Tips on How to Deal with Going Through Airport Security

My first commercial flight was in 1979, then my husband and I flew sporadically through out the 1980's. I started flying in the ministry in 1995 and having been traveling in and out of airports since then, I've made my share of mistakes and have learned a lot of new things with each new experience and with each new change that our country and other countries have made due to terrorism and other various reasons.

This article is about those experiences backed up by the official recommendations of the TSA and other suggestions for the current regulations and how we might deal with how they are being implemented in the various security situations that we may encounter.

According to Sheila Murray Bethel, in an article she wrote in March 25, 2010, that to better navigate the security in the airports a person on business ought to wear business clothing. I used to do that, until two things happened that changed my mind.

The first was the tendency of my neighbors to dump their meals and coffee in my lap. Which still happens even though the airlines aren't the ones doing most of the serving these days.

The second was that six to twelve months after 911, when I saw only people in business suits being taken aside for extra security inspections in some of the airports I was in. Of course, in one of them, the business men also had long ponytails and in another, the business people were only women of color. But in another, it was all of those in business suits, male, female regardless of color or hair length.

I decided to not wear my business clothing through airports. I now wear dark, dressy jeans with a nice top and jacket, which aren't casual but they're a lot easier to spot clean and to wear after any meal fallout. They're also somewhere between the casual and the very tailored business clothing. This also helps me to blend in when I've arrived and are using the surface streets to get to my destination. I carry dressier clothing in my luggage.

One time I made the mistake of going too casual by wearing a denim vest that has metal snaps on it. First of all, it set off the metal detectors and second the security agent treated me like I could be dangerous or suspicious.

Ms Bethel also suggests that we wear business shoes to look more professional going through security and to pack the sneakers. The only footwear that security is going to see you in are your socks or your bare feet.

There are a lot dressy shoes out there that are actually made from sneaker foundations and won't kill your feet while you are running two miles to your next gate. Perhaps it fits my personality, but I will dress conservatively in everything but my socks. I will deliberately wear some of my prettiest or wildest socks specifically for the security agents. Some of them have expressed their appreciation.

I do agree with her advice on the carry-ons you take with you. It doesn't matter how much the airlines may mess up your luggage, the security tends to treat you with more courtesy when your carry-ons are clean, neat and above all professional in appearance.

I've used leather. But it tends to be heavy. So, I traded in my leather briefcase for a tailored, canvas computer/book-bag with shoulder straps. I do use a huge leather purse for my overnight short-hop trips, so I just look like a shopper at my destination.

One trip, I made the mistake of using my husband's carry-on satchel as a briefcase since I hadn't found a replacement for the last briefcase. Never again. I ended up in an uncivil discussion with a security agent in a foreign airport, who did give me the benefit of the doubt and didn't force me to check it. I got a replacement right after that trip.

I also agree with the author's statement about being respectful and friendly toward the security agents. Yes, there a few jerks out there, like the customs agent who deliberately trashed my checked luggage while his partner apologized for his behavior and the security male agent who deliberately felt me up in a pat down or the gate agent who detained me for an extra security check and sent my 10 year old unaccompanied son on-board without any supervision, refusing to allow him to wait nearby.

But, for the most part, the security agents work through some very difficult situations and do try to treat the passengers with respect. Quite a few of them also try to make the situation easier for the passengers.

They do have the authority to pull you out of line and to prevent you from making your flight and to determine whether you need to be further questioned and detained, missing your flight and possibly being arrested. So, even if you do get the one who wants to be an uncivil jerk, it's not in your best interest to respond in kind. Civility and courtesy will get you to your next gate faster and save that reservation.

I also agree with her comment that if you go into the trip expecting a difficult situation, it will be a lot easier to deal with than if you're expecting for things to go the way you want them to go. For example, on one of my trips, our flight was canceled because the flight crew didn't show up.

We were transferred to a nonstop flight to Ft Lauderdale which was diverted to drop us off in Tampa. We had to go across the terminal to a new gate and have another long wait. Then we ended up flying in a plane with no water or functioning toilets for almost three hours.

I found out partway through the flight that the passenger behind me was originally reserved for my seat, to Ft Lauderdale. But because she was very late getting to the plane I was seated in what I thought was an empty seat. She was angry with me for the entire flight even though her seat was identical to mine, just one row behind.

I figure if I can arrive back home safely and live to tell about it, I'm doing pretty good.

This next section deals with what TSA has posted on their website.

Their website has a lot of very good, clear, helpful instructions on what the latest regulations are and how to get through security and how to deal with over sized liquids among other items you may be carrying when returning to the US from out of the country.

I refer to this site each year to update on the latest changes. For the updates that are subject to change I would suggest checking the website out before you fly next time.

As for the other regulations, here is a brief rundown on what you can expect and need to know:

Take care how you pack your carry-on. Pack your items in organized layers that aren't jumbled together and difficult to read in the xray. I've had my carry-on pulled aside several times due to how I'd packed a lot of little items. I, now, pack all the heaviest non-clothing items on the bottom layer, along the sides and at the foot of the suitcase in a single layer.

Multiple layers of non-clothing items don't read very well and ask for a hand search of your case. The TSA suggests packing your heavy items in the middle of your clothing. If you want wrinkled clothing, then do that. But I've found that as long as you pack your non-clothing items in a single layer, they are readable in the scanner.

All possibly questionable items need to taken out of your luggage and placed in a bin for inspection. They might include such items as laptops, video cameras, DVD players, musical instruments among other items. If you aren't sure, then err on the side of caution and just put the item out for inspection until the security personnel
tells you differently. If you carry an umbrella, make sure it's also taken out for inspection. I forgot, one time, which triggered a special hand search.

Carry all gifts unwrapped. I do carry the wrappings with me. I use small gift bags which don't take up much room or time and I wrap them when I arrive.

Keep your one quart zip-lock bag available to also take out for inspection. Carry all liquids, gels or creams that you might need on your flight in this bag in amounts of 3.4 ounces or smaller. This bag cannot be so stuffed that it can't be closed.

I bungy-strap my coat to my carry-on if I'm not wearing it. TSA does suggest packing it in your checked luggage. However, I have been separated from my checked suitcase for one to five days when I was in 30 degree weather so that is not even an option. Plus, a heavy coat takes up a lot of that 50 pounds weight allowance. Always place your jacket in one of the bins for inspection.

I always take all of my extra jewelry off and carry it in a small bag in my briefcase. I wear lightweight earrings, a light necklace, my wedding rings and my watch with no alarms going off, so far. I'm careful not to wear any clothing through security that may have any extra metal parts on it. I don't wear a belt anyway.

I carry a small purse that fits inside my briefcase, so that I do have a purse to carry when I'm at my destination and yet have just one personal item. If I take any larger purses, I pack them.

You are allowed one carry-on bag, one personal item, a jacket, purchases and your meal. I get around the one personal item by putting my purse and umbrella in my briefcase, which is allowed and has been recommended by the security agents.

Even though you are allowed to take your meal through security, that doesn't include any liquids larger than 3.4 ounces. You can purchase a liquid after you exit the security area, or wait for your flight if they are one of the airlines which serves free drinks. However, if your flight charges for drinks, I would suggest that even though the airport prices aren't very friendly, they aren't as unfriendly as those on the airplane

I try to wear my largest shoes through the airports, to save on packing space. I've also learned to wear shoes that are easy to take off and on, since they too need to be put in a bin to be inspected.

Lay your items flat in the bin or on the conveyor belt so that they can be easily inspected. Don't jumble a lot of items on top of each other or they will be repacked and reinspected either through the xray machine or by hand.

You must have a boarding pass and a government issued photo ID to be allowed anywhere in the terminal area. You must keep them available until you are through the security checkpoint. Then you will only need your boarding pass. If you are going out of the country, that ID will be your passport, which by the way, can also be used if you're traveling domestically.

It has also been advised that you carry a photo copy of your passport separate from the original in case the original is lost, so that you can prove your identity. I met someone who was able to fly home with their photo copy because the original was lost.

But that was before the latest change that was done to the passports, so you will need to ask about this, although the TSA website does suggest that there may be alternates for a lost ID.

Check with your particular airline for their recommended arrival time at the airport. Make sure that you arrive in plenty of time. I'd rather spend some time waiting in the gate then racing to a flight I could end up missing.

If you are traveling with a pet or a child in a stroller or carrier, you need to remove the pet from its carrier and your child from the stroller or baby carrier so that the items can be taken through xray and inspected.

Additional Reading:

Top Websites for Cheap Airfares

The Airports I've Been Through: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Activities Outside the Newark and Milwaukee Airports During a Long Layover

Travel Safety for Women in Western Europe

Sources:

http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/articles/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004078360
Up in the Air, March 25, 2010, Sheila Murray Bethel, CEO, Bethel Leadership Institute

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/duty_free_travel_alert.shtm

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/screening_experience.shtm