Mace on a plane...

[milee]

My son and I flew to New Orleans and back last weekend - total of two trips through airport security and four flights. When we arrived home, I pulled my keys out of my purse to get into my car and realized that I had forgotten to remove the police-issue pepper spray that's on my keychain. Oops.  

While I'm glad that I wasn't arrested, the fact that I just flew on four flights without anyone ever noticing the reasonably large (approx. 4") canister of pepper spray sitting in my purse is a bit troubling.  It's not like there's a lot in my purse - wallet, sunglasses, pens, gum and keys.  That's it. 

Anybody else find weird stuff TSA missed or did TSA strip search you for no reason? 

[The Captain]

I think I've mentioned this before.

I was preggers with DD not too long after 911.  DH and I flew when I was about 5 months but I was popping like a balloon already.

TSA wanted to take me to a separate room so I could prove to them the baby bump wasn't a bomb or something (without DH). 

DH, wonderful protective Neanderthal that he is, started going ballistic.  We were running late for our plane so I just rolled my eyes, lifted my shirt and rolled down my pants so they could see me in all my round tummy glory right there on the spot.

I figured I would never see any of the people around us again. 

We made our flight, DH didn't get arrested and I got the satisfaction of not giving a shit.

TSA is worthless.

[souldoubt]

When my GF and I flew to Mexico a few years ago she borrowed a suitcase from her dad that was actually her sister's (lived out of state at the time) that had just been sitting in one of his closets.  We get down to Mexico and she starts unpacking (dufflebag style with multiple zippers, one on bottom where you can put shoes/dress clothes) and notices after she gets her stuff out there's still something in the bottom compartment.  She opens it up and no joke there's a machete in there.  First off we have no idea why her sister has this but more importantly we're both flipping out because we just flew out of a major airport, checked a bag that had a machete in it without knowing and were now in a foreign country with Jason Voorhies' weapon of choice.  

As far as strip searching goes when I flew out of London for work a few years back we had to go through normal security then there was a separate gate/area where they scan your ticket and let you in for that flight specifically.  My ticket got the lucky winner red light so no joke I get pulled to the side in this room and manhandled while there's a hundred or more other people who can see me that are waiting for the flight to board.  Had to take off my shoes, belt and so on, they unbuttoned my pants and then got real hands on.  Now I'm not easily offended but considering where it happened and how involved they got I felt violated in a room with a bunch of strangers.  
   
Some TSA agents are nice but some of them remind me of the aholes who go on to be cops because they were the aholes in high school and just want to be able to be aholes to people for a living.  I remember flying for work and we're going through security and one of the TSA agents was talking to everyone like they were idiots and he was the all knowing king shit.  I never wanted to throttle someone as much as I did him in that brief moment I had to walk through his line.  Every time I deal with them I think of under qualified mall cops who have way too much authority given their training.  That report some months back about a high percentage of weapons snuck on in tests re-affirmed my belief that they're under qualified.  

[Wisconsin Beth]

I forgot to take my flip phone out of a back pocket of my jeans in 2014.  They had me pull out the phone and then did used that wand thing to wave over me.  I was too busy being embarrassed about the phone to worry about the wand!  But I don't remember being physically touched at all that trip.  I've had worse pat downs going to concerts than I ever had with TSA. 

[Deleted]

When I flew from Oahu to Maui, my group of 4 was pulled aside for a more extensive search, both going and coming back. I'm not sure why we were selected both times.

The last time I flew home from Jamaica, they were much more thorough at the Montego Bay airport than any of my flights there and back. They went through every single item in my purse, even opened my vitamin and prescription medicine bottles and to see what was in them. They confiscated a lighter. It wasn't a big deal, but I wondered why I'd been able to fly back and forth with a lighter in my purse before. On that same trip, the contents of our luggage was a mess when we got home, someone had obviously gone through our checked bags. One of the ladies I was with had some jewelry missing.

[zibazinski]

Who the hell puts their jewelry in a packed bag anyway?

[souldoubt]

Sept 11, 2015 11:08:57 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

It wasn't a big deal, but I wondered why I'd been able to fly back and forth with a lighter in my purse before. On that same trip, the contents of our luggage was a mess when we got home, someone had obviously gone through our checked bags. One of the ladies I was with had some jewelry missing.

The work story were I got to deal with the ahole agent was at an airport that I had a layover in for both parts of my trip.  On the way back my flight got cancelled so I got stuck in a hotel and by the next morning I just wanted to get home.  The suitcase I had was the non-checked bag kind that you can get in an overhead bin and works for a 2-3 day trip.  I had been through this airport (and countless others including international) even before this with no issues but my male grooming kit (clippers, small scissors, tweezers, etc.) that I always took with me had a small nail file in it.  My bag got searched and one of the agents pulls this file out and says "you know you can't bring knives on a plane right?"  At that point I almost laughed in his face because I knew he was committed to finding something since they were going through my bag but I figured that would have only delayed me further.  It's one of the times where you reach that point that all you can do is laugh because the entire situation is so incredulous as it's one thing after another.  

[Deleted]

When the lady was going through my purse in Montego Bay, it was a large purse and she was very meticulous, so it took a minute. Meanwhile, people were going by me to get to the other agents and it was a narrow space, so they kept bumping into me. She started raising her voice at me, telling me to pay attention. Lady, it's kind of hard to ignore all these people brushing up against me and whacking me in my back. I'd rather not get knocked over while you're busy breathing your germs on my medicine.

[tskeeter]

We fly a half dozen or more times a year.  I don't ever remember a TSA employee being anything but courteous and helpful.  Even when they've been patting me down.

That said, I can imagine that there are TSA employees who are officious jerks who are so insecure that they need a badge to give them some authority.

Is the TSA effective?  Well, I've had some questions. myself, about just how effective the baggage and passenger screening that the TSA does really is.  I came to the conclusion that the primary value of the TSA is the deterent effect.  It isn't whether or not they find every item that should not be in a carry on bag.  It's that they might find that item being carried by someone with malicious intent.  It's kind of like the French soldiers carrying automatic weapons on the mall at the Eiffel Tower several years ago.  I don't know if the guns were loaded.  Or if the soldiers even had bullets.  But it probably discouraged some folks who might have considered terroristic activities.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Yes.

I flew from LEX/CVG/SDF to SEA at least a dozen times with a fairly large Swiss army knife at the bottom of my purse.  It was actually caught in LEX and they allowed me to stick it in an envelope and send it home (I had time to go back through security to deal with this).

I ALWAYS get patted down, and have since I got my first hip.  If there is not a scanner, I normally tell the TSA agent a couple people before I need to go through that I'll set it off so that I could get a female assist.  I had one TSA agent in Seattle not accept the wanding and pat down that I received and demanded that I take off my belt (I wasn't wearing one).  When I told him this, he had me pull up my shirt and roll down my waistband to show that there was nothing there.

My best trip through TSA was when I was flying back with Gizzy.  His carrier had to go through the xray machine, and I had to carry him though in my arms.  Of course, I set off alarms.  The cat got patted down too before they moved to me!  It got kind of interesting in that they would not let me touch his carrier until they had screened me, but they couldn't screen me until they gave me the carrier to return the cat to safely.

Flying through CVG, my backpack (I was only traveling with this) got pulled out and searched.  I had included some personal 'toys' in my backpack.  Boy did the TSA's agent turn red when he finally got to them!  He finished up quickly and threw it back at me.  I was perverse enough that I took my time putting everything back in its place - including the copy of the Kama Sutra that was in there!

[Deleted]

Sept 11, 2015 11:14:54 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Who the hell puts their jewelry in a packed bag anyway?

Lol, I'm sure she learned her lesson. It's still kind of creepy realizing some unknown person has gone through your personal items when you weren't around, even if you don't notice anything missing.

[zibazinski]

I know. It gives me the creeps about them rifling thru my underwear.

[swamp]

I've had them freak out about minor things.

I had an old half filled bottle of Gatorade in a duffle bag. I honestly didn't know it was there. The TSA guy found it and flipped out. Started yelling at me about luwuids weren't allowed etc. I told him I knew that and said he could throw it out it was a mistake. He kept telling me it wasn't allowed. I kept telling him to throw it out. It was one of the most bizarre conversations of my life.

Another time a travel package of baby wipes in my backpack scanned as explosives. That was interesting.

[HoneyBBQ]

TSA is generally worthless, they are too busy paying attention to your toothpaste and sneakers instead of bombs and actual weapons.

I've gotten into it with them many times particularly when traveling with breast milk, especially without the baby. Our culture makes it virtually an admonishable act of sin to be breastfeeding and pumping when away from your child. I ended up printing out the rules each time I traveled while pumping so I can hand them to some nitwit neanderthal each time I passed through security and they started arguing with me that I couldn't take liquids on a plane.

I've also fought with them about the stupid liquids rules - some airports want them out of your bag and separate. Some want them in. Some have told me that I can't bring an empty water bottle on the plane. Rules are inconsistent and inconsistently applied. 

I have TSA precheck now and life is better though sometimes they don't have the "tsa precheck" line open, then I have to argue that I STILL don't have to take off my shoes or jacket, that *I* am TSA prechecked and it doesn't matter if they have a line open or not.

Anyways. It's not fun to travel. 

[HoneyBBQ]

Sept 11, 2015 12:20:14 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I know. It gives me the creeps about them rifling thru my underwear.

I put my dirtiest, nastiest pair right on top.

Go ahead! Dig! I dare you!

[zibazinski]

[The Captain]

Sept 11, 2015 12:27:20 GMT -5 swamp said:

I've had them freak out about minor things.

I had an old half filled bottle of Gatorade in a duffle bag. I honestly didn't know it was there. The TSA guy found it and flipped out. Started yelling at me about luwuids weren't allowed etc. I told him I knew that and said he could throw it out it was a mistake. He kept telling me it wasn't allowed. I kept telling him to throw it out. It was one of the most bizarre conversations of my life.

Another time a travel package of baby wipes in my backpack scanned as explosives. That was interesting.

OMG - that just reminded me of the time two summers ago when I flew to KY to visit my sissy.

My BIL loves a locally produced dry cured Italian sausage.  So I packed a few in my carryon bag as a treat for him.

They ran my bag through the scanner twice before asking me to open it for inspection.  I don't know what they thought those sausages were, but I guarantee you it's not what they were expecting.

[Sam_2.0]

I went to India right after 9/11. Nothing like standing in an airport in a foreign country with a dude pointing a large gun at you while another person thoroughly gropes you.

[Artemis Windsong]

I had something come from my past once.  I had slipped by a man being wanded.  I figured I wasn't the issue and was being pressed to get to my gate.

In a conversation elsewhere, years later, I got, you slipped by security doing a wand search.  Rut Roh.  I had to go through a back ground search for that particular event.

[Deleted]

Let's just say that the screeners at the Frankfurt airport are very hands on and very thorough.  They will make you raise your shirt in public if you are wearing an underwire bra to prove it's an underwire bra and not, I guess, detonator wiring.  I trust those screeners a lot more than our TSA to get it right and not be azzhats.  And French hook earrings apparently look like something dangerous whether in your carryon or checked bags.  Just don't take French hook earrings when you travel, believe me.

[zibazinski]

I wish we'd learn how to handle these issues like Israel does.

[sesfw]

Our trip to Europe in June I was pulled out of line.

My hand was still wet from washing in the restroom.

The x-ray showed my ostomy and the stent from kidney to bladder.  I was in hospital a few days before with a kidney stone attack.

I'm 74, 5'0", and if too many hassles I would have unzipped my pants and showed off the ostomy.  I'm to the point in my life where ............ 'oh darn'

I will say the TSA lady that pulled me over was very nice about it.

[cktc]

Sept 11, 2015 17:00:01 GMT -5 @donethat said:

Let's just say that the screeners at the Frankfurt airport are very hands on and very thorough.  They will make you raise your shirt in public if you are wearing an underwire bra to prove it's an underwire bra and not, I guess, detonator wiring.  I trust those screeners a lot more than our TSA to get it right and not be azzhats.  And French hook earrings apparently look like something dangerous whether in your carryon or checked bags.  Just don't take French hook earrings when you travel, believe me.

They detained me in Frankfurt for a good 5-10 minutes to search my bag 5 times. They were dead set that I was trying to smuggle a nail clipper. I didn't even know those were prohibited, but it didn't matter because I didn't have one. When they finally decided to clear me because my flight was boarding, my friend, who had cleared in front of me, confessed that she had one in her bag.

[bobosensei]

Sept 11, 2015 17:00:01 GMT -5 @donethat said:

Let's just say that the screeners at the Frankfurt airport are very hands on and very thorough.  They will make you raise your shirt in public if you are wearing an underwire bra to prove it's an underwire bra and not, I guess, detonator wiring.  I trust those screeners a lot more than our TSA to get it right and not be azzhats.  And French hook earrings apparently look like something dangerous whether in your carryon or checked bags.  Just don't take French hook earrings when you travel, believe me.

I've flown in and out of Frankfurt about 20 times in the last 6 years and have never had that type interaction.  Any time I am in the states I set off the metal detectors, I believe because of the underwire in my bras.  I seem to only set off the metal detectors in Germany about a third of the time, and I've never had more than a pat down.  But they do usually touch your boobs because they trace the underwire the whole way around, and I'm ticklish so I always laugh.  Twice I have been taken to a separate room in Frankfurt due to my kindle.  Both times they wiped it for explosives.  That's never happened anywhere else though.

[Deleted]

And then there was the time in Paris where the agent made son leave his good carabineers because they could be used as 'brass knuckle' type enhancements. Like someone said. Its the deterant factor more than anything. Randomness is actually more effective in many cases than total compliance... because total compliance means you can come up with a way around the steadfast rules... whereas if you never know when or where or if, you really can't plan against it.

And you can check weapons most places no problem. Just can't take them in the cabin.

I was going to try to find the 'stupid teen' thread, but maybe I'll just post this here. (I was going to post there because we've been studying hindsight bias here lately and wondering how much of 'common sense' really is some kind of innate sense, and how much is actually learned and so a gap in 'intelligence' really is just a gap in knowledge, not 'common sense'... but I digress)

We watched United 93 yesterday and my kiddos who lack many pre 9/11 memories were like, wait... how did they get those things on a plane? ... and were astonished when I detailed pre-boarding practices which did not require the steps they have taken all of their lives. They were incredulous when I tried to explain that people were struggling with the idea that a plane might be used as a weapon itself, as they just assumed hijackers would ask for ransom and not fly the plane into a building if given a chance.... in their world, those people lacked a lot of 'common sense'...

[8 Bit WWBG]

Someone told me he would have NEVER thought of using a caribiner as brass knuckles until the TSA agent confiscated his and told him why!  I do like looking at the blog of things the TSA has confiscated.

blog.tsa.gov/2015/01/tsa-2014-year-in-review.html

Apparently you can ever purchase some of the stuff that gets confiscated?

ETA: when I glanced over the thread list, I thought this said "MICE on a plane" and was bracing myself for a sort of S.O.A.P. type story.

[toomuchreality]

I agree. It's the deterrent factor. Everything else is a bonus (so to speak).

Pre 9/11  I flew to Mexico with a large can of mace (not pepper spray) attached to my keychain. I had carried it on my keys for so long, I didn't think of it, or notice it, to take it off and leave it home. I was able to board the flight back in to the USA, no problem. However, in LAX we had to change flights and security there stopped me. I apologized profusely, explaining that I didn't know and that no one else had said a thing, on all my previous flights. He didn't care.  I was pretty young and had never flown before, so I was scared. I was officially detained, while he called the police / sheriff. I was totally mortified! I told them they could keep the mace. I just wanted to go home. I was going to miss my connecting flight, which would leave me at a complete loss, as to how to get home, because my DH2 was clearly not concerned about me and my situation. He just kept on walking. Didn't even turn and look back until he heard his name called about 6 times. Even then, he just turned around. I told him they were detaining me, to which he replied "Hey, I've got a plane to catch!" Then he turned and walked away. I was stunned. So was the officer that had arrived and the TSA agent. The officer asked if it really was okay for them to keep the mace, because if it was, he'd let me go. I said yes. Thank you! They called the flight, so I could board. I ran all the way to the gate.
So stressful!
It was mid-February at the time. I left Mexico in shorts and a summer top, 85-90ºF. Arrived home to a blizzard, 17ºF. Still in shorts and a summer top. (A bit chilly!)

[steph08]

Sept 16, 2015 6:57:42 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

I agree. It's the deterrent factor. Everything else is a bonus (so to speak).

Pre 9/11  I flew to Mexico with a large can of mace (not pepper spray) attached to my keychain. I had carried it on my keys for so long, I didn't think of it, or notice it, to take it off and leave it home. I was able to board the flight back in to the USA, no problem. However, in LAX we had to change flights and security there stopped me. I apologized profusely, explaining that I didn't know and that no one else had said a thing, on all my previous flights. He didn't care.  I was pretty young and had never flown before, so I was scared. I was officially detained, while he called the police / sheriff. I was totally mortified! I told them they could keep the mace. I just wanted to go home. I was going to miss my connecting flight, which would leave me at a complete loss, as to how to get home, because my DH2 was clearly not concerned about me and my situation. He just kept on walking. Didn't even turn and look back until he heard his name called about 6 times. Even then, he just turned around. I told him they were detaining me, to which he replied "Hey, I've got a plane to catch!" Then he turned and walked away. I was stunned. So was the officer that had arrived and the TSA agent. The officer asked if it really was okay for them to keep the mace, because if it was, he'd let me go. I said yes. Thank you! They called the flight, so I could board. I ran all the way to the gate.
So stressful!
It was mid-February at the time. I left Mexico in shorts and a summer top, 85-90ºF. Arrived home to a blizzard, 17ºF. Still in shorts and a summer top. (A bit chilly!)

Please tell me you divorced DH2 after this!!


I flew to and from Heathrow in 2005, right after the Underground bombing incident, and I had pepper spray in my luggage both times.

[toomuchreality]

Sept 16, 2015 9:16:18 GMT -5 steph08 said:

Sept 16, 2015 6:57:42 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

I agree. It's the deterrent factor. Everything else is a bonus (so to speak).

Pre 9/11  I flew to Mexico with a large can of mace (not pepper spray) attached to my keychain. I had carried it on my keys for so long, I didn't think of it, or notice it, to take it off and leave it home. I was able to board the flight back in to the USA, no problem. However, in LAX we had to change flights and security there stopped me. I apologized profusely, explaining that I didn't know and that no one else had said a thing, on all my previous flights. He didn't care.  I was pretty young and had never flown before, so I was scared. I was officially detained, while he called the police / sheriff. I was totally mortified! I told them they could keep the mace. I just wanted to go home. I was going to miss my connecting flight, which would leave me at a complete loss, as to how to get home, because my DH2 was clearly not concerned about me and my situation. He just kept on walking. Didn't even turn and look back until he heard his name called about 6 times. Even then, he just turned around. I told him they were detaining me, to which he replied "Hey, I've got a plane to catch!" Then he turned and walked away. I was stunned. So was the officer that had arrived and the TSA agent. The officer asked if it really was okay for them to keep the mace, because if it was, he'd let me go. I said yes. Thank you! They called the flight, so I could board. I ran all the way to the gate.
So stressful!
It was mid-February at the time. I left Mexico in shorts and a summer top, 85-90ºF. Arrived home to a blizzard, 17ºF. Still in shorts and a summer top. (A bit chilly!)

Please tell me you divorced DH2 after this!!


I flew to and from Heathrow in 2005, right after the Underground bombing incident, and I had pepper spray in my luggage both times.

Yes, indeed!  It took awhile, but he's long gone.     (thanks!)

[mamasita99]

I've had the worst encounter with TSA.

I was traveling with my then gf to Italy, and I hear this creepy voice from the podium at the security check point, "Well, look who's here!" It was some creepy old boyfriend of mine from like 15 years before. He looked super greasy and old. I quickly moved to the other line so he couldn't memorize the info from my identification! DW still brings the encounter up, even mimicking his voice, "You haven't changed a bit!".