Avoid making these TSA - Airport Security Mistakes!

TSA and Airport Security can be the most stressful part of getting through the airport, but if you know what mistakes NOT to make when you are going through the TSA line, you'll sail right through stress free and be on your way to your next adventure!

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Hello!! I'm Christi and I'm a 53 year old GenX'er who has spent the last 8 years embracing the adventurer within and I want to share what I've learned along the way to inspire others to find the adventurer within themselves.

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Christi

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[GenxGypsy]

Have you ever made the alarms go off at Airport Security or been pulled over for extra screening? I'd love to hear your TSA stories 😊

[eeriened]

I sleep better at night knowing they’re keeping our planes free of hand cream and water

[bethonetwo]

My partner had his expensive camera and it's bag in one bin and along with our other stuff had gone through screening with no problem. Next thing we know two screeners said the camera and the bag had to be rescreened. We put the open bag and the camera in one bin again and put it to go through the scanner again. The bag came through the scanner all zipped up so, we thought we had everything. We headed a few steps for the little tram to take us to the departure gates but, luckily, my partner unzipped the camera bag and saw no camera. He started yelling " where's my camera, where's my camera". The screener and another screener started saying loudly, "the camera is coming thru now, the camera is coming thru now". Meanwhile, other people's stuff had already come through the scanner. There was a female TSA person standing at the end of the moving belt who just started laughing. They were going to steal that camera. I guess they thought it was an easy mark with us being two senior people. This was at Orlando airport and if we had gotten on that tram before checking that bag, we would have been out of luck. So, yes, you have to check your stuff because everybody is not honest

[fjfoley]

Seriously, worry about getting TSA angry. They need to learn to treat travelers with respect. Being disabled I get mistreated 7 out of 10 times. I even had a TSA agent ask me to remove my prosthetic leg. My last trip I even had TSA say the F word to me and my family to keep pushing the luggage through the scanner. I had to inform the agent to actually turn the conveyor on. They will get my respect when they earn it. As for making them angry…. Not my concern.

[nikkil]

I was flying to Dallas once and the female TSA agent confiscated an expense bottle of perfume from a well dressed lady. She put it on top of the trash bin and rudely told the owner it was over size. It wasn’t. The woman pointed out that the bottle was within the requirements clearly labeled on the package. The TSA agent glared at her and told that if she said it’s too big, then it’s too big. The woman shrugged and moved on. As soon as she was past the TSA area, the agent plucked the perfume from the trash and put it in her pocket. She laughed and said “That’s how you get nice stuff off rich white bitches.” I caught up with the woman and offered to be her witness if she wanted to file a complaint. She said there was no point. She flew frequently and making enemies with the TSA agent would be more trouble than losing the perfume. One more reason to hate flying.

[suewolf]

What causes my blood pressure to go up is; when my purse, suitcase, whatever else I have to put on that conveyor belt, all of it containing money, medicine, jewelry, cell phone. Passport, other important papers, and other Tech equipment, but I'm held up. So anybody can steal anything of mine, because nobody's really watching what items belong to what person.

[RoamingwithRover]

2 years ago I had a broken foot. Went through TSA in an airport wheelchair. The agent insisted that I remove my cast or I could not go REMOVE MY CAST. I was stunned. I asked her how exactly I could do that as I did not have a CAST SAW with me. Finally after several conversations with different agents a supervisor came and wanded me and let me through. 😂😂😂

[golfertex]

Thanks for your travel tips, but here is what happens to me. I am a VietNam vet w/a service-connected disability. I have a permanent ostomy and must wear an appliance. I also must wear suspenders, as a belt places too much pressure on my surgery site. Even though I am TSA pre-checked, I am always searched, questioned, my carry-on baggage is thoroughly searched, and my meds questioned. This is in spite the fact that TSA middle-managers attend national ostomy conventions & pledge to inform & to train frontline TSA agents on the needs faced by ostomy patients. I have never been subjected to such treatment in France, Mexico, Chile nor Australia. One time @LAX, a so-called TSA agent took away my ticket and passport. I snatched them back out of his hand. He got red in the face & called for a “supervisor.” I identified myself and asked him whether he had served in the military. When he hesitated, I started laughing and stated, “You were dismissed on request.” The loser couldn’t stand basic training & quit. The candy-ass just got redder in the face. He wanted to know what an ostomy was. I told him, “Learn your job.” He walked away. The supervisor, another agent and I spent a few minutes in a private search room for a pat-down. Neither knew what an ostomy was…Yes, TSA is security theater. Next time this happens, I will be the one calling for a supervisor! Also, you have the right to demand the agent uses new gloves to rummage through your baggage….In July 2022, a woman shot up the Dallas airport, before the alleged security line. In the Air Force, the security police conducts security checks at the entrances, not right next to the B-52s! At CDG (& at the Eiffel Tower), the French security personnel are all fit & all carry pistols. Other agents patrol with 5.56 FAMAS! That is a real show of force. By contrast, our TSA are unarmed, overweight, or too old. They violate the 4th amendment as they wait for their next paycheck…As I passed by on my way to my gate, the quitter glared at me. I made the two-finger signal from my eyes toward him. I am watching you. Another time @ PHL, I was threatened with a strip search. I replied with glee, “Go for it.” The agent was visibly taken back, based on his involuntary reaction. At age 70, and after 6 surgeries, I don’t care who sees my body. Next time that I am insulted, I am going to get naked right there by the body scanner. Then, the TSA agents will also have to determine whether my ostomy bag contains 3 ounces or more of poop. I am a Yellow Dog democrat, but I believe some conservative concerns over excessive government oversight are correct. The flying public is looked upon with suspicion and processed like cattle, all in the name of state security.

[davidbowers]

I am a retired TSA agent and most of what you said was great. Yes the water can't go through however Ice can because it is in a solid form. Roll on type or cream deodorants must be in the 1 quart bag however a stick type product does not again it is a solid. You are correct about hearing what is said and be aware as to what is going on around you.
This was a great video.

[ryanm]

I had my carry on luggage stolen in a security line while in a foreign country. Fortunately my luggage had a special marker on it and one of the workers went and looked through various gates hoping to find the same marker/type of cloth attached to the carry on. He finally found the carry on, but the person insisted the carry on was his. We then had to go and get a police officer involved and all of sudden the thief's attitude became apologetic. He all of a sudden claimed as an excuse that he had a carry on just like ours. My name was also on the carry on so I don't buy his excuse. Anyway, it took a while to do all this and our flight was was starting to board, but if I had more time I really wanted to press charges.

[brenda]

“They are not responsible if your items get stolen…” Unless they’re the ones who stole it.

[gowithgid]

My wife and I always travel together, someone will go through security earlier than the other so so they can keep an eye on the other stuff coming through later. Also if you have TSA pre-check you don't have to takeoff your shoes are you don't have to take your liquids out. That is a great time saver

[DavidSkerritt]

About 2 years ago I was flying from Cincinnati to Tampa. I don't know which happened first but myself and the passenger either directly behind or directly in front of me in TSA line had almost identical looking laptops. We grabbed each others laptop after security and didn't realized it until we got to our destinations. Luckily his laptop was for business and gave the name of the company when it was powered on and I was able to call the company and we were able to link up. He flew to Orlando and since I was in Tampa I drove to Orlando the next day to swap laptops. I've now put a larger sticker on my laptop so it is instantly recognizable.

[sonyavs]

Great idea about the order in which to put things on the TSA conveyor belt. It’s hard to keep an eye on your things when you’re preoccupied with stepping into the scanner, getting wanded, or patted down! Putting a locked carryon through first and the essentials like tech, etc., to go through last is a genius idea! Appreciate your videos!

[nataliaromanova]

The thing is all agents are not the same. I’ve been through airport security and have witnessed agents in different lines YELLING instructions that are conflicting with another agent 2 feet away.

[JaninaElyse]

I travel a couple times a year and I consider myself a pretty well prepared traveler, but your point about checking the bins is well taken. I once left my drivers license in a bin on a domestic flight. Ouch! Frantic! My daughter once left her laptop in a bin as well. Both times we were able to retrieve the items, but wow! so stressful!!!

[miohno]

Skip liquids and bring solid equivalents like bar soap, or buy replacements at your destination.

[maryraerogers]

I have a knee replacement and I have trouble every time I go through security. I put everything that needs to be xrayed on the conveyor belt (which is everything you own - your wallet, passport, cell phone, ipad, jacket - just everything!). When I go through the scanner, every single time I get pulled aside because the the knee appliance.. I even have a laminated card with an X-ray of my knee with the replacement, signed and dated by the physician. They don’t even want to look at it. Half the time I just get a pat down, but sometimes they make me go down to the end to another scanner and then get pat down. All this while I’m trying to keep an eye on my stuff which by now is through the X-ray and is piling up down at the end of the conveyer belt. When my husband is with me it’s not a problem (just a pain in the neck) because he can take care of my stuff until I get there. But if I am by myself it is a real worry because I can’t keep an eye on my possessions. So, yes, I do worry about items being stolen. Wish they would be more sensitive about this issue. I can’t be two places at once. You say they are not there to prevent theft but they are preventing me from preventing theft of my belongings. It doesn’t seem fair.

[rickthibodeau]

Great tips, thank you. Especially listening to the agents, and that situations vary. My last trip I took, they were upgrading the screening area of our airport. One lane you had to remove all electronics and liquids and put them in the Grey bins. The next line over, they told us NOT to remove our electronics and liquids. Apparently with the new scanners, it is not necessary. It helped the 2nd line move more swiftly. So yes, paying attention is very important.

[bethl]

Two times that I've gotten called aside:
1). I was bringing gifts from Las Vegas for my babysitter. The way I had packed the candlesticks & other items looked suspicious
2). I'd gone "back home" with a stop at my favorite spice store & bought 1 lb of salt & a large bag of assorted herbs. Guess what they looked like I the scanner! Lol