I'm going on a trip - what should I not take to the airport?

[tigereye]

I haven't flown in a really long time... I have no idea what NOT to take. I know the obvious things, like tweezers, knitting needles, weaponry, matches, lighters. Copy of Crime and Punishment? ;)

Do they fuss if you wear a ton of jewelry? I love metal bracelets and am usually heavily laden with them.

I just don't know. :shrug:

[BikeWriter]

1. Bombs Leave all your bombs at home.

[TheProphetess]

2. I'd put the bracelets in a purse or carry-on bag

and then you can put them on after you're through the metal detectors. This way you won't get caught up at the machines. Also, leave the nuclear weapon collection at home. ;)

Have a great trip - where are you heading?

[tigereye]

20. Chicago

there are some people there I want to see. And I hope to see some touristy stuff as well. I don't want to eat a Chicago style hotdog, though.

BTW, my husband and I are having a huge discussion about the mind, "consciousness" and the brain. Now my brain is full! I seem to have become less open-minded about this since I got my psych. license! ;)

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Just put all the jewelry (and other metal) in your carry on bag

before going through the metal detector.

Don't wear shoes that are hard to get off, in case they make you take them off.

No nail clippers, theoretically. You'll have to take your coat off and send it through the machine.

Oddly enough, in 2002, my partner and I went to Hawaii from NYC, and she had a - no lie - box cutter in her backpack she had forgotten about (we had just had an art show, so she had the cutter in there from that, and forgot about it) and no one noticed.

Still, I wouldn't risk it. :-)

[Lori Price CLG]

4. Bolt cutters and guns, unless you're Reichwing. Then you can go right...

...on through.

Lori Price

[Redneck Socialist]

5. Guns, leave your guns at home too.

A more useful tip would be to wear clogs or sandals, some sort of shoe you can slip on and off easily.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Take off your bracelets and put them in your purse.

Don't wear them when you go through the metal detector -- take off your watch, too. Once you get through security you can put them all back on. Don't wear a bra with an underwire or a belt with a large metal buckle, or shoes with metal shanks. In fact, it's best to take off your shoes before they ask you to, and put them in the bin with your purse and carry-on. Go through all your stuff before you go to the airport just to be sure there aren't any pointy things. It's all kind of a pain in the butt but if you plan ahead (and get all the metal stuff off your person) and allow a little extra time, it's tolerable.

[tigereye]

21. no pointy stuff - check!

;)

[usedtobesick]

7. I fly every week

sometimes 2 or 3 times, leave any lighters or matches. Can't have them anymore and no tools, not even a little wrench or eyeglass screwdrivers. You can take knitting needles now but no lighters... go figure. nail clippers are OK but not one with a file on it. Really stupid random rules...

[tigereye]

22. I think the rules are incredibly reactive and absurd

and bear little resemblance to reality.

[Scout1071]

8. Lighters. I flew last week and there were about 30 lighters just outside

the terminal.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. And yet, when I flew from Tokyo to NYC,

I know a shitload of us had lighters in our packs, because in the smoking room, right outside the gate, a good thirty of us were using them, and we'd all gone through security already.

[Scout1071]

14. In the last couple of weeks? I think it's fairly new.

Although they probably cannot stop people from carrying on for flights originating from another country.

It's just another ass backward rule that isn't making us any safer.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. No, that was just a bit more than a year ago

[Floogeldy]

16. Santorum strikes again.

We are now allowed to take lighters on board, as long as they do not have any fluid in them. That rules out disposables. But that does not rule out Zippos with no fluid in them.

Santorum is from Pennsylvania. Zippo is located in Pennsylvania.

You figure it out.

[Canadian Socialist]

9. It's the little things that can slow you down

e.g. I had the tinfoil from my cigarette package in my pocket. Cause I don't litter. That triggered the alarm. I thought I had removed everything from my pocket. Thought it was just lint. Guess not. Also, nothing with "Michael Moore rocks" on the cover. Heee.

[donheld]

11. Leave the Machetes at home

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[Zuni]

13. but what if you have to hack your way

through dense jungle?

[Zuni]

12. you might want to leave the stack of amateur porn

at home :D

[AwakeAtLast]

19. And don't pack the "discreet personal massager", either

:evilgrin:

[tigereye]

23. yeah

I got that. :spank:

If you were to meet me, I am the last person who would have amateur or porn of any type. And that's why that is so funny, right? ;)

I do have a few erotica books, though.

[Fleshdancer]

17. don't bring the gimp

well, I guess you could but you would have to pay for the extra seat. :silly:

Nothing sharp and no lighters. Also, try to wear slip on shoes if you have some just in case they have you take them off. And no joking about bombs...they don't respond too well to bomb jokes.

[tigereye]

25. one time during the Reagan years

I argued at great length about politics with a security guy in Canada. My BF told me to can it so we could get back in the country/US. ( My jacket was covered with anti-Reagan pins and I had QUITE the attitude back then. ) ;)

[maveric]

18. No gasoline cans.

I learned that from a display at Logan airport.

[Pale Blue Dot]

24. DON'T take pictures of the airplane.

That is not allowed, as I found out when I took my trip to the Grand Canyon. Fortunately, I guess I didn't look enough like a terrorist for them to confiscate my camera.