Show of hands: Who's had their bag searched by Airplane Security

[LynneSin]

:hi:

Yep - I got stopped by Logan Airport Security and had my bags searched. The culprit - a propane cylinder that I use for my cordless curling iron (ironically Philly airport did let me fly to Boston with it in my bag).

What really made me laugh was when I unpacked when I got home - turns out I had a second propane cylinder for the iron (see picture)


What ticked me off the most is they took like 15 minutes to figure out what it was and what to do with the thing. I was just like "Can you just throw it away and let me get on my way?" Finally they confiscated the propane cylinder but they did let me the curling iron part of the rod.

Oh and for some reason my purse had to go through security 3 times.

What's your nightmare story with Airplane Security?

[thebigidea]

1. they promised a machine wouldn't destroy my film

and it vaporized $1000 worth of 16mm movie film and wasted 2 weeks of work. HURRAY FOR FREEDOM! Thanks, American Paranoia!

I'm flagged and searched on every flight, they thumb through everything carefully and ask goofy questions. HURRAY!

[Kolesar]

7. Dept procedure says they will hand inspect film if you ask for it

That did not stop the strident bitch at the Salt Lake City airport from refusing to hand inspect my rolls. I had some 400 ASA, I don't know if it got fogged, but I will never know if the pictures were not as sharp as they should have been.

[Roon]

2. Bag and had to take off my shoes

I am rather swarthy, I somehow knew I was going to get picked for a search.

[cally]

3. I usually get searched

My husband travels a lot so I think I'm targetted. I usually have my bags checked. They really hate the extra batteries I carry for the book light and camera. :shrug: My husband gets it much worse. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes, each time, to get through security.

[VelmaD]

4. xmas 2001

I was in 5 different airports. It all started in Austin when they wanted to search my bags. They were really nice about it and did not ruin the wrapped x-mas presents my best friend sent with me. It was a little annoying but it could have been much worse. Little did I know.

I traveled on to Florida where the day after xmas I set off the metal detector at the Fort Myers, Florida airport so they went over me with the wand. Well I didn't set it off and since the two disagreed with each other they had to pat me down...and it was not a cute National Guardsman, it was a middle-aged lady so that was no fun.

So, I get to Dallas Love Field on the 27th to fly to Lubbock and they wanted to rifle through my check-on luggage. No big deal. They were nice and I was trying to have a good attitude. Then I get to the metal detector. I got pulled at random to have my shoes checked for bomb residue. That's right. My shoes.

Anyway, I get to the gate and they stamp my boarding pass. Well, I'm not an idiot (though they seem to think I am). I notice that not everybody had theirs stamped. I go up to ask the chick at the gate if that means I'm gonna have my bags checked again and she said she wasn't supposed to tell me in advance. I was peeved because I knew this meant "Yeah you're getting checked" which meant I would be the last person on the frickin' plane...sigh. Anyway, they checked my bags and then they made me take my shoes off again so they could make sure they weren't exploding shoes I guess. (Every time I think about the whole shoe thing I can't help but think of Maxwell Smart.) Anyway, my attitude was not quite so good by this point but the people at the gate put up with it when I explained exactly what I had been through so I didn't end up getting a body-cavity search.

Anyway, I made it home in one piece despite flying through Florida the day the guy with the explosive shoes was flying to Miami and through DFW the day of the weirdness with the Secret Service guy getting kicked off the plane to Dallas.

[sam sarrha]

5. Make sure u remove everything,Belt etc that will beep.If you beep they

go thru everything!! even after they find out it was your belt buckle.

[Snow]

14. Right. And my daughter, with d-cup boobs, gets beeped every time

with the wand waving over her chestal area, and some young fool suddenly realizing what the deal is and turning red. My son, age 21, and of mixed ethnicity, gets the drug check treatment every single time. It's just amazing. They've never heard of the false positive to true positive ratio.

[amazona]

27. you have to wear a sports bra no underwires

I'm a little larger up top than is normal for someone of my size but I'm always careful not to wear any of my underwire bras. A cheap Kmart sports bra with no wire is the way to go for airports. Yeah, it would be nice to have some support on those long flights but I get enough "attention" for being topheavy in real life, don't need it at the airport. Try it, although I do have to remove my shoes and get my bags searched about every time, I haven't had my bra go off. And I see it happen to other women so often. I don't think all the wanding of better built women is all that innocent either but if you don't cause the wand to go "beep" they don't have a reason to be playing around in that area. The young fool could just as easily be turning red because of his dirty thoughts...I think they know perfectly well what they are doing! One time I saw three guards around a girl wanding her bra -- yes, it kept beeping, and yes, maybe she should have known better than to wear an underwire airport to the airport, but it seemed excessive harassment. No one puts a note on your ticket not to wear an underwire bra, and it's hard to think of everything when you're traveling, why pounce on something like that and harass the hell out of somebody? I mean, this girl was wearing a spaghetti strap T-shirt, close to the body, with a bra where you could see the straps -- it was pretty clear that she wasn't packing a bomb between her attributes. Sheesh.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

37. I do that too, wear a sports bra

Saves time.

In DC, I made the mistake of wearing a belt one day and beeped through every capital building... :D

[Snow]

42. You're using the generic 'you' here, I assume,

but yes, she usually does the (Target) sports bra thing - but got caught not long ago when she had to go downtown for jury duty, dressed reasonably nicely. High profile trial as it turns out. BEEEP! ~sigh~

[bloodyjack]

6. ooh! ooh! me! me!

[PartyPooper]

8. I hate to take my shoes off and walk on those icky, dirty floors!

Then I have to put the shoes back on! UGH! I'm terrified of picking up germs! :-(

I have a favourite pair of comfortable traveling shoes...but, they have metal in the soles. So, I usually have to take them off. I guess I better get another pair to alleviate the problem.

:-)

[LynneSin]

10. The secret is to wear sneakers

Ramsey and I were together on those flights and she had to remove her shoes for both flights but I had no problems since I was wearing sneakers.

Fortunately she had loafers so she could slip them on and off

[Book Lover]

13. I've had to remove my sneakers twice

just sayin... I have been searched three out of the four round-trips I've made since 9/11. Everyone has been polite and so on, but dammit! none of these gestures would have stopped the men on 9/11 - why effing bother!?

[Snow]

15. Bingo! Why do we engage in or even put up with this

pointless dance!

[Endangered Specie]

25. They usually regret it when they ask me to take the shoes off...

I make sure to not use any shoe deodarent a week in advance of a flight.

[flamingyouth]

22. I always have to remove my sneakers n/t

[amazona]

28. I thought the shoe bomber wore sneakers

Be that as it may, I just make sure to wear socks. Since I'm short, my shoes are always at issue because of the chunky heels -- can't really wear thin, strappy heels when you're walking and rolling luggage around so there's no getting around it. I let other people go ahead of me if they are obviously in a hurry, so I can take them off at my own poky speed and put them through the X-ray. Occasionally I do forget to take them off, but then security reminds me.

For some reason, entering/leaving Panama they were very concerned with my shoes. Maybe it's because I went through Miami, I don't know, but going out they asked me about "why do I need hiking boots." I said I planned to go hiking -- it sounds smart-mouthed when I type it, but I said it in a reasonable way and they didn't take offense or anything. The visa card or whatever it was had on it that my purpose in visiting was eco-tourism so it didn't seem too strange. Going back, I wore sandals, and before I could get on the plane departing Panama they not only X-rayed them, the guard kept twisting the heel to see if it came off. I guess I'd rather have them check than 1) walk around in flats or 2) get blown up by some wacko shoe bomber.

[greatauntoftriplets]

31. In Chicago everybody takes their shoes off.

Everybody!

[Supormom]

9. Not me

But I always have my kids with me when I travel. It will be interesting to see if I get stopped when I travel to DC alone for the March in 3 weeks.

[GregW]

11. If they ever swab my bag, I am totally screwed!

My luggage sits right behind my reloading press, and there is always stray flakes of gunpowder on it, me, my shoes, etc. The bomb machine will not like it, gauranteed.

:eyes:

[Deja Q]

12. My aunt had hers - both ways!!!!!!!!

From her state to mine - had to wait an extra hour and fifteen minutes.

I gave her some photo enlargements for Xmas. Because of those (a tofu sandwitch was infinitely more threatening than my lovely pics, by the way), her bags - on the reeturn journey - were delayed THREE WHOLE WEEKS.

[Bake]

I've lost count of the times

I always --ALWAYS -- have to take my boots off. I've had to unbuckle my belt. They've searched my bags several times -- once it was my electric shaver that concerned them.

Amazingly, I flew this past weekend with my carry-on bag and my mandolin (which I was not ABOUT to let get out of my sight) and I expected to have to open the mandolin case, but nope. Made it through 3 different airports without incident. Although I did have to take my boots off all three times.

Bake

[Paranoid_Portlander]

16. I was ordered to grab my crotch and pull on my pants fabric.

The nice man demonstrated on himself the method that he wanted me to use, as he did not want to touch me down there. He thought the (nonexistent) drugs were hidden in my pants somewhere, he said. This was done by Canada Customs before 9/11. I am not making this up. I have no idea what it is like now, as I refuse to fly anywhere. I suppose the word "bag" has more than one meaning.

[central scrutinizer]

17. every single time

I have been pulled aside (random, my ass) and been wanded, shoes off, etc. The most fun was when returning after a week plus backpacking in the Grand Canyon at the Phoenix airport. I had a suitcase full of sweat-soaked, mildewing clothes that would have gagged a maggot. I apologized in advance to the poor slob who donned his latex gloves and gingerly picked through that mess.

[sniffa]

18. i've never fLown

so no here.

[tjwash]

19. several times

They always leave that annoying little green note in it when they do it. They have confiscated my tools before also. Funn thing is, before 9-11 you could bring tools, including electric screwdrivers on aircraft, as long as they were not the "break in half" type.

[amazona]

20. yeah sure I'm searched quite often

But then I travel a lot. They never took anything. Once I had a Swiss Army knife I forgot I had. They couldn't seem to figure out what they were looking for or be able to find it. When I realized she was looking for a knife she saw on the X-ray, I got it out and gave it to her. They gave it back though. It was in 1999, and we were not yet pretending that small knives of that nature were used for hijackings. Plus it was made in Mexico (a knock-off) and really really dull. So once they'd opened it up and looked at the blade, they weren't too impressed that it might be dangerous.

I noticed in January that the AA 11 flight attendant's testimony regarded the use of real knives and she thought a bomb, not box cutters, but I don't expect to see sanity reign again in my lifetime. The box cutter myth has taken on a life of its own.

My friend had the classic of having his nail clippers confiscated a few months ago.

But knock on wood I haven't had anything confiscated. Searched a lot though. On a recent flight I was searched and my bags searched at least half a dozen times. Oh well what else are you doing when you're stuck at the airport anyway?

[flamingyouth]

21. Last time it was my eye shadow applicators

They thought they were knitting needles that I could use to attack someone. :eyes:

I get searched every time - they must have me on a list or something, I swear.

[strategery blunder]

23. I worked at ORD last summer

The ironic thing is that they DON'T search anyone who takes the employee bus.

[Endangered Specie]

24. I got the special treatment at RDU once...

one of those random things "sir you have an S on your ticket that means you need to step aside to be looked at closer".

[strategery blunder]

26. They aren't supposed to disclose

what on the ticket indicates that you are a "selectee."

Heck, they didn't even tell me how to look that up. And I worked at the airport.

[EstimatedProphet]

29. Yes I did recently, and they p*ssed me off!

I was late to get to the ticket counter, so I missed checking my bag before I got on my plane. I had a small pocketknife-money clip that I typically stick in my bag before checking it, and I stuck it in my bag, but at x-ray of course they found it. (just wasn't thinking about not having my bag checked) Well of course they wouldn't let me on the plane with it; I understand that, but they also wouldn't let me leave it with them to pick up when I return! Frankly, I don't think that's fair. If I'm not on the plane with it then I can't do anything to hurt anyone with it, can I? They should have a small holding area, where they can give someone a small claim ticket in exchange for items like that. It would be a minimal expense in time and money. Instead, what happens is that security personnel take the stuff they find home.

[Buns_of_Fire]

30. I want my damned tequila back!

I checked in for a Delta connection in Bristol (TN), bound for Atlanta, with a connection to Las Vegas. I was wanded, shoeless, while an inspector checked my carryon (with its two bottles of tequila -- for medicinal purposes, you understand). He wished me good luck.

A few minutes later, I was paged to go back to the ticket counter. They reassigned me to Cincinnati. Fine. Back through the screeners (a different set this time), shoeless, wanded, while they wanted to know what a bottle of "Herradura" was. Satisfied, they let me on the plane to Cincinnati.

No problems in Cincinnati, since they have smoking areas within the confines of the "already screened" zone. On to Las Vegas.

After a week in Las Vegas, I returned to the airport for my return flight (McCarran to Atlanta to Bristol). I'd removed everything I thought even remotely metallic from my body and placed it in my carryon bag. The lady at the counter at McCarran sniffed at my 2/3 bottle of Dos Dedos Gold (I know, I should have finished it before I left Las Vegas) and said, "This smells dangerous," while emptying out my flask and confiscating the bottle (not dumping it out, mind you, but gently placing it over to the side). On to the plane I go, into the realm of $5 Bloody Marys.

Finally land in Atlanta, desperately needing a ciggybutt. Unfortunately, at 5:30 in the morning, there were no smoking areas open within the "approved and screened" area, so I walked/rode out to the "open" area outside the terminal. Had my ciggybutt or two or three (I had a few hours to kill, and I was pissed at the loss of my tequila anyway, so I finally thought to myself, "screw it. shoot me").

Before I got back to the screening point, I removed (1) my pocketwatch, (2) my change, (3) my keys, (4) my belt, (5) my pen, (6) my cigarette lighter, (7) my cigarettes (the foil in the pack, dontcha know?), and (8) wallet (Lord knows what might be in there, but why take any chances?). Everything went into a baggie I was carrying with me, and the baggie went into the carryon bag. I removed my shoes and put them on the conveyor behind the bag. And I stepped through, confident that, for once, I'd pass "clean."

Oops. Forgot my wire-rimmed glasses. (Wire-rimmed glasses, short, bearded, brown hair, blue eyes... must be one of dem dere tourists, you bet!)

So, once again, I get directed over to the side, wanded (the wands at Atlanta are sensitive enough to pick up the metal clasps and zippers in your pants, by the way), frisked, and finally allowed to continue.

"What happens here, stays here" says the official Las Vegas commercials. Definitely so, but unless I get there by some means other than airline from now on, there ain't going to be anything happening there on my account that needs to stay there!

And yo, Airport Security! Yeah, I mean YOU there at McCarran! I WANT MY DAMNED 2/3 BOTTLE OF TEQUILA BACK!

[kodi]

32. normally, i'd pay a bundle for one of those full body cavity searches

but, at the air port its free!

what a great country!

[leftofthedial]

33. me

the bag search was no big deal. I've had it happen in much scarier countries before. the occasional search is to be expected when traveling.

The whole faux "security" thing at U.S. airports infuriates me. It is a transparent sham intended to desensitize us to abuses of our civil and personal rights. The repeated small abuses--standing in ridiculous lines, taking off your shoes, being wanded, spewing every bit of travel detritus into a grey plastic bin for the machine--are the real problem. It makes us NO safer at all than we were pre-9-11.

Pre-9-11, I was on some kind of list at San Francisco Int'l. They swabbed my carry ons and hand-inspected my computer case EVERY time I went there (about 50 times in 2000-2001). I still don't know why. There were a couple of security staff who must have swabbed the same bag of mine at least ten times. I was at that time the absolutely typical ultra-high-mileage male Caucasian business traveler.

[kcwayne]

34. I had my bag searched by Mexican security, when I had contraband

I had my suitcase about half full of electronic components that we had to get across the border, and couldn't wait for the 30 days it typically took to get the paperwork and customs clearances. I was absolutely sweating bullets. One of the people in my group was Mexican, and their whole mission in life was to properly bribe the security people to let things slip through customs.

I had towels and underwear on top of the components, and the security guy patted them down, looked around, and my savior (Elena, not Jesus) came rushing over, spoke a few words, shook the hand of the security guard, and he let me through. The handshake had a couple hundred pesos in it (back when the exchange rate was 25 pesos to the dollar).

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

35. I had a scissor shaped bracelet charm searched! funny story.

Some TSA security thought it would be funny to go through my ENTIRE BAG (the bracelet was at the BOTTOM in a zippered jewelry pouch and then in another jewelry box). There was a scissor shaped charm on this bracelet I had inherited from my grandmother (we had just gone to NC to straighten out her things and will) that the guy saw in the x-ray scan and he pulled it out and had to show it to ALL THE EMPLOYEES AROUND HIM. Even though it took ten minutes.

He was like, hahaaaaa i don't think you can kill anybody with this. I'm like, yeah it'd probably take me twenty years to jab a hole in something with it. And he let me on his way. That's the only time un-kosher airport jokes have actually worked to get out of things.

It didn't help that my idiot cousin kept saying "MAGGIE I TOLD YOU, NO BASEBALL BATS OR NUCLEAR WEAPONS on the PLANE."

But yeah. There's my story.

[LibDemAlways]

36. In July of 01 before intense scrutiny took hold

my husband, 8 year old, and I were pulled out of line and told our carry ons were going to be swabbed for explosives. We laughed out loud. The Hells Angels in front of us had just been waved through, so God only knows why they stopped us non-descript types.
I haven't flown since, but I hope security is smarter these days.

[LividLiberal]

38. Had to take off my belt and shoes

And I really needed that belt. My pants were falling off by the time I got the belt back

[Samurai_Writer]

39. I had my 'sex toy' bag searched

Luckily, I was smart enough to check it in through baggage so they didn't pull out all those lovely toys in front of everyone. They called me back into a room behind the counter. There was a young hispanic guy who was inspecting the bag, and taking it all out. You should have seen how red his face got. Hey, I was going away for a hot weekend to see my lover -- I couldn't leave my nipple clamps or butt plugs at home, could I???

[SOteric]

40. No, but...the stays in my bra set off the metal detector

once on a Thanksgiving trip to see family in California.

[SarahB]

41. Way back in 1990

I haven't flown flown actually since before 9/11, but not for fear. I just didn't have anywhere to go really.
Anyway, back in 1990, I was 18 and it was the end of my senior year in high school and we were headed form Connecticut to Dallas for a chorus competition. Anyway, one of my "friends" thought she was being funny when she said I had a bomb in my stuff (imagine what would happen these days?). Because of that, my bag was well searched even though she said it was a joke (of course, it's understandable for security). Obviously, I had nothing and was sent on my way, fortunately without a strip search. It was annoying enough, I should have ratted her out since I knew she had about an 8th of an ounce of a particular herbal substance in her bag, but I didn't.
My only big adventure of being searched.