. Everybody doing their own thing due to no monitoring of their work ethics.

Really? The type fastener determines whether clothing must be removed?

 

[Yellowjj]

Really? The type fastener determines whether clothing must be removed?

Most zippered clothing are indeed secondary clothing worn, whether that be a jacket/hoodie. Some people do tend to wear track suits for some reason as their primary clothing; it then falls upon the TSA officer to do their job correctly, in which case it obviously should not be removed.

It doesn't matter what you find illogical, it's what TSA puts as their standards into there training manual that you are suppose to follow the requirements of. Anything zippered will be requested to be removed for screening unless it is the primary article of clothing worn.

And that's my biggest issue. I have absolutely no issue with any of their rules or operations. I just want to know what to expect and what to tell others what to expect. Good thing my dd doesn't have a modest bone in her body...theatre major....so standing there in basically her underwear wasn't a big deal. I'm pretty sure all the men close to her was very happy!! Consistency would be nice. From now on, it will be 'be prepared for everything to happen'!!

I live in a international country with US Pre-Clearance. They hold us to a 3x higher standard than any American screening I've ever seen at any of the big airports. You have to be consistent. There's no if's, ands or buts. TSA superiors regularly fly down and do official monitoring and reviewing and un-official monitoring/reviewing where they appear to be regular passengers. You need to catch every suspicious planted item/residue, thoroughly pat down in the recommended pattern and basically follow criteria to a tee. I fly to the US about 6 times a year and it amazes me the inconsistencies in US airports.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

TSA is inconsistent. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. I recently flew LAX-IAD and took a 3.2 oz pouch of GoGo squeez applesauce through the TSA pre line loose in a carry on bag (not inside a 3-1-1 bag). I knew it was in there, I was just curious as to whether or not they would say anything. They didn't. It sailed through screening.

I just go with whatever they want me to do; it's easier than arguing or getting upset. I'd only have issues with inappropriate touching during searches, such as what this TSA agent was doing:

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/09/02/tsa-groping-video-released/

 

[Polydweller]

You are right, of course. They should be consistent. But in all the years TSA has been around, it's never consistent.
I finally found what worked for me. I make it as easy, simple and basic for them as I can. I don't want to give them any reason to bother me (that I can control).

One of the things learned from 9/11 is that security procedures should not be completely consistent. You don't want people to know exactly what the procedures are. If the procedures are totally predictable it becomes relatively easy to determine ways around them. But, if there are unpredictable changes to security procedures it becomes very much harder to figure out methods to evade detection. Things will be inconsistent and unpredictable. Just go to the airport and follow the directions that are in place that day.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm honestly surprised your family has gotten away without having to take zippered sweaters or hoodies off before. I've always had to take mine off.

 

[pooch]

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!!