Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
I met a guy at an airport one time who told me he purposely wears his denim overalls when he flies. He enjoys making the TSA agents check out every metal rivet and button on his clothes .
_________________ IIJA Registered Gemologist GIA Graduate Gemologist
I met a guy at an airport one time who told me he purposely wears his denim overalls when he flies. He enjoys making the TSA agents check out every metal rivet and button on his clothes .
When I lived in Zurich, I got the full proctoscope treatment every time I flew home from SFO. They saw a US passport and a trip ending in Europe (no return to the US) and my boarding pass would have the SSS marks on it.
I began flying in what were basically black pajamas, no underwire in the bra, no jewellery except watch and wedding ring, and slip off shoes.
Flying out of Houston a few years ago, I got asked WHY I needed private screening (they aren't supposed to do this.) I was carrying gems and tools, so saying that seemed...um..unwise. Just for grins I answered "sex toys." Worked like a treat, and the agent who did the screening was very nice and offered to talk to the idjit on the X-ray line.
My husband claims I'm a smart ass with a bad attitude. He may be on to something
When I travel with tools, I always require private screening. That's not only because I don't want to be seen with gem tools, but also because in private they are usually much more reasonable than on the line.
Two things with TSA security - you are always entitled to a private screening, no questions asked, and you are never required to go through the full body scanner no matter how hard they steer you there. I've never done the body scanner - I just tell the person doing the herding that I'll take a pat-down and then they let me gather my stuff and head off. I'm one of those "get to the airport early" people, so I've got the time and am delighted to make the process cumbersome. Give me European screening any day. Much less intrusive and much more effective.
Lisa - who is flying from Vancouver to Arusha with no US stops! Yippee!
Lisa, have you been able to fly with long tweezers? I bought a pair in Tucson one time and they never made it out of Tucson. My tooth paste never made it in to Tucson, I guess the tube was large enough to contain explosives, even though it was almost empty.
Will you be able to fly to Tucson this year with out any US stop?? Maybe fly to Mexico, then drive over.
When I travel with tools, I always require private screening. That's not only because I don't want to be seen with gem tools, but also because in private they are usually much more reasonable than on the line.
Two things with TSA security - you are always entitled to a private screening, no questions asked, and you are never required to go through the full body scanner no matter how hard they steer you there. I've never done the body scanner - I just tell the person doing the herding that I'll take a pat-down and then they let me gather my stuff and head off. I'm one of those "get to the airport early" people, so I've got the time and am delighted to make the process cumbersome. Give me European screening any day. Much less intrusive and much more effective.
Lisa - who is flying from Vancouver to Arusha with no US stops! Yippee!
Lisa, have you been able to fly with long tweezers? I bought a pair in Tucson one time and they never made it out of Tucson. My tooth paste never made it in to Tucson, I guess the tube was large enough to contain explosives, even though it was almost empty.
Will you be able to fly to Tucson this year with out any US stop?? Maybe fly to Mexico, then drive over.
I fly with long tweezers all the time in carry-on. Just did to Nashville. I usually fly direct YVR-PHX for Tucson, but that still means dealing with TSA on the outbound.
I've never traveled with tweezers, but I travel with my very sharp and quite long metal knitting needles without problem at all. Its such a mess what they allow or don't allow.
I have had TSA people break that little file on a pair of finger nail snippers off before they would allow me to carry them in my bag. Apparently that 3/4" long file could be a deadly weapon.
Coming home from Bhutan, there was an elderly nun in a wheelchair, who had her thread snips confiscated. Seriously, she had the shaved head, the saffron and magenta robes, AND the wheelchair!
We Buddhists take no prisoners but was this woman a threat?
Some day a potential terrorist will shove some plastic explosive up is butt. Can you imagine what we will have to do in line then! All these things are just a knee jerk reaction.
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 11:48 am Posts: 584 Location: Odenton, Maryland
While checking in at McCarran/Las Vegas airport, I noticed the sign there prohibited "tools over 7" long". I was thinking, "Dang, I could have brought my anti-boredom chainmaille pliers in my carry-on!"
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