JJ495

Was told by airport curbside bag-checker-inner that TSA trainees are the ones wearing brown patches. If you get one, the time through screening can be double or triple regular time or worse.

Don't know if it's true, but I know I'll be watching for that brown patch......

mrwunrfl

I know that "cigarette" lighters were banned but are now ok to carry onboard. They are activated by a thumbwheel. I did not know that cigar/torch/butane lighters are still banned.

I took a couple of cigar lighters on a flight to Vegas with no problem. On the return trip, the lighters were spotted in my carry-on bag via the x-ray. A rookie TSA agent pulled the lighters out and told me that she thought these lighters were not allowed.

She called over her supervisor. He picks one up, looks it over, and explains to the younger agent that the banned lightes have a lot of little pinholes on top where the flame comes out. He said these lighters were ok.

But she was right and he was wrong.

These lighters all have covers so there was no way to tell what kind of lighters they are without activating them. You push the button, the cover opens, and a raging hot flame blasts out of the tiny holes. Or, if there is no fuel, then you see the little holes.

So, yeah, go with the veteran agents. They are the ones more likely to not have been paying attention when the new rules were explained.

mrwunrfl

My apologies to anyone who actually read my post above. It was far too many words for such a mini-rant.

Femi

Not really. The point was well made.

rkkwan

Apologies accepted. Since I actually read your post.

JJ495

Point taken, sort of, mrwunerful. Except I was speaking as a time-mindful traveler and your advice is most applicable to someone wishing to get away with contraband. But interesting to know about the distinction between lighters, specious though it may be from the point of view of a committed terrorist.

Or maybe it's just a matter of what cigar-smokers need to know. ;-) Should a non-smoking extremist-muslim terrorist consider taking up cigars as a cover? ;-) ;-)

simpsonc510

Bill
DH's cigar lighter got taken away (actually, it got mailed home in an expensive envelope)... I think at SFO. Thanks for your mini rant! And yes, I read all of it.

CarolA

(So are ALL the screeners at LAX trainees? They generally take about 10 minutes to look at EACH bag....)

I think it's more likely they have "delusions" that they will find something and be a "hero" There's one agent who is so slow that I have him pegged and moved lanes... And he's been there for at LEAST two years.