Easing your way through security

[DJ Jackalope]

Re: Easing your way through security

No matter how bastardly the TSA agents might be, if you look frightened and cold, they won't give you much hassle.

I would look fightened and cold if i was a green blob with one eye and 2 antennas in a t-shirt in the TSA line, too.

[beakmyn]

Re: Easing your way through security

Selective Screening? I got the four SSSS and they completely missed it and sent me in the regular line!

[converge]

Re: Easing your way through security

'mormon terrorist forces passengers to be happy and love others'

Its gotten easier for me over the years. I bring a lot of tech but have it operational and readily available. Step one: check it. Step two: minimize. Step three: get everything off your person before the conveyor. Step four: bag down, laptops in bins, shoes and belt in bins, walk through with nothing but the cloth that keeps you decent, ID, and boarding pass. Step five: walk away.

Its laughed about, but the only times I've been bothered have been wearing my 2600 shirt, carrying a large cylindrical case of AAs intermixed with a/c warts, or homemade fruit rollups to snack on.. Dried applesauce apparently really pissed tsa off.

First and foremost, smile and show some patience waiting in lines.. Working tsa is not a fun job. Make their job easier and your experience is more likely to improve

[Z^2]

Re: Easing your way through security

I would look fightened and cold if i was a green blob with one eye and 2 antennas in a t-shirt in the TSA line, too.

That was amazing.
I think I'm going to have to walk through TSA now with more blob-like and antenna attributes to see how they like headgear or not...I'll let you know how it goes.

[DaKahuna]

Re: Easing your way through security

What works best for me is the combination of a Military ID Card and a ball cap from one of the ships that I served on.

[xor]

Re: Easing your way through security

Instead of a .gov shirt or something, I try to put on some geeky science shirt, or be carrying a quantum mechanics book if I think it'll be particularly annoying that day.

Remember Men in Black. The kid with the Quantum Mechanics book was the real threat. :-).

xor

[xor]

Re: Easing your way through security

Its laughed about, but the only times I've been bothered have been wearing my 2600 shirt, carrying a large cylindrical case of AAs intermixed with a/c warts, or homemade fruit rollups to snack on.. Dried applesauce apparently really pissed tsa off.

Sounds like an explosive combination to me. :-)

xor

[Gadsden]

Re: Easing your way through security

Na.. I'm sure he/she rather keep that one non-public.
And for the record, he/she made no false claims or misrepresentations about said logo t-shirt...

I have a friend who has a story about a logo t-shirt and a conversation with a travel agent and getting onto a plane. I'll let him tell it if he wants!

[Ridirich]

Re: Easing your way through security

.gov shirts aren't the only things that work. .mil ones as well as civvy service shirts work.

An example is, I used to pass from US to Canada and back all the time on foot at Niagra Falls, since I lived in PA and have family in NY.

I wore my EMS sweater one day, big 'star of life' logo on the front with my name, US flag patch on my one arm, EMS certification patch on my other arm. If you've been around fire-houses then you know the look. Anyway, not only did the marines not check me, but they didn't bother asking for ID and actually saluted me for some reason. I still don't quite get the salute part, but I am sure being a medic post-9/11 probably warranted me some respect.

[astcell]

Re: Easing your way through security

I still get the touchie-feely pat down even if in full uniform. The troglodytes that go through the search motions are not paid to think.

My favorite travel moment was wearing the "Hacker" shirt in Japanese. After I passed the x-ray and scanners the TSA dolt wanted to know what it said. I so wanted to say "Hijacker." I mean, now I can write secret code on my shirt. For all he knows I am wearing plans to a missile.

Wait a minute -- remember the perl code from DC8 that is considered a munition and is not exportable? Did anyone put that on a t-shirt?

[barry99705]

Re: Easing your way through security

Go through with a photo id, your tickets, and wearing only a burlap sack.