<p>My D had a friend from home come visit for 2 weeks over spring break. Her parents paid extra for her to fly as an “unaccompanied minor.” That meant a parent was allowed to accompany her to the gate in the US, and I was allowed here. Man! I have NEVER been so thoroughly searched, and I fly a lot. I wasn’t even flying this time! I guess they thought maybe since I was going into security, then leaving, I might leave a bomb or something. Then I had to go through the whole passport control thing when I did try to leave. Her parents didn’t go through this on the US side. And usually the US security is MUCH more picky than here.</p>
<p>It has also been our experience that when we travel with a one-way ticket, we get a lot closer scrutiny. I really wouldn’t mind it if the security people could be a bit nicer about the whole process.</p>
<p>My D didn’t get a driver’s license until she was 18, but she did have a passport (international music tours), so she always used her passport at the airport.</p>
<p>My 14 year old–maybe I should get a passport for her. </p>
<p>As for airport security, I don’t feel that much more safe at the airport than before all of this increased security. Why not? Watching them give an 80+ year old Caucasian woman a thorough search makes me realize how much money and resources they are wasting. I agree with mini–let’s drop this facade of “randomness” – it’s annoying to 80+ white-haired ladies and doesn’t fool anyone.</p>
<p>I think an 18 year old should have official ID (driver’s license or state-issued ID card) in any case. My daughter is under 18 but I always make sure she has her license with her before flying, in any case. </p>
<p>And I always carry my passport with me when flying - partly because I find it more convenient to hand over the passport than pull my driver’s license out of the plastic sleeve in my wallet. </p>
<p>I don’t think this thread needs to be a matter of blame or debate. I can see where a just-turned-18 year old kid might not yet be in the habit of carrying ID … but the situations in which she might need to present proper ID are endless. So first order of business should be to get her a state-issued ID in any case. Otherwise there might be quite a few other ID-related hassles in the future.</p>
<p>S (under 18,in fact,under 17) has flown with us many times. Each situation turns out differently as far as needing ID.Sometimes they ask him for a picture ID,sometimes not.In fact, in May we made two trips,meaning 4 checkpoints.On 2 he was asked for his own Id,and the other two was waived through. We got him a non drivers state ID (NY State) shortly after 9/11 when the issue first arose.Now he has a learner’s permit which is laminated as opposed to paper,and pictured.
He also was travelling those two trips with a brace on his arm (dislocated elbow)we brought along a dr’s note to document…He went through incredible scrutiny…patted down,chemical swabs inside the brace,etc.But its okay,I would rather it be that way.
D is a musician who travels with a flute and piccolo.When the bag goes through the x ray, she is always asked to remove them for inspection and sometimes to put the flute together.They look through the parts.It’s okay too I’d rather it be that way.
As someone has said before, perhaps something is your D’s carryon bag set off the machine.
My MIL (over 75) has a permanent trach and carries a speaking device which she wears around her neck and is made out of metal.She must remove it to go through the detector.She carries an explanation letter.Why not just be prepared ahead of time, and make no assumptions.
My tips for travel? Make sure each person has their own ID.Be prepared for the worst experience.Pare yourself down before getting to security…ie:belt,shoes.Offer explanations of unusual items…D always tells screeners that shes travelling with instruments. Leave plenty of time for the process,you never know when they’ll be a backup or shift change,or special circumstance.H had one pair of shoes that inevitably set off the alarm(have a steel shank in the sole).They were his favorites for travelling ,old and comfy but he finally decided to not continue wearing them on flights for expediency sake.It took him awhile to figure it out and he flies all the time ( at least 3-4 times a month).</p>
<p>We just got back from our vacation. Flew on four different planes. Strangely enough, not one of the security people asked my 5’11" son for id until I told them he was 18. Last Christmas when we flew to New Orleans and he was 17 he was asked or id by everyone. Fortunately he had his license for the Christmas flight as well as the most recent one. I’ve always thought it was strange when they don’t ask teens for ID, I mean who knows who is 18? My daughter is petite and looks about 16, even though she’s 20. On a recent cruise vacation the waiter asked my son if he wanted a mixed drink but not my daughter. My son thought that was a weird question and my daughter was insulted!</p>
<p>On the first leg of our vacation trip (Phil - Dallas) my youngest son was picked for the security check. We knew it was going to happen because when we tried to check in curbside, we couldn’t and the baggage handler told us it was going to happen. We ended up going inside and were able to do the self-service check (very easy) and then when we got up to security son was patted down, his backpack was unpacked and he got the wand all over his body. I thought it was interesting and the tsa people were very nice. We had plenty of time too so I wasn’t stressed. When we got our bags at our final destination in Phoenix, we found that they had all been tsa searched. I now realize I probably should have said something to the tsa people about the baggage handlers tip-off. If we were terrorists, that would be the time to abort the trip.</p>
<p>French Baroque: Grab the book “Flying Blind” if you want to read stories of how the airlines are totally crazy with the way they utilize special security measures!</p>
<p>Kathiep - not too late to mention the baggage handler’s tip-off to TSA - and better a few days late than never.</p>
<p>I once got searched - body wand, pat-down, and luggage taken apart. When I asked why, they said it was usually when you:
*have a one-way ticket
*don’t check luggage
*buy the ticket less than two weeks in advance.</p>
<p>Now, all three applied to me (bought a ticket to fly back from FL after driving down with my sis) - short trip, drove one-way, and didn’t have plans until a week before. Sad thing is, a well-funded organization could probably spare some cash for the return flight and a small bag to check - and presto! under the radar.</p>
<p>We routinely take all our passports for ID when we travel domestically. That is what I show the security person. </p>
<p>My sister did recently miss a flight when she was routed to the “sprcial security” line for unknown reasons, so it does happen and probably quite often. She cynically believed the airlines do it on purpose when they have overbooked flights.</p>
<p>BTW, some of this is not new. 35 years ago as a student I would often buy a one way plane ticket with cash and travel with no checked baggage. I was always singled out for a special security check.</p>
<p>I have a brother in law, Irish, but with dark hair, and when he travels with my H (a light brown haired blue eye irish man), my Brother in Law is pulled aside and searched extra. </p>
<p>As for the overbooking thing, it would not suprise me in the least. Cynical? Nah…</p>
<p>And when they took away my mother’s really expensive tweezer!!! What was she gonna do, pluck someone into submission? I could do more with a stilleto</p>
<p>We fly quite often, and whenever we check in, they require official picture ID for anyone over the age of 16. This has always been written both on our flight confirmations and our tickets (when we have some). All three boys know to carry either a driver’s license of their passport, preferrably both. I would much rather put up with this minor (very minor, how hard is it to make sure you carry ID?) than the consequences of not being careful enough.</p>
Don’t try to make this a rational thing, now. I mean, c’mon: if someone wanted to poke someone else, they could do it with a PEN for heaven’s sake, and no one has yet suggested taking away all pens on airline flights. </p>
<p>Have you seen some highheels? Or even a pair of metal eye glasses…and I have been into airports where AFTER you have gone through security, you can get a knife at the restaurant, and TWEEZERS!!!</p>
<p>Or gee, break that big old bottle of alcolhol purchased at duty free…</p>
<p>Pre-9/11, I was allowed on a flight (age 20) without ID - which I had left at home! Some of it was that my older sister let me have absolute hell when I realized where my driver’s license was… we think that the Irish/German temper tantrum might have convinced them to just let us board.</p>
<p>I still think airport security needs to be elevated even further…normally when I travel as a carry on I take my backpack. When i was moving back from school I just grabbed my backpack and as normal i really didn’t think about checking the content of one of my frontal pouches. So i went through security and everything was fine no problems. When I got onto the plane I was looking for a piece of gum in the pouch and realized that I had gone through security with a pair of scissors, (not the small ones, think of the largest scissors you can imagine. Like the metal ones used in many art classes when you were a young kid that only the teacher was allowed to use) a zippo lighter, and my swiss army knife. </p>
<p>btw frenchbaroque I didn’t mean to insult you in any way. Many times online you read a post and it just sounds a certain way. I just seemed like you were complaining about something that everyone has to go through. I’m sorry you were treated so badly by the TSA people…normally they are very stern but they are still relatively polite. There is no excuse for their behavior.</p>
<p>What was amazing about many of the 9/11 terrorists is that they went on board the planes as themselves–clean cut Arab men, no false identities, no disguises. Some had taken the same flight a number of times. They didn’t try to carry on board knives, guns or explosives, etc. Didn’t most of them enter the country legally? Except for scissors and box-cutters, would our heightened security of today caught them?</p>