Top ten ways to
avoid delays during passenger screening
Want to
minimize delays and frustration when being screened for your
flight? Take a few minutes to think about what you are bringing
in your carryon bags and on your person. A few minutes of
forethought can save you and your fellow passengers a great deal
of time and stress.
I have
listed below, in approximate order of frequency, how to avoid
the most common causes of delays during passenger screening.
Refer to the sections indicated for more details.
1.
Take all liquids, gels and aerosols out of carryon bags
Far and
away, the most frequent reason for delays are bag checks due to
liquids, gels and/or aerosols left inside carryon bags. Please
see the sections on carryon screening or check the TSA website
for details. All
liquids, gels and/or aerosols – regardless of what size they are
– must be removed from your bags and placed in one of the white
dishes or gray bins. This includes liquid medicines and other
medically necessary liquids and gels as well as baby supplies
such as formula, jars of baby food and creams.
Divesting of your
carryon bags
2.
Remove large electronic items from your bags
The second
most frequent cause of delays is large electronic devices left
in carryon bags. Laptops, dvd players, CPAP machines and
full-size game consoles must be removed from carryon bags and
placed in a gray bin with nothing above or below the electronic
device. If you have a “TSA-approved” laptop bag you are probably
experienced enough to know how to put it through the x-ray
machine. But if you have any questions, just ask a TSO.
Divesting of your
carryon bags
Laptops
and other large electronic devices
3.
Make sure your pockets are empty and remove your belt
The full
body scanner is now the primary method for screening of the
person at Dulles International Airport. Full body scanners
detect anything in a passenger’s pockets, whether they are
metallic or not. Belts also cause blips (anomalies) on the
scanner image so they must be removed.
4.
Most sharp and/or pointed objects are not allowed in carryon
bags.
Pocket
knives, even the little Swiss army knives are not allowed in
carryon bags. Anything with a blade is also not allowed,
including cork screws with an attached blade, multi-tools with a
blade as one of the implements and kitchen appliances, such as
blenders that have removable blades. We see blenders fairly
frequently. People bring them as gifts, especially when
traveling internationally. It is always sad to have to inform a
passenger that they either have to give up the blade to their
blender or take it back and check it with the airline. Put items
with blades in checked luggage.
For
whatever reason, the TSA does allow scissors are as long as they
are 4 inches or less measured from the point at which the blades
cross. Knitting needles are OK too.
5.
Food items considered gels, including yogurt, apple sauce,
pudding, Jello, sauces, jelly and peanut butter are prohibited
in amounts exceeding 3.4 oz or 100 ml
Gelatinous
or pasty food items are subject to the same rules as liquids,
gels and aerosols.
6.
Jackets, scarves, sweaters, vests should be removed and sent
through the x-ray
You may
want to ensure that you are wearing something appropriate
underneath.
7.
Secure your smaller, lighter items
There are heavy,
leaded curtains at the entrance and exit of the x-ray enclosure.
Passengers will sometimes pile boarding passes, sunglasses,
belts, cell phones, watches, etc. on top of their jackets or
other clothing in a gray bin. The curtains knock things off the
clothing and items can become separated, end up on the x-ray
belt, and sometimes fall through the crevices between the belts
and rollers. We almost always find items that get knocked out of
bins – if the passenger realizes they are missing – but you can
save time and anxiety by putting loose items in the bottom of
the gray bins, underneath clothing, purses and larger items.
8.
Golf clubs, hockey sticks, ski poles, lacrosse sticks and
baseball bats cannot be carried on the plane
They are
OK in checked luggage. Tennis, squash and racquetball racquets
can be carried on the plane.
9.
Replicas of firearms or explosives, including toys, are not
allowed in carryon bags.
Occasionally
a passenger will have a toy gun intended to be a gift. It
doesn’t happen very often but it is disappointing for the
passenger to have to abandon the item or take it back to check
it with the airline.
10.
Take your things and go
If the
belt taking items into the x-ray enclosure is not moving, there
are usually two reasons why: Either there is a bag check or
there is no more room for bags on the belt on other side of the
x-ray enclosure (the x-ray operator is waiting for the “belt to
clear”). After you exit the scanner or metal detector, the most
considerate thing to do is to take your things to the seats and
tables outside the glass doors and repack/dress there.
Disclaimer: This material was written by a private citizen
hoping to be helpful, not as a representative of the federal
government, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority or of
the Transportation Security Administration. Any opinions
expressed as well as any inaccuracies are solely the author’s.
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