Tip: Getting through airport security quickly
 

After traveling for years, yesterday I finally hit on a simple tip for speeding the trudge through security and minimizing the possibility of having the "beep" go off when you walk the detector: The famous baggie!<BR><BR>My husband always has the following on him: watch, medical ID bracelet, religious medal, keys, gum with foil wrapper, coins, sunglasses, cell phone, money clip--you get the picture. When waiting at O'Hare yesterday I pulled a plastic baggie out of my purse and we dumped everything in it. When we got to the line he just dropped the baggie into the basket and walked through. Picked up the baggie at the other end, stuck it in his coat pocket and put everything back on when he was seated on the plane. No more standing at the conveyor belt taking everything off, no more standing on the other side putting it all back on. SO EASY!!<BR><BR>From now on we'll do that before leaving home!

Great idea!! But what about us gals with underwire bras? Will the set off the alarm too?

no

Disagree... sometimes yes the shoulder clasps or underwires CAN set it off; normally airport security just asked you to cover yourself with your hands; same like a hair barrette.

Any small amount of metal will set off the beep of the "wand". But underwires, a normal ring, a small bracelet or necklace will not set off the detector that you pass through. If it goes off you have more accumulated metal than that.

Mel, what a great idea! The simplest ones are the best. I've flown eight times already this year and to be honest, had no problems with security (other than being randomly selected twice in the same trip).

Underwire *does* set off the alarm.<BR>Wear regular the day you're travelling unless you're in the mood for some action with the airport security people <BR><BR>d

I must concur, the baggie-bit is a hit. I put EVERYTHING in a big ziplock affair, they can look through the bag and easily take out anything they want a closer look at. In the past I was one of those people who apparently could not get through a metal detector without causing a hold up. A friend told me about the baggie thing last fall and it has never failed to work.

Have take 3 round international trips out of JFK-Bermuda<BR> Newark-Antigua<BR> Newark-St. Martin<BR>Always have on underwire bra, wedding ring, engagment ring, another ring and watch with leather strap.<BR>NO alarm!

I almost always wear underwire and while they do trigger the wands I have never had one set off the the walk-thru detector.

Another vote that underwires do not set of the metal detector. Also, the titanium plate and screws in my ankle do not set it off, however I have had zippers and shoe buckles do the trick.

It truly depends on the airport - most US airports are still recalibrating their equipment in the wake of the September terrorist attack and often go off at the slightest hint of metal. (I fly a great deal on business within the US, to a variety of cities, so I have been observing this firsthand). Some of them even go off occasionally when there is no metal at all. The security systems in most of Europe - and certainly in Western Europe - tend to be far more accurate and will not go off for a small piece of metal which is not useable as a weapon.

Usually the main detectors aren't sensitive enough for underwires but they can be. They have controllable settings.<BR><BR>I walked through an arch some years back and beeped.<BR><BR>He got the wand out, I had NOTHING in my pockets, no belt, no underwired bra, no jewellery.<BR><BR>Eventually we worked out with the wand at higher sensitivity that it was the metal rivets on my jeans, just standard ones.<BR><BR>He immediately asked the other guy to turn down the sensitivity for the arch!

Ah, they've figured me out. I had a plan -- was going to put together a slingshot plus dart made from my Maidenform wired bra. One underwire was going to be the dart, the other was an antenna to keep me in touch with the home "cell." Then I would have keep the flight attendants under control with my Timex watchband wrapped tightly around their necks and my MedicAlert bracelet pinching their soft American noses. It would have been sweet, but the alarms went off.

LOL

We just came back from Italy, France and Switzerland. Whenever we went through security my husband's knee replacement triggered the bells. They kept asking him to go behind the curtain and a male attendant checked him over. To get through airport security without a hassle next time, I am going to call the surgeon and ask for a card that the prosthetic company can give us with an x-ray picture of the knee joint to make life easier. Happy Traveling!

Terrosita<BR>NOT FUNNY you dimwit. Try making that kind of joke while in line at the airport and we can all laugh our asses off as you are dragged away. You idiot. You imbecile. You think this whole thing is a joke eh? Sick are you!

Carole, the same thing happened with my mother and her knee replacement. In Italy they actually asked to see the scar after I explained that she had a knee joint. I think it's best to travel with a doctor's note (even if they won't be able to read it, I guess). She is about to have her other knee done, so I'm sure that'll really throw them for a loop next time.

10 years ago, following a mastectomy, I had breast reconstruction that actually contains a metal magnet. At the time, the surgeon warned me I could set off the alarm at the airport but nothing ever happened. Now that things are "turned up" I'm really concerned - especially after reading about the knee replacements. (Of course, I'd prefer showing a knee behind the curtain than what I have.) Looks as if I should locate the surgeon for an explanatory letter.

Oops! I meant "tuned up"