# Purpose of security checks when LEAVING an airport. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-security-checks-when-leaving-an-airport/544710 "2010-06-27T21:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-security-checks-when-leaving-an-airport/544710/21 "2010-06-28T21:11:26Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Yeah, a few airports have aggravating “quirks” that reflect their traffic-flow engineering dating to before one or more paradigm shifts > > (FWIW, a lot of US airports took until the current century to even make it so you don’t have to exit and reenter through security to move from one \*domestic \*concourse to another. See also: Miami; Baltimore…) What do you mean, fixed? Just last month I decided to take carry-on only so that I could get into Baltimore, eat, meet my brother coming in an hour later on a different airline, and then get my daughter to pick us both up at once. When I got there I discovered that my careful plans were for naught, since his flight was in a non-connected gate. As it turned out he was 3 hours late so it didn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-security-checks-when-leaving-an-airport/544710/22 "2010-06-28T21:17:33Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > To expand on the last sentence, the INTL terminal area does not exit straight into the standard baggage claim. If you remember, it’s actually quite aways away and you go through the other _secure_ terminals to get to the actual baggage claim and exit. (for non transferers) > And since you are going through those secure terminals, and since you touched your checked baggage as you carried it by the customs guy, you could possibly bring “Checked Baggage Only” items through those secure terminals if you were not searched right there. let me get this straight - there is no direct exit outside after customs? The only way to get to the street, transportation, etc. is to go through a secure area again? If that is true, I understand the policy. What I don’t understand is what nitwit designed the airport, and why they couldn’t build a door and save a ton of money. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-security-checks-when-leaving-an-airport/544710/23 "2010-06-29T09:52:38Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > That wouldn’t really make a lot of sense, though; this appeared to be your standard airport security search, checking for knives and guns and small bombs hidden in one’s shoes. Weapons in general are pretty readily obtainable in most major American cities; there would be little point in checking to make sure people aren’t smuggling guns from England (which has very restrictive gun laws) to America (in most parts of which there are gun stores and pawn shops openly selling stuff which would leave most Londoners gobsmacked), and if one wishes to blow up a building, it would make more sense to buy large sacks of the right kind of fertilizer right here in town rather than trying to smuggle in something disguised as hand lotion or toothpaste on an airliner. They don’t just check for guns and knives, though, do they ? They also make sure you’re not smuggling in drugs, plutonium, dismembered bodies, unpasteurized cheese… ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-security-checks-when-leaving-an-airport/544710/24 "2010-06-29T11:02:23Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > let me get this straight - there is no direct exit outside after customs? The only way to get to the street, transportation, etc. is to go through a secure area again? > If that is true, I understand the policy. What I don’t understand is what nitwit designed the airport, and why they couldn’t build a door and save a ton of money. That is correct. They would have to build more than just a door though, since the customs area is nowhere near the parking lot anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-security-checks-when-leaving-an-airport/544710.md?page=1)