Here’s the story. I’m flying home for Christmas. I wear Converse Christmas High Tops They have a jingle bell attached to the back of each shoe. Obnoxious I know, but they grow on ya, trust me. So there’s problem one. Will I have a hassel at airport security because of the metal bells on my shoes?
Problem 2, I’ll be hand carrying some baked goodies in a box. Do you think they’ll make me open the box and eat soemthing out of it or something? I ask this because in Ontario they made me take a sip of my beverage (I had bought some In-N-Out to pass my wait time), and hasseled me because they couldn’t see anything come up the straw … it was 7up!
Yes, of course I could wear a different pair of shoes, and ship the goodies ahead … but what fun is that?
Anyone venture to take a guess on either problem 1 or 2?
Bobby - yes, you’ll most likely be asked to submit to the secondary screening and asked to remove your shoes. Other than that, unless you act like a jerk (like the guy in front of me in line last week did … I wonder if he EVER made it out of the airport as a free man … ) then you’ll get through just fine.
Johnny - I had two surgical screws from an accident this summer in my ankle up until late October. I flew once at the end of September, had a letter from my doctor, and there wasn’t a big deal made of it. They did ask me to remove both my shoes AND socks however - I think they wanted to see the incision scar…
They’ll very likely ask you to take the shoes off, but I doubt they’ll make you eat the food. Probably not even open the box. Too many folks travelling with crates the size of Montana.
Thanks TV Guy unfortunately the link keeps timing out on me, so I’ll take your word on the eating thing. The incident I mentioned did happen a few days after 9/11. As for the shoes … what me? act like a jerk? oh no never.
Speaking of crate the size of Montana Unclebill no no no I won’t hijack my own thread.
Don’t know why I’m worrying about the shoes, the tree ornament hanging from my ear will probably be enough to set off the screening red light.
Kinda off topic, I still think it’s ridiculous the way they torment some people and not others. A friend of mine (American but of Indian descent) went to Paris over the summer with her sister. At 4/5 American checkstops they were pulled out of the line and searched rigorously as if they were terrorists. Yeah, I’m sure THAT’S random!
Consider asking the screener up front about your shoes & see if they would rather run it through the XRay. My other suggestion would be to pack the shoes (assuming you have a carry-on) and put them back on once you get to your destination airport.
TVGuy: I have a steel rod about 1cm wide and about 15 or 20cm long from a car wreck just after high school. Then there’s the screw from the high school skiing injury. The last time I flew commercially was before 9/11, and at that time the metalwork didn’t trigger the alarms. Now? Well, it might be fun to drop trou in the airport!
BobbySuezQ: I’d be careful about bunny slippers. Bunnies have nasty, sharp, pointed teeth! And they can leap!
Yeah. Bunnies aren’t just cute like everyone supposes. They have those hoppy feet and twitchy little noses. And what’s with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for, anyway?
Good suggestion about asking the screener deathawk and one I considered. I won’t have cary-on luggage. Just a computer case, the box of goodies and my teddy bear.
I don’t think they notice the slippers, usually they are sending my stuffed teddy bear through the x-ray machine 5 times.
[minor nitpick on a random highjack] I just can’t help myself. The song goes: “They’ve got those hoppy legs, and twitchy little noses.” Yes, I know I’m a loser. Carry on. :D[/minor nitpick on a random highjack]
No, It’s a song from, “Once More with Feeling” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical episode. The character Anya sings it when all the other characters are trying to figure out what is making them all sing. She is known to fear bunnies, thus she makes this theory that “It must be bunnies.”
It was totally obscure and I am almost ashamed that I recognized it. Not really though.
the boning in my corset caused some problems when my bag was x-rayed the other day…
but the man was so polite, and was so busy looking to see if i had concealed knives in the corset lining, he totally missed the suspicious tobacco pack and king sized rolling machine at the bottom of my bag…
The computer might be what slows you down. Every time I have traveled with my computer since 9-11 they have made me take it out of the case and start it up. Not a big deal. Just a bit of a pain in the ass when you have your hands full and people are all around.
My husband has worn hiking boots with metal clasps on a couple of flights recently. He has found that it saves time and aggravation for everyone if he just takes them off while standing in line and puts them through the X-ray. If he wears them and sets off the metal detector, then he not only has to take off the shoes, he has to get fully wanded. If he puts them through the machine to start with, he can just pick them up and head out.
