Travel tips through US airport security

[bmartin1206]

Back by popular demand,

I have received a number of emails. Hopefully this will answer many of your questions and maybe raise a few. Feel free to contact me or review the TSA website. I am a TSA employee doing this voluntarily. While some things may differ slightly the end result will be the same...passenger safety.


With the increase of air travel security, I still see many things that the average traveler overlooks. So in an effort to help the flying public identify a few things to prepare for it will hopefully help cut down on frustration and delays.
As you may have already read, many changes have been implemented with more to come as we are constantly evaluating the security of our nations airports and the safety and convenience of passengers.
For the most up to date news and information go to http://www.tsa.gov/public/index.jsp . This website is the official website for TSA and list Travel Tips, News and Events and offer Spotlight information.
Most noted is the implementation of 100% bag search . It varies from airport to airport depending on the circumstances. Some may be done in front of passengers while it is not practical at others due to space and safety concerns. Please be advised, if you lock your suitcase and we find it necessary to physically search the bag, the lock will be cut off. If it has a built in lock as I understand it currently an attempt will be made to contact the passenger to gain entry. If we’re not able to contact the passenger in short order those locks will also be disengaged. We take nothing for granted and refuse to sacrifice the safety of the flying public. In both cases the bags should be re-secured. No one else but TSA employees handles these bags from the time you check it in until the time it leaves our hands to board the plane.
While traveling with carry on luggage be aware of the rules concerning the number and size of carry on luggage. Your airlines is responsible for this information. Review the TSA website (http://www.tsa.gov/public/index.jsp) for prohibited items. Common things overlooked are pointed scissors of any kind. Scissors always forgotten are in kits. Knives of any size and type (i.e. money clips with blades, corkscrews with blades etc.). strike anywhere matches (stick) and too many lighters (no more than 2 per passenger).
Before you go through a walk through metal detector and if you’re not wearing tennis shoes, it’s a good bet your shoes will alarm. Take them off. While this is optional, it will save time and additional screening. I see day in and day out, we all go through our pockets to get every piece of metal out only to have our shoes go off when you walk through. Just because they didn’t go off in the last airport doesn’t mean they won’t at the next.
The next change taking place and may be in place in some airports is random passenger screening will now be done at the security check point instead of just prior to boarding the plane. This will eliminate passengers potentially getting screening twice. The airlines selects who these passengers are using whatever criteria they use and it will be somehow identified on your ticket. Each airline has a different format for doing this.
Again feel free to contact me for additional questions. I look forward to continue serving you and will continue to be vigilant in securing your safety.



Happy Traveling,

Brian

 

[BevS97]

That's interesting reading Brian.

I have never heard of shoes setting of the metal detector though, what is it in the shoes that causes problems?

we where subjected to random screening in Miami last June, and while I appreciate it is done for security reasons, it was absolute chaos. Our tickets had been marked before checkin, so as soon as we went to check in we were told to go to a different area for our cases to be checked. After a very long wait, where we could see our cases being ignored while others where checked, they finally x-rayed our cases, and my hubby was required to open a case as they had identified a suspicious object which turned out to be a bar of fudge. A the time I thought that it was ridiculous that fudge would be deemed suspicious, but my dad pointed out that fudge could look a lot like plastic explosives on an x-ray and with that it mind we were quite reassured that they had spotted it and checked us out.

Once we had had our bags okayed, we went through security, and then at the gate we had further checks (again, just those whose tickets had been randomly marked). They checked us all over with a wand, and checked our shoes and our bags. I didn't mind any of these, but I did feel the staff could have been a bit mroe sensitive, we had a 4 year old with us, and they insisted on wanding her and checking her shoes alone - she wanted to hold my hand but that wasn't allowed.

All in all, I felt that while the security measures made me feel more confident about flying, they where poorly organised which caused a lot of unnecessary hassle and irritation.

Bev

 

[bmartin1206]

BevS97,

All TSA employees are working toward a smooth operation. Many times airports just weren't built with these extra security measures in mind which ofcourse can make it seem chaotic.
Many shoes, nearly all in fact exept most tennis shoes have a metal support shank in the sole of the shoe.
Your dad is quite correct. Things look very different in x-ray. We take nothing for granted. After all you packed your bag and know exactly what is in there. All we see are images that we have to interpret as possibly dangerous or not.
The check you got at the gates is or has changed where it should be done at the security check point. The is intended to save folks like yourself from submitting to it twice. The airlines randomly selects people for this additional screening. With respects to your 4 y/o, It's unfortunate but necessary and is a difficult balance to be sensitive and safe. We've actually had people pass off probited items to someone else. Again we take nothing for granted and exclude no one. It's tough with kids. Best thing to do is be prepared before you go through the metal detector so there are no alarms. This would include not letting her touch the sides as she walks through. Sometimes difficult with the little ones.
Be patient as TSA works toward smoothing things out. They've already made some changes and will continue to move forward as safely as possible. Remember they grew from 13 employees to 65,000 in less than a year. They've done a remarkable job considering.

 

[WDWfan uk]

Thank you for posting this Brian - it is reassuring to see additional security at the airports over in USA.

Whilst we were selected at check-in to take our suitcases for individual screening at JFK ( this had happened at Heathrow too), none of us were singled out just before boarding and we were interested in how people were selected for the random checks, but of course it is probably not prudent to reveal anything of that nature to the general public

In the UK we have had lots of the security measures in force for several years but I notice a big increase in the staff at the passenger and bag screening checks at the UK airports.

That said, on one visit to Orlando prior to 9/11 we were called over both on arrival and departure at MCO and my youngest sons bag was tested for explosives.