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Comments (8)
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"Cute top, but not airport friendly," the TSA agent said as she searched me for weapons. Apparently, the metallicized thread in the sweater yarn was making the scanner go crazy.
That got me thinking about all the other ways a festive holiday sweater could cause a travel delay: jingle bells dangling from Rudolph's harness, tiny metal ornaments, and the worst offender of all—battery-powered mini-lights strung on an intarsia Christmas tree.
Okay, so probably no savvy Budget Travel reader would be silly enough to try to fly in a battery-powered sweater, but gold threads? An easy mistake to make—and lucky for you, reader, one that I've made for you.
Have you ever been singled out for a similarly silly-seeming reason? What are the most surprising things you've been pulled aside for by the TSA?
SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL:
8 Most Common Air Travel Snafus
Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2012
8 Items You Never Pack...But Should
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The silliest thing I've ever been singled out for? Has to be the time I went thru the line at CMH & while I & my carryon went thru ok, my Crocs were taken for "secondary inspection"..WTF? They are molded, one piece shoes! I did get them back, but WTF?
This by the way, was the same trip that it wasn't until I was on the plane that I realized I hadn't taken out my bag of 3oz liquids for them to inspect & not a word was said to me by the agent!
Posted By Caitlin on November 23, 2011, 9:22 AM
They do random screening and shoes are one of them. The liquids are easy to spot if they are over three 3.4 ozs so they made a judgement call so you didn't get a baggage search but take them out in case your xray operator can't make the call.
Posted By pat on November 25, 2011, 8:24 AM
Bedazzled is not the way to dress when you go through the new scanners. Those cute jeans with all the rhinestones on the back pockets are a no no also. Put your jewelry in your purse also, less sparkle you have on is better. The cargo pants and tons of zippers on the pants will get you a pat down.
Posted By pat on November 25, 2011, 8:27 AM
True Gold Threads should not set off the Magnetometers. (If gold set it off, all wedding rings would have to be removed. And my wife ain't gonna allow that) However, the metallic threads (other than silver or gold) can set it off and can also shield the X-ray view of the Nude-o-Scope.
Also, is ANYTHING TSA Friendly??????
Posted By Charles on November 28, 2011, 8:57 AM
I got patted down when the scanner identified "suspicious" areas around my neck and breasts. I was wearing all-cotton clothing, no jewelery, and didn't even have a bra on. For the life of me, I can't figure out what the scanner "saw" that triggered this. That said, the TSA agent, who was in training, was extremely courteous. Still, I have to wonder. The elderly lady that followed me got pulled aside for a closer examination of her head - she was wearing rhinestone eyeglass frames. At least that makes some sense (with regard to the scanner reading "something" in that area).
Posted By Jill Harvey on November 28, 2011, 12:13 PM
None of this makes any sense...if we have reached the point where an elderly lady's rhinestone eyeglass frames are considered a threat, we're at the bottom.
The only aspect of this that makes sense is a giant bureaucracy fostering fear, and protecting its jobs. They tweated about the dangers of turkey fryers last week. "Homeland" security is threatened by turkey fryers?
Posted By Helen Marshall on November 28, 2011, 1:56 PM
I got pulled aside from the X-ray machine for having my glasses on a chain that was hanging around my neck. The TSA agent never told me to remove them. I got patted down and had to put my glasses in a separate container to go through the scanner. No rhinestones on the eyeglass frames, either!
Posted By Adele Lile on November 28, 2011, 3:20 PM
I have been patted down simply because I exist - they said it was random. They seem to pull out the elderly probably because they think we are less likely to complain. A woman fully robed with face covered in the Muslim manner was ahead of me and not a word was said to her. >sigh
Posted By Eloise on November 29, 2011, 12:26 PM