I live in the UAE and when traveling to, from or within the USA, regardless if I show my US passport or UAE driver’s license for ID, my bag gets searched every time and I get a TSA note… my bag always contains the same stuff, clothes, books, toothpaste etc. nothing odd (except pretzels when I am leaving the USA).
At least (touch wood) nobody has ever stolen my pretzels.
Maybe they think you’re trying to kill Bush?
I have a sinking feeling about this…
I always think what a challenging job this must be now. Cell phone, laptop, iPod, two headsets, three chargers, LAN cable, USB connector - no, average traveller isn’t travelling with anything that has lots of wires or batteries.
Sometimes stuff that has been sitting around where there are gasoline vapors will trigger the explosives swab. I’ve seen recommendations that you not store your suitcases in the garage because of that.
Whenever I travel they almost always do a wipe test on my CPAP, sometimes just on the outside of the case but the last year or so on the machine itself. Once they got a positive response, and I got questioned about where I’d been keeping it. Eventually they decided I wasn’t smuggling explosives and let me through security.
This is how sensitive the Ionizer is for explosives.
Imagine RFK stadium in DC. Now, fill it with white golf balls, then put one purple golf ball in the middle somewhere.
Now, the ionizer can sniff out that one purple golf ball in 20 seconds.
This is what it does to explosives. The ionizer detects ANYTHING that is flammable and can be used to make a bomb. Oddly though, anything except gun powder.
But as I said, things may have changed since I worked there. The only time we opened CHECKED LUGGAGE was when it alarmed on the xray machine AND alarmed on the swab ionizer (sniffer).
There ARE substances that are in garages that may make the ionizer alarm. It’s a VERY sensitive machine. It needs to be calibrated AND cleaned every two hours.
Rick, no, it’s not just what they see on the xray machine. Unfortunately I used to work for TSA at Dulles in VA, I know. 
I’m pretty sure they’re not gonna stop using the ionizer. No offense or anything. Just wanted to let you know that they definitely WILL swab your suitcase before opening it. Once it alarms for explosives, then they open it.
My last trip flying the friendly skies was Thanksgiving.
My laptop carryon backpack contained the following:
[ul]
[li] One laptop, complete with mouse (in a baggie with the cord coiled) and wired power supply (the one with the fat, thick black box power box in the middle of the cord (also wrapped and coiled in a baggie)[/li][li] Two coiled cables for network access (in separate baggies).[/li][li] Two coiled phone cords (separate baggies)[/li][li] A small, external hard drive with USB cable (coiled, baggie)[/li][li] A digital camera, with two sets of rechargeable batteries and two plugin chargers (baggies, again).[/li][li] A dozen ordinary alkaline batteries loosely packed in their own baggie.[/li][li] An iPod, complete with ear buds.[/li][li] Two bags of Dove Dark chocolate squares.[/li][li] A heavy, thick paperback tech manual (about 1,500 pages)[/li][li] Cell phone.[/li][li] A high-tech MagLite-type flashlight with titanium case (and spare batteries).[/li][/ul]
All of it tossed in the backpack and spread through four separate compartments. A bizzaro mess when X-rayed. Not a problem going through security four times in three separate airports on the trip. However, last Thanksgiving I carried roughly the same but got stopped because my key ring has two, original Vietnam War era P38s. The snot nose TSA agent went nuts until his supervisor looked at them, laughed out loud, and pretty much said move along, nothing to see here.
Pretzels would seem to be an effective weapon. 
According to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, TSA says it is not responsible for stolen items but will consider complaints on a case by case basis.
My husband and I have probably been lucky or something, but even relatively easy to steal items like multiple DVDs have been left in our bags after searches. Before one trip, my husband was packing at the last minute and just crammed his clothing in his big duffle without folding. His bag was searched and when he opened it on arrival, the TSA “we searched your bag” note was atop stacks of his now neatly-folded clothing!
Do not buy TSA locks.
I bought a set and each time they were missing from the bag the first time I used them. There was no sign that the bag had been searched. Apparently TSA took them off just to be pricks.
I’ve used TSA locks on several trips over the last few years. I started with 10 locks for all of our luggage, and have only lost one.
I think after hearing these stories that I would UPS myself anything important/expensive if I was flying somewhere for any length of time.
Or make sure I can carry it on.
I’m surprised with the digital age as it is that the TSA isn’t made to take a photo of every item confiscated from luggage. This would make it extremely easy for the traveler to ID any items removed from luggage.
Heck, the photos would be time stamped so they would only have to look through that days’ or hours’ photos to find a match for your item.
My wife, a TSA until two months ago, says:
–The TSA doesn’t confiscate items from checked luggage. That’s the airline’s job.
–The TSA does search checked luggage. When they do so they leave a note saying they searched it. If something needs confiscating, they get an airline representative to come do it.
–From checked luggage, pretty much the only kind of thing that would be confiscated is stuff that can explode. (She also mentioned offhand that there’s a limit to how much dry ice you can have in checked luggage. 
I don’t know if there are any other exceptions to the “only things that can explode” rule.) She says explicitly that there is no reason earrings would ever be confiscated. (Then she added “unless they were bullets.”)
-FrL-
I used to have many friends that worked with TSA at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. It isn’t TSA I worry about, it’s the baggage handlers and the people that clean the planes. SOP was to empty any wallets found on the plane of cash or valuables, then wedge it in the seat for a flight attendant at the next stop to find and return. A friend once found $2000 in a folded up newspaper and was told that TSA won’t accept it because whoever lost it could claim there was more than $2000. She kept it of course.
My favorite though was when my ex-best-friend found $12000 a few years ago in a large envelope and simply pocketed it. With sums that high you needn’t worry that it will be claimed since it’s probably drug money of some sort. He’s no longer my friend.
I’m on it. G, I contacted my people in the TSA and they’ve located your friend’s earrings. They’re being express mailed to her Monday.
Wrong.
I did some training for the LAPD a few years ago and was at their new Academy in west L.A. I was not directly involved with the bomb squad in any way. However, many people who touched door knobs and railings that I touched handled firearms on the range.
I got gunpowder on my hands, which got onto the gear. I was also training several people who touched things that had gunpowder on them from the range.
The swab caught it and I was flagged for having it on my case.
Just gunpowder. From the range.
Cartooniverse
You were touching used gunpowder. I think that is the difference.