We specifically checked when we brought my SIL here last year and they said knitting needles are fine, but you should have wool with them to prove they’re really for knitting. Um…
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Bringing pretty gift soap in my carryon did trigger a search by TSA. I didn’t offer to eat it
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I also don’t understand why someone is permitted to wear a pin or brooch that has a two-inch pin on it. That could be pretty nasty if you wanted to use it as a weapon.
The other thing is – you can fill a quart bag with your liquids and put it in one carry on, but if you also have another carry on, you can also fill that one with liquids. TSA has no idea that you’re the same person for bag A and bag B. In addition, if you’re traveling with a companion, she can bring the same amount of liquids on. So that whole “maximum 3 ounces” thing is pretty silly.
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My D never bothers to pull out her bag of liquids; she forgot once and wasn’t flagged so now she just doesn’t do it. Many flights and never flagged for having them in her carry-on instead of the bin.
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Is your D TSA pre check? I am and I never have to take out my plastic toiletries bag.
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Friend’s daughter bought some designer bags in Paris. They were stolen in her checked luggage.
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I am pre check but I have often left small things supposed to be in the ziploc (chapstick, travel size hand lotion, lip gloss etc) in my purse and it’s never once been called out.
Off to airport now in fact … Will be sure to check in if anything untoward happens with TSA!!
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Oh, I always have lip balm in my purse. Haven’t been busted for that yet.
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I stopped pulling liquids out of my carry on since we got pre-check eons ago. No issues.
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She is not!
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sometimes is a rookie being careful, or a machine setting on super sensitive.
Long time with precheck, so rarely get stopped but last trip I had a new bottle of Excedrin in my roll aboard; from Costco, so it was the large bottle. Bag got flagged by the x-ray screener and pulled for extra examination. The Agent opened by rollaborad, asked where I got such a large bottle and if it was new. (Ans: Costco, and yes.). She took off the cap to see that it had not yet been opened, and was factory sealed. Placed it bak into my bag, closed the zipper and mentioned something to the effect that ‘they have a new person working the scanners this week’, and ‘to have a nice day’.
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I think a lot of this is security theater and totally useless against threats. This is brought home to me by the list of “things that got through”. We’re mostly just lucky that most people are not trying to do any harm. I worry what happens if more terrorists decide to try their luck, because I think we have a lot of “soft targets” in the US and it concerns me.
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My friend says her black salt from Kona that she bought as a gift would trigger the metal detectors and cause extra screening.
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I went through small airport security a few years ago where my one tiny personal size bag got flagged. I know they were training people. Fortunately we were early and in no hurry. Buzz. I’ve nothing in there. OH NO! don’t touch. Okay with me. Take out some stuff. BUZZ. Okay. Empty whatever you want. BUZZ. Are you looking for something? Can I help? (now I’m a criminal for asking). Bag is now empty. Bag goes through totally empty. BUZZ! Wands appear, gloves to scour my now empty bag. BUZZ! Gave me my bag back, I stuck my stuff back in and left.
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Going through Heathrow recently, my iPad was flagged and I had to wait in the penalty box for that bag to get run through again. Returning 2 weeks later? I took NOTHING out of my bags and they were fine. Ugh.
I’ve seen tripod tools get taken because they are dangerous. One of mine was looked at and I showed him no scissors or knife and he let it go.
The only checked bags I’ve had opened? My golf clubs!
The craziest security (not TSA) was internal Indian flights. Had to put every battery in a separate bin. And every cord and electronic. And laptop/ipad, chargers, converters. And every camera body and lens. I was there on a photo trip and re-packed my entire bag after security. (portable chargers, multiple camera bodies and lenses, portable chargers, converters, … it was a lot!)
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In Japan, the always paid a LOT of attention to larger lithium ion batteries—I had 3 (190 watt hours (2 of them). And 95 watt hours (1 battery). They took photos of them and had supervisors come and look at them and look at them some more—-for every trip, every year I’ve flown there. The US, South Korea and Taiwan were MUCH more casual and fine about all the large batteries.
I get the feeling Japan isn’t as familiar with folks flying with supplemental O2 and the large batteries they require. I didn’t see any other folks anywhere in Japan wearing O2 any of the time I’ve been in Japan.
Ok, here’s my crazy story. I was taking my new daughter-in-law’s sister through the airport in the US so she could return to her home country. She didn’t speak English, so I accompanied her as far as I could through our airport. I watched them check her carry-on luggage and to my horror, as they checked her bag, the TSA attendant pulled out a few long grill lighters. I was horrified and tried to talk to the TSA attendant to resolve this (this person had never flown before). The attendant calmly opened up one package. Checked that the lighter did in fact light up and then returned it to her bag and sent her on to the boarding gate! I was beyond stunned. So, it’s ok to carry these grill lighters on a plane in your carry one luggage!!
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My favorite is flying out of Austin and seeing the signs posted of how many guns were removed from carryon bags…I’ve never been behind someone who got stopped for a loaded weapon but I can’t imagine it’s fun…
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I am always amazed that people “ forget” a loaded gun in a carry on.
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