We’ve all been there before. The person in front of us in the security line is either a very inexperienced traveler, hasn’t traveled since you could meet people arriving at their gate, or just has no clue about the bevy of rules and regulations that govern our airport experiences. Some issues you may run into if you’re behind a security slowpoke:
- They wore tall lace up boots to the airport that take 5 minutes per foot to untie.
- They’ve got three laptops and a tablet that they’ve left in their personal item and their carry on is full of bottles of various flammable liquids and their antique knife collection.
- They’ve recently transported large quantities of fertilizer in all of their bags.
- They have spare change strategically deposited in various hidden pockets among their clothing.
If any of those points don’t seem ridiculous to you, you may be the dreaded security slowpoke. Please don’t feel bad if you are – becoming more informed is what this website is all about. Whether you’re the security slowpoke or a seasoned pro, I’m going to cover two important areas in this post that should have value for everyone:
- What are the most important rules and regulations to know about?
- What else can I do to make my check in and security experience as painless as possible?
First things first, the most basic items of knowledge are the dos and don’ts of airport security. These days, there are a few simple rules everyone should follow (note: these rules are most applicable to travel in the U.S. – but similar regulations exist in a lot of other countries around the world:
- You need to have your boarding pass and ID/Passport out to make it past an initial checkpoint to get to security screening where your person and bags will be screened for dangerous/prohibited items.
- Liquids need to follow the 3-1-1 rule – meaning you can carry one quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag, and the liquid volume of those is limited to 3.4oz (100ml) per container. You have to remove this item from your carry on for screening when you go through security.
- You need to take your shoes off when you go through security – it is best to wear comfy shoes that you can get off and on quickly.
- You’ll also need to remove your belt, watch, jewelry and EVERYTHING out of your pockets. This is especially important as sometimes you’ll be asked to go through a metal detector (which your belt buckle/watch/jewelry/spare change would set off) or a full body scanner (which will pick up anything in any pockets, even sometimes the balls of lint that are left over from the dryer).
- You need to remove laptops and tablets from your bags and place them in their own bin to be screened.
- If you’re wearing a jacket, you’ll have to take it off to be screened as well.
- You should review the prohibited items list to check and see if you’re packing any items that will set off alarms and be confiscated. Generally speaking, if it can be used to stab or shoot someone or if it could explode in any way, you should leave it at home (or at the very minimum, declare it to your airline and TSA to determine what you need to do in order to fly safely with it).
Its one thing to keep up on the latest rules and regulations that you’ll need to follow at the airport (actually, most of us probably don’t do this very often), and its another to have an efficient system to make sure you get through check in and security as painlessly as possible. I recommend the following tips to help you get through security quickly and easily:
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that can be removed easily.
- While I’m waiting for the initial checkpoint to check my boarding pass and ID, I usually remove all of my metal items, belt, and all items from my pockets and put them in an easy access zipper pouch in the front of my personal item or carry on – that way I can be sure nothing will fall out or get lost when my items go through the x-ray machine for screening.
- If you’re a couple traveling with kids, make a security plan of action – my wife and I like to have one person manage the kids while one person manages all of the bags and other items. A plan makes everything go much more smoothly during what can be a stressful time for families.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions – TSA people are generally very friendly and willing to answer any questions you may have. Different screening checkpoints will sometimes have individualized rules and regulations so it never hurts to ask.
- Be friendly to security agents – remember that they are simply doing their jobs and are doing their best to keep everyone safe – even if what you’re experiencing may be more security theater than real security.
- When you pick up your stuff after it has gone through the x-ray machine, don’t be afraid to grab everything and carry it to the area just past security – they usually have a ‘recombombulation area’ (one of my favorite travel related names of all time) where you can reorganize everything and make sure you didn’t lose anything.
Now that you’re well on your way to becoming a seasoned security pro, you might be wondering about all those special lines you see going through security or coming through customs on your return home. Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I’ll review TSA Precheck, Global Entry, CLEAR, and Mobile Passport to tell you which ones are worth it and which ones are not!