[kb2wji]

I've flown all over the place (domestic) with a checked pistol - as long as you fill out the orange card nobody seems to care. Except at JFK - they get butt hurt but it's usually only a brief annoyance. Been randomly selected for a more thorough search a few times but nothing out of the ordinary.
Be easy on the TSA folks - they probably don't like their job any more than you like their jobs. I think they actually do a pretty good job for what they get paid. Never had any issues with them - don't be a dick, flash a quick smile and they won't put a flashlight up your backside.

[tdott]

When I was living in Toronto, I got stopped in Montreal on the way back from Belgium, customs pulled me over and wanted to search my work laptop. I didn't care, it was a work laptop, but how long it took got annoying. The guy sat there for over 1 hour watching the progress bar move slowly like some sort of antivirus scan. Made me miss my connecting flight. Told him I had a work colleague waiting for me, he didn't care nor would he let me call them.

I asked for a letter to provide my employer saying I was checked and as a result missed my connecting flight, which will make me miss my pre-arranged car pool taxi from the airport as there will be additional expenses I would have to claim. I didn't really need it as work would believe me, but I wanted to see what he said. He just gave me some random pamphlet saying they can basically do what they want.

I assume they were looking for kiddie porn or some crap, all they got to see were work files.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by tdott

When I was living in Toronto, I got stopped in Montreal on the way back from Belgium, customs pulled me over and wanted to search my work laptop. I didn't care, it was a work laptop, but how long it took got annoying. The guy sat there for over 1 hour watching the progress bar move slowly like some sort of antivirus scan. Made me miss my connecting flight. Told him I had a work colleague waiting for me, he didn't care nor would he let me call them.

I asked for a letter to provide my employer saying I was checked and as a result missed my connecting flight, which will make me miss my pre-arranged car pool taxi from the airport as there will be additional expenses I would have to claim. I didn't really need it as work would believe me, but I wanted to see what he said. He just gave me some random pamphlet saying they can basically do what they want.

I assume they were looking for kiddie porn or some crap, all they got to see were work files.

My question is do you look like someone that may be storing kiddie porn on your laptop?

[ramman434]

I've only been randomly selected a handful of times, and nothing memorable. Just an odd shape of how my bag was packed, etc.

The one time I do remember, I had just driven back across the TX/Mexico border from a Church Mission Trip when I was 13. Had no issues with border patrol, got to the airport, went through security there, no issue. This is one of my 1st times ever flying. Caught my connecting flight, where we had to change terminals and go through security again.
I get pulled aside out of the 60+ kids & fortunately my dad is with me. Something in my backpack had set off their scanner, but none of the others before. I had bought a marble elephant, that was roughly 3lb., in Mexico for my mom. The lady in the market had wrapped it in newspaper for safe-keeping. Apparently their scanners at the time (circa 2002) couldn't see through newspaper, hence me getting pulled outta line. So that was fun for a young teenager, thinking I was screwed.

[UncleWede]

I remember returnig from a Mexican Riviera cruise. My nephew was BIG into Thomas the Train.

"Son, what's your name?"
"Thomas"
"That's not what this passport says"

15 minutes later and the rest of us are STILL waiting on the dock for Thomas and his parents

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

I remember returnig from a Mexican Riviera cruise. My nephew was BIG into Thomas the Train.

"Son, what's your name?"
"Thomas"
"That's not what this passport says"

15 minutes later and the rest of us are STILL waiting on the dock for Thomas and his parents

Maybe if your nephew would have said his name is Tomás he wouldn't have had any trouble

[ky0u]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Yep. This badge makes them feel like they rule the f'n world. A lot of them are a bunch of lazy clowns in a bad mood. I'd probably be in a bad mood too if that was my job though. I've seen countless incidents with moronic passengers not knowing what the fuck they're doing so I cut them a bit of slack once in a while.

Fucking hate TSA. Biggest group of power tripping ass clowns I've ever encountered with 0 sense of accountability. Ever have anything "lost" (read: stolen) or damaged? Consider it a total loss. Trying to get a hold of any supervisor is nearly impossible. And if you manage to luck out and get in touch with one, they just drag their feet before getting back to you with some half baked excuse about why it's not their problem.

[dtox9]

Not long after I first started traveling with my CCW, I was involved in a "misunderstanding" at the ticket counter where I verbally declared my firearm with the agent, which she later claimed not to have heard me, thus did not give me any paperwork for my checked bag.

Yep - you guessed it - - Got flagged by TSA over the airport's speakers to "Please pick up the courtesy phone"...

Got back to the front ticket counter to be met by the airport police... taken to TSA "behind the curtain" where my bag was open, and all my stuff rifled through... with my pistol case sitting beside my luggage, and them asking me for multiple articles of ID, and please open the case.

Long story short, we all agreed (with the help of the airport officer thankfully) that I did actually try to declare, and had all my "stuff" properly packaged down to the detail per the TSA regulations.......... it was just my dumb ass for not knowing enough detail about the signature card and thinking - 'boy, that was easier than i thought' getting through ticketing and then through the airport. Live and Learn.

The cop was cool... the TSA agent went through every centimeter of my bag and drilled me with 20-questions about my gear and intentions just trying to find a reason to shut me down................. (sigh)..........

About two weeks from two years to the date later... I get a letter in the mail from Homeland Security trying to assess a penalty fine for not declaring my contents with the airline. Thank God I still had that cop's card in my wallet with the case number he'd given me should just such a future incident present itself. That officer's report cleared me twice!

[tdott]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

My question is do you look like someone that may be storing kiddie porn on your laptop?

What does that look like?
Like an old Catholic minister?

No at least I don't think so, early 30s. Mixed Chinese/Indian background.

[Fly320s]

I have zero respect for the TSA. I see them every day I go to work and it is obvious that the TSA is hiring from the bottom of the applicant pool.

No, I don't get stopped by the TSA. Maybe because I know the system or maybe because I am part of the system.

[No one]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Having status definitely pays dividends when traveling. Ever since I got TSA Pre-check and CLEAR I never have issues. ... Getting Global Entry for international travel is nice as well.

Double standards reveal the true purpose: they cause "issues" to promote the crap they sell.

Originally Posted by mxchris727

I was actually stopped at the gate along with a few others and had to undress right there into my underwear! It was pretty uncomfortable, but at least I got to board first.

You must have been lucky to have the underwear on, not be smuggling it and probably not having it branded: they could query it's authenticity or just want it for their wives. Seriously, they just explore your wish to escape instead of to stay to fuck them (especially when you are a foreigner): that outrage must have been illegal.

Random selection for a thorough search as well as opening luggage in the absence of the owner is complete bullshit! Hurting the innocent to scare the guilty makes no point. Digging belongings without the owner is a violation of trust, an apparent theft facility.

Originally Posted by Sara504

I had 9mm ammunition in my purse. Completely forgot to take it out, just a few hollow points, not a case load or anything.

It's weaklings/losers who need guns to fire those bullets:

.

Originally Posted by Sara504

Thankfully I had less than 10 bullets in my purse. The agent advised that if I had 10 or more I would have been detained.....so you can have 9 but not 10....

Being a muff (to need them in excess for the purpose) should be a crime.

Originally Posted by tdott

customs pulled me over and wanted to search my work laptop. I didn't care, it was a work laptop, but how long it took got annoying. The guy sat there for over 1 hour watching the progress bar move slowly like some sort of antivirus scan.

This is how they steal your "sensitive" information. You should have it encrypted.

Originally Posted by tdott

I asked for a letter to provide my employer saying I was checked and as a result missed my connecting flight, which will make me miss my pre-arranged car pool taxi from the airport as there will be additional expenses I would have to claim. I didn't really need it as work would believe me, but I wanted to see what he said. He just gave me some random pamphlet saying they can basically do what they want.

Fucking themselves is none of your business. Your device's contents is none of theirs. It looks extremely unlikely they can dismiss your legal rights (privacy, damage reimbursement claim) with a pamphlet. Not knowing (or just ignoring) their limits doesn't dismiss those. In your home country you can file a complaint and they must cause no obstacle to that. You can use this to keep them at bay (just "in theory" or in practice - depends on the country, of course).

Originally Posted by tdott

I assume they were looking for kiddie porn or some crap, all they got to see were work files.

They should surf the Web for that. The crap they are looking for must be cryptocurrency. Work files can be of some value sometimes too.

[PINeely]

My brother got us stopped when he was little because he was trying to bring his rock garden with him. The guy pulls a sandwich bag full of blue sand out of his carry-on and freaks out. Line shut down immediately and all sorts of chemical tests are done before they determine it was in fact just sand. They took my clothes and shoes and put them in this microwave-looking thing to test for explosives. They also made him throw the sand away which he was more than happy to do by that point.

My fiancée has gotten us stopped multiple times because she carries a wine key in her purse. I've gotten thru with pocket knives before, and I almost always check a firearm. Never had an issue.

[3.0L]

Two drunks are sitting on the curb in front of their favorite bar.

Drunk #1: "Hey man, you ever been picked up by the fuzz?"

Drunk #2: "Yeah."

Drunk #1: "Man, I'll bet that really hurt!"

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

Two drunks are sitting on the curb in front of their favorite bar.

Drunk #1: "Hey man, you ever been picked up by the fuzz?"

Drunk #2: "Yeah."

Drunk #1: "Man, I'll bet that really hurt!"

This should be in the "You know you're old when..." thread.

[Germanauto]

I use Gold Bond body powder...don't ask why. But every single time TSA stops me and drug tests it. Once they had a false-positive and brought some federal drug agent to check it out. It's so damn annoying and adds unnecessary stress.

[MKSixer]

My father was traveling internationally for a state department project designed to raise the minimal education levels in a couple of 3rd world countries. Each time he returned home, the TSA would take him into the back for the nearly full treatment out of his traveling team of 10 or so university professors. At that point my dad was still 6-2 and a powerful figure of a man who, while kind, doesn't suffer fools. The third time this occurs with the same Keystone Kops within the same 6 month period, he loudly opines while he is being rousted to the back, "While you are hassling me to see if I'm carrying contraband, I'm fairly certain 10 drug smugglers have successfully penetrated your, "security". And yes...he used air quotes. The entire area laughed hysterically and made derisive comments about the TSA.

They never stopped him again. Idiots.

Pre-TSA but customs, "security", nonetheless. I got stopped when returning from Spain as a young man with my new collection of daggers and scimitars. They were all confiscated and I'm certain they are adorning the walls of some security guard as I type this.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Having status definitely pays dividends when traveling. Ever since I got TSA Pre-check and CLEAR I never have issues. I know better than to try and bring beverages though because they'll give you that "WTF do you think you're doing?" look for sure.

Getting Global Entry for international travel is nice as well. You have to go through serious background checks to get it though. I have a buddy who can't get it because he has a shoplifting incident on his record when he was a teen, or so that is what he told me is the reason he can't obtain GE. That is outrageous and I'm skeptical about that being the only reason.

I hate the idea of paying for these “services” which really undermine the idea of security anyway since they are so easy to get.

Most of my flying was before 9-11 so I’ve never really liked or appreciated the TSA approach, which I think benefits the airlines (which never liked holding planes for late passengers, for example) but doesn’t do much for security. If it did, we’d use it for busses and trains, too.

So many aspects of air travel have deteriorated over the decades that my driving radius has increased substantially - from about 2 hours to 9-10. Now that I’m retired, it is possible my only air travel will be emergency (funeral) and overseas vacations. Its not just TSA, but also legroom, crap food, narrow seats, dirty planes, lack of seating in the gate area, all the wasted waiting time, etc.

[jamesinaz]

Mine was pretty tame compared to some stories here. I was stopped for secondary screening and they ran a swab over my carry on bag and BINGO - tests positive for explosives.

I'm kinda wondering exactly what they are testing for and it hits me. I store my luggage in a small room in the garage - where I reload ammo. Guess the minute particles of power made their way onto my carry on. They seemed satisfied with my explanation and off I went.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

I hate the idea of paying for these “services” which really undermine the idea of security anyway since they are so easy to get.

Most of my flying was before 9-11 so I’ve never really liked or appreciated the TSA approach, which I think benefits the airlines (which never liked holding planes for late passengers, for example) but doesn’t do much for security. If it did, we’d use it for busses and trains, too.

So many aspects of air travel have deteriorated over the decades that my driving radius has increased substantially - from about 2 hours to 9-10. Now that I’m retired, it is possible my only air travel will be emergency (funeral) and overseas vacations. Its not just TSA, but also legroom, crap food, narrow seats, dirty planes, lack of seating in the gate area, all the wasted waiting time, etc.

I agree with you although I don't mind flying, meaning the actual in-the-air part. It's the process of getting on the plane that I could do without. I'm one of those guys that is almost always "randomly selected" for additional screening, easily 90% of the time. Once I'm on the plane and we start pushing back from the gate I'm good. That being said I still prefer to drive reasonable distances rather than fly. I routinely drive from Halifax to Toronto for concerts and to visit friends. It's about 1800km one way and I've done it in just under 15hrs. Most people would not consider that a reasonable distance but it really depends on how much you enjoy driving. I've decided that's about my limit though. I've driven from Halifax to Edmonton with a friend non-stop once and from Fort Lauderdale to Halifax non-stop alone once. I wouldn't want to do either of those trips again.

[dtox9]

Originally Posted by jamesinaz

I'm kinda wondering exactly what they are testing for and it hits me. I store my luggage in a small room in the garage - where I reload ammo. Guess the minute particles of power made their way onto my carry on. They seemed satisfied with my explanation and off I went.

It certainly doesn't take much to get their attention....

I used to travel more than I do these days... and I used to shoot in a league / once a week twice a year for 10 weeks each.

Apparently I wore my elephant skin boots most often at the league I'm guessing.... about 3/4 of the time I wore those boots traveling, I had them pulled aside and swabbed before I could get through TSA checkpoint... After the 3rd or 4th stop - I asked the attendant... what exactly they are checking for - - was told "explosive residue".

It's the only thing I ever came up with as none of my other footwear ever raised an eyebrow, but those boots sure did almost every time.

[ky0u]

I have had my bag searched twice.

Once for having a Playstation in my backpack, and once when I checked it in. Not suer why on this one as there was just clothes in the bag that time. But they pretty much took out and unfolded everything in my bag then chucked it all back in balled up. Oh and stole my sunglasses which my gf had just given me at the time then tried to blame it on the airline

But, twice I have accidentally gotten on the plane with a knife I forgot was in my carry on. Which goes to show perfectly how effective that dumpster fire of a department is

[spazzyfry123]

I have a medical implant that, through X-ray, looks like I've got a bomb implanted in my body. The wires, the battery, the circuit boards... I always have my medical implant card that I hand the security guys before stepping in and receive no flack.

BUT, flying through Charles de Gaulle, apparently the French translation on my card didn't come across. Now I can read French, speak very little, and understand even less. This is a layover for a business trip with me being the last of the four colleagues that go through security. Two very serious French guys in suits, as far as I can tell, repelled out of the ceiling and scooped me up without even knowing what was happening and no opportunity to flag down the only people I know in the country. Taken to the back office with stern French from the offense, and very, very broken French from the defense.

To this day, I still do not know what happened. Without any implied apology or explanation, I was just ushered back out into the lines of people without any guidance and the suits disappeared. It was as if I dreamed the whole thing. Luckily my layover was a few hours and the airport isn't that large for me to find my colleagues for a much needed drink at 7:00am local time.