Fun Experiences at Airport Security

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

Dandy — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:46:43 GMT

You guys have nothing on this poor gal:

www.cbsnews.com/.../main3976376.shtml

Quote:

"Hamlin said she told the woman she was wearing nipple piercings. The agent then called over her male colleagues, one of whom said she would have to remove the jewelry, Hamlin said."

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

seaan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:52:55 GMT

The following has happened to more than just me. First time flying out of Mexico city I did not realize they had an extra check for liquids just before boarding the plane.

I was running late (aside - They did not have a gate yet for my plane when I checked in. My plane left at 7:05, and there were so many planes leaving at 7:00 that the plane never showed up on the monitor. I did not know the gate until they annouced the boarding (and the first announcement did not include the gate number!). But I did take the time to buy a couple of drinks (OJ and water). Which I promptly had to handover to the security guy who had watched me buy them from the vendor no more than 30' from him.

I wonder how many of thoses bottles end up back at the vendor to be resold to unsuspectig travelers?

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

sfavorite — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:43:17 GMT

I was flying through Chicago and just my luck the FAA shut down O'Hara because of weather and I got to spend the night at the airport.

The airline booked me on the first flight the next morning but informed me I would have to go through additional screening because I had changed my flight plans in less then 24 hours. When I pointed out that the FAA had closed the airport and the flight was canceled I was informed "rules are rules".

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

John — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:09:12 GMT

Often while travelling I bring a handgun with me (in checked luggage) which requires the same special screening you are used to with your rifle. Normally I have had no problem, in fact it has often been a pleasant experience, but one time at DTW I managed to get a TSO who apparently doesn't like firearms and decided to waste over 30 minutes of my time screening my gun case and luggage.

After a slow visual inspection, he did the explosives swab and it sounded a red alert (I am sure the first one he has ever seen). The other TSO reminded him that he had handled the gun prior to the swab and not changed his gloves. So maybe they can detect the presence of gunpowder. After another 10 minute glove change, he swabbed again and got what looked like an orange/yellow alert. Faced with the possibility that my underwear was explosive, he decided to do a hand inspection which resulted in him spending another 10 minutes finding nothing in my luggage of value but managed to disarrange everything to the point he could barely close the bag again. Fortunately I had arrived quite a bit early so their purposeful delay didn't affect my flight.

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

DarkFlib — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:41:06 GMT

While travelling in the EU, I forgot to remove a present from my mother from my carryon luggage. The present was a pen which unscrewed and contained various blades, screwdrivers and similar stuff.

It sailed through 3 airport security checks without a problem. My jacket and pocket contents attracted far more interest. Strangely enough, the 8 harddrives I had in my carryon also sailed through without issue. Not even requiring me to unload my bag.

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

Laura E. Hunter — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:09:59 GMT

On the flight down to Tech Ed this year, the TSA woman at PHL was explaining loudly as people were standing in line that, in addition to the usual "shoes off, laptops out" rigamarole, the following "rule" was in effect:

We were permitted to bring soda through the security checkpoint from the outside world...but WATER was strictly verboten.

...the frack? I mean, the fracking frack? The implementation details of this random TSA cracking of the whip were too enormous to contemplate: what about iced tea? Clear soda like Sprite or Fresca? Soda with ice cubes in it? Or, of particular interest to me, a bottle of water with a Crystal Light mix packet shaken up into it, given that I slam down about half a dozen of these a day.

So, just so we're clear. Coca-Cola? Everything's fine with the world. Water? A weapon of mass destruction. (Well, it -is- one of the best solvents going, I suppose.)

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

Carlson — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:20:40 GMT

I used to travel with an old 4x5 Speed Graphic camera, and ask to have it hand inspected with my other gear. Never once did anybody make me remove the lens or the back to look inside -- where I could have put a pretty sizable cache of stuff.

I do appreciate the tip about the Saline bottle. I'll have to get one to carry my drinking water in from now on.

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

Dale — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:52:20 GMT

Close relative is a number of a police tactical team (aka SWAT for you yanks :-) ).

At the airport security screening point, the scanner picked up the ASP Collapsible Baton he had in his carry-on bag. But completely missed the handful of 10mm pistol rounds he also had the bag.

He didn't realise the rounds were in the bag until he got to his destination.

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

Dr. Neal Krawetz — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:48:47 GMT

A friend of mine was traveling to Defcon. At the x-ray machine in Dallas, they pulled his bag out for a special search. The TSO opened it up and pulled out a pair of $5 pliers. They told him he couldn't carry them on board the plane. He understood -- he had previously used the bag as a make-shift toolbox and had forgotten to empty it before throwing in his clothing for the trip. He fully understood that they had to confiscate his $5 pliers.

For some reason, the TSO missed the $100 leatherman, saw, hammer, wire cutters, and various screwdrivers. (We laughed really hard about this.)

...

I once was traveling through Dallas with some glass fruit (a gift for a friend). The X-ray technicians called over two managers and evacuated the area around me. It turns out, glass fruit frequently contains leaded glass. You can just imagine what a leaded glass apple and orange with stems looks like in the X-ray image... They wouldn't show me, but said they perfectly matched grenades.

re: Fun Experiences at Airport Security

Dave Nickason — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:55:43 GMT

A couple of years ago, I was traveling with a group of family members, and we were having an exceptional number of problems - collision avoidance maneuver, rerouted to a different airport, hours of delays. On the last leg of the trip, we had to go through ehnanced security because our schedule had changed at the last minute. My 12 or 13-year old nephew went up ahead of his mom and me, and when asked to take off his shoes, he said no. The agent said "what do you mean, no?" My nephew responded that after everything he had been through that day, he was sick of airports and security, and he was not taking his shoes off again until he got to the hotel. Luckily the agent decided not to push the issue, because when that kid says no, he means no.

When we got to the gate, he and I swapped boarding passes so he could have a window seat. When they put his (really my) pass through the machine, it came up for a random security check. The airline employee took one look at my nephew and waved him through. (Lesson learned, we still switch seats, but we keep our own boarding passes).