Ok you are planning on proposing to your significant other. And you have just bought a small Ice Skating rink to affix to her lovely hand. You have it in a nice little box waiting for that oh so important moment where you get on one knee and make the decision that will affect the rest of your life.
You go to board the plane for the vacation you have been planning for months. On said vacation you’ll be proposing and your significant other has no idea. You get up to the security check and YOU are picked for the search. Your SO is standing right next to you waiting. The check point officer rifles through your carry-on and finds the box with the ring in it. [It was in your carry-on because you would never let a $6000 ring out of your own personal sight, and never would you put it in a checked bag]
So she can see the officer opening the box ever so slowly - wondering to her self, ‘what’s in that little velvety box??’
Hmmmmmmm! All interesting. I’ll pass the hints on. I told him to whisper to the officer that it is an engagement ring and maybe she won’t see. But the proposal right there idea is very interesting…
A friend of mine had the same dilemna, so he went through security without the SO. I think she was in the bathroom or went to the gift shop or something. They made him open the box and show it to them, too. She was a little miffed that he went through without her, but later understood.
I don’t know how to handle it if you get picked while boarding the plane. Though they probably won’t let her stand there while they go through your stuff. Once my SO got picked and they made me get on the plane instead of waiting for her to finish.
Put the ring box in your carry on luggage, empty.
Put the ring itself on your keychain, hide it between 2 big keys.
When going through security, drop your keys in the bowl along with loose change, watch, cell phone, etc and run it through that way. Unless she is looking right at it, she won’t notice it. And security shouldn’t bother with it since it does not have to be unwrapped to be inspected.
Can he put the ring in his wallet? Obviuosly the box would have to go in the carry on or checked bag. That way he can put it in the basket for the metal detector. Maybe one of those manly looking change purses?
Yell out in a very loud voice, “Don’t open that – it’s a bomb!” You (and the ring) will then be whisked away by security into a tiny little room where you can explain in private for the next few hours why you said such a thing. You’ll also have the priviledge of being rectally probed for contraband, which is just an added benefit.
I would not have it in the box. I think a hide in plain sight idea is the best. Just put it in his shaving kit bag in a little baggie. She won’t watch them go through that stuff.
Instead of trying to put the ring on a keychain (which could score it), you could attach the ring to your keychain with a quick link or some string or you could replace your keychain with a quicklink.
First, I doubt that the amount of metal in the ring will set off the detector- I’ve been hand searched MANY times since Sept 11, and the detector never went off from my rings- I wear a wedding band, an engagement ring, an anniversary band, an emerald ring, and another small gold band. Never had it go off because of them.
But if he’s that worried, he should ship the ring ahead to his destination (insured, of course) and pick it up there. Probably the best bet. In my hand searches, I’ve had them casually open my bag and pick through it, kind of uninterested, and I’ve had them test my laptop and external floppy drive for bomb making residue. Really depends on the airport and such.
If you’re worried that the keychain will scratch the ring, here’s yet another idea: borrow or purchase an extra remote control for a car alarm system. Open it up, remove the works (on mine, the whole thing just pops right out when you open it up to change the battery) and put the ring inside. Then, put the remote on your keychain and waltz through security as described by others. If you borrowed the remote from someone, they can just hang on to the electronics and reinsert them when you return.
Of course, you’ll have to find a remote that’s big enough for the ring, which might be difficult if it really is an “ice skating rink”.