Anecdata sought: American air travel and border crossings

I wasn't sure this thread needed to be in P&C, so: cockhole.

I have not flown since 9/11. Come to think of it, I have not flown within the U.S. for over twenty years. I must return to Canada in the next year.

Is every security checkpoint in U.S. airports now staffed by slack-jawed untermenschen who let their small sliver of authority go to their heads?

If mini-bottles of shampoo are verboten and everyone must take off their shoes, why are people talking about taking electronic devices and headphones onto planes?

Are ground border crossings much more onerous now than in the last five years?

I've flown a few times recently, including internationally(and will do so again in the near future).

Security checkpoints are run by people who make minimum wage. They will show the same level of interest in you as the guy working at Burger King does as long as you aren't an ass to them. Be polite, go with the flow, and you will get through the government-mandated nude photo-shoot without much hassle. The power-trippers, if they are at your airport, will be more interested in the guy who is being outspoken about what a Constitution-violating, wasteful cluster-frack TSA security is, not Tired Nobody #44484. Regardless of how strongly you feel about it, keep it bottled up.

Shampoo vs. electronics: Because reasons. Your question implies a deeper level of thought than anyone at TSA has ever given any of these questions.

For general international travel: leaving the US, the level of security is no more than flying domestic. Coming back, your passport will be reviewed and questions asked. Then you will have to claim your luggage and customs people will ask you questions about it, and may stop you to search it. If you are going on to another plane, be prepared to basically go through security again.

I travel pretty frequently, and haven't had any real trouble. Just know that every airport and really every stationsis somewhat different. Some people are more strict about the rules than others regarding shoes, belts etc... If you go through the wave machine and have a sliver of paper in your pockets you might get a quick pat.

As far as the border goes, I haven't done a ground crossing in a long time, but if you go by air, be prepared. There will be lines. Expect up to an hour in customs at your destination. Other than that, I haven't had any issues.

I've found TSA to be more strict internationally than in the states. In the US if you send your liquids and laptops through separately you should be fine. Overseas, I've had to separate, IPAD, PSP, etc...

I've had good TSA experiences pretty much everywhere, domestic and internationally. I do travel light and sort my stuff properly on the belt the first time, so that helps. I don't try to argue about water bottles either Don't make them ask you to remove stuff like your belt and keys and whatnot... do it all in line, use five of those bins if you need to, and you should be able to just walk through with passport in hand and get waved on.

They mostly just want to do their job as smoothly as possible, so if you're in the same mindset there's no issues. I get selected for secondary screening a t least once a trip since I travel with weird things that dont x-ray well, but it's always been smooth for me there too with these rules.

If you don't want to go through the porn-o-scanner, don't use the phrase "opt out", politely ask to be hand-screened (and don't be in a hurry).

Every airport has its quirks so checking FlyerTalk or something similar is useful.

The only land border I've used since 9/11 has been Blaine... driving and Amtrak were both a piece of cake, just long car lines. I only had my car searched once but it was by the Canadian side and they were doing everyone's, so I think there was just something going on that day.

I also fly relatively frequently, though I don't generally drive between the US and Canada so I can't speak to those security stops.

Regarding airport security, it really does depend on where you're flying out of (major cities have worse pay in relation to the living wage) but Kraint and Trophy are correct in that as long as you're polite you'll probably be fine. Small bottles (>50 ml IIRC) of liquid are allowed, you'll have to take off your shoes and belt, remember to put your laptop in its own bin rather than leaving it in the bag, don't bother removing any tablets but act all contrite if you get someone who wants to ping you for it.

That's the big thing really: there are no hard rules listed oftentimes, so whatever the TSA agent wants to make up you'll just have to deal with. Generally they're just as tired of this sh*t as everyone else and you'll be fine, but occasionally you get a little napoleon.

Whenever I've left the states I've not had to do anything for security beyond what I've had to do for domestic trips (my passport is always on me no matter what). When you arrive you'll have to go through immigration and that'll take however long it takes. My immigration through Japan, Spain, and Argentina haven't had exceptionally long line, perhaps twenty minutes at the most, but I hear horrible things about LHR and some other airports. Coming back into the states through JFK has consistently been a breeze, I've never come in through another airport so I can't speak to those and I tend to come in at off-peak hours.

And I've found security to be easier abroad, but again that really depends on where you're going and I've not gone to Canada in the last twenty years.

Amoebic is our resident expert on US/Canada land border crossings, if you need something more specific.

I have not flown since 9/11. Come to think of it, I have not flown within the U.S. for over twenty years. I must return to Canada in the next year.

Twenty years? Come on! You have such a great streak going, don't spoil it! I am sure your need to visit Canada can be re-considered.

IMAGE(http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu340/hellboy667/tsa.jpg)

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

Twenty years? Come on! You have such a great streak going, don't spoil it! I am sure your need to visit Canada can be re-considered. :D

Well, I've visited Canada by ground, but flown to internal destinations once across the border. However, 12-hour drive no longer suit me, and not having had the wherewithal or documentation to be able to attend my own father's funeral was kind of a breaking point.

Thank you all very much.

Going through the security checkpoints is generally quick and easy. I've had to do the x-ray thing a few times now (nowhere near every time I fly, though), and it takes all of 5 seconds. Really, having people in front of you who don't have their sh*t together is far more annoying and time-consuming than anything the TSA does.

billt721 wrote:

Really, having people in front of you who don't have their sh*t together is far more annoying and time-consuming than anything the TSA does.

Goddamned parents traveling with their kids!!

I've flown to Canada since 9/11 and the passport rules went into effect, and have also done plenty of business travel. What folks have said up to this point is indicative of my experiences as well. As far as how I prepare for security so I'm not one of the hold-ups:

- License/passport and boarding pass are out and ready, as they'll be checked. Without a boarding pass folks are no longer allowed past security at most airports now. Without ID security will take longer, as they'll do additional screening.
- Keys/change go in the carry-on.
- I don't carry any liquids through. Then there's no mucking about with a ziploc bag.
- I carry any needed outerwear up to security, or cram it in my carry-on. If you're wearing anything besides a shirt (sweatshirt, sweater, hoodie, jacket) you'll be told to take it off and put it through the machine.
- I wear easy to remove/put on shoes, and no belt if possible.
- I'm ready to take my laptop out of its bag and put it in a bin.

OG_slinger wrote:
billt721 wrote:

Really, having people in front of you who don't have their sh*t together is far more annoying and time-consuming than anything the TSA does.

Goddamned parents traveling with their kids!! ;-)

Nah, even that is easy. We traveled this weekend with our 5 month old and nothing was different. My wife was able to walk through the scanner with the baby strapped to her in a carrier and we packed the baby's stuff right along with everything else. If someone traveling with a baby is taking a bunch of unnecessary time to get through TSA, the problem is with them, not the baby. They'd be taking just as much time without the child.

Babies aren't the problem, cranky toddlers on the other hand...

Though really, anyone who isn't familiar with the procedures, especially those that don't speak English, tend to hold up the line. Also some lines have the little napoleon being all uppity about what they can and can't bring in while others are much more relaxing. You'll probably pick the wrong one.

I fly often, and like others, found the security checkpoints to be staffed by people trying to do their jobs as efficiently as possible, because there are a few hundred people behind me. There's usually some jovial jokerman checking boarding passes, then some neutral-expressioned person waving everyone through the metal detector or x-ray thing, and that's it. Once, I had to do a hand swab, which took up about 30 seconds of my time, and once the bag scanners asked me what I had in there, because I'd forgotten I'd packed a sealed jar of fancy salt, which was fine--another 30 second imposition. While there are certainly issues with the Theater of Security, the workers are not where the case is to be made. Not to get all Cleavland, but I can't help but think there's a racial component to some, note the some, of the complaining.

Put your liquids in a checked bag. If you're not checking a bag, then you can't have bottles with liquids bigger than 3oz and all of those bottles must fit in a quart-size plastic bag. So buy your bottle of water for drinking on the plane from a store after you go through security.

Electronics are fine in carry on as long as they're not too exotic. Electronic devices during the flight haven't changed since 9/11: all turned off during take-off and landing.

No lighters permitted in carry on.

Almost safe for work:

H.P. Lovesauce wrote:
Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

Twenty years? Come on! You have such a great streak going, don't spoil it! I am sure your need to visit Canada can be re-considered. :D

Well, I've visited Canada by ground, but flown to internal destinations once across the border. However, 12-hour drive no longer suit me, and not having had the wherewithal or documentation to be able to attend my own father's funeral was kind of a breaking point.

Thank you all very much.

My condolenses, man.

This fall, I traveled overseas twice -- to bury my father and then my older brother...

Quintin_Stone wrote:

Electronic devices during the flight haven't changed since 9/11: all turned off during take-off and landing.

And probably as with before 9/11, this is the official line that isn't always enforced. If you're in coach you can generally get away with reading a kindle if it has a cover and you "put it away" when the flight attendant tells you to. I've had some who get really nit-picky over it and others who don't care if they can't see the back light.

The only really bothersome thing about American airport security/border control is waiting in immigration when you're not a resident, entering the country, and the sometimes done extra check at departure airport. You know, you get through security, hassle and all, through passport control, through ticket control, you're ready to board, and then all US-bound luggage (or a subset of it that has always favored me) is re-opened and inspected by hand by the staff, right there in the departure lounge.

Looks like I was wrong about the lighters not being allowed on the plane, as of 2007. But apparently they have to be regular liquid butane, not torch lighters.

Yeah, leave your nice Zippo at home with your Ka-Bar and whatnot.

clover wrote:

Yeah, leave your nice Zippo at home with your Ka-Bar and whatnot.

Ugh. Back when I smoked I had to surrender the guts of my Zippo after they cracked down on lighters post-shoe bomber. I asked the TSA guy if they were doing the same for matches and he said no. I asked him why and he said that they couldn't detect matches with the x-ray machines. So it was totes OK to carry a dozen books of matches on board, but you had to surrender your lighter because it was a dangerous weapon...

As mentioned above, once you step into the airport, it is all security theatre and, like it or not, you are a part of this little play, and the better you play your part, the easier it will go for you.

1 - Liquids and foods: Don't bring them. Grab stuff on the other side of security.
2 - Check as much as is humanly possible. The less stuff you have going through security, the less likely you are to be stopped. I always travel with a medium backpack (half-empty) or messenger bag.
3 - Shoes that are simply to slip on and off.
4 - Empty your pockets, remove your watch, take off your belt and throw it in your carry-on bag.
5 - No stacking things in the little XRay tray. If you need 4 trays, take 4 trays. Better to have too many trays than have the guy ask you to put it in different trays.
6 - Laptop open, ready to be turned on.
7 - Don't move forward until they tell you to.
8 - Always be polite. 99.999% of the employees are just doing their job, and they have no desire to make things complicated. Complicated things mean an increased chance to make a mistake or have attention paid to them, by their supervisors or the media.
9 - Please. Thank you. You're welcome. Have a nice day.
10 - You know how they say to show up to the airport 3 hours beforehand?? Do it. Better to spend time after security waiting. All it takes is *one* person ahead of you to make a fuss, and 4 lines have gone down to 1.

What's so important about the belt? Do people wearing braces have to remove them? (That's braces that hold up trousers. Not suspenders, which are what women wear as a prelude to braces being taken off.)

1Dgaf wrote:

What's so important about the belt? Do people wearing braces have to remove them? (That's braces that hold up trousers. Not suspenders, which are what women wear as a prelude to braces being taken off.)

The buckle is generally metal and sets off the metal detectors.

clover wrote:
1Dgaf wrote:

What's so important about the belt? Do people wearing braces have to remove them? (That's braces that hold up trousers. Not suspenders, which are what women wear as a prelude to braces being taken off.)

The buckle is generally metal and sets off the metal detectors.

Yup. Getting through the detector without anything beeping is the goal.

H.P. Lovesauce wrote:

Are ground border crossings much more onerous now than in the last five years?

The only ground border crossing I've made recently was entirely uneventful, except for the part where we had to delay our departure from home until the bank opened so we could retrieve passports which I'd forgotten to get out of the safe deposit box ahead of time.

We were traveling at extremely off-peak times (Niagara Falls in February) on a family vacation, which may have made some difference.

My best advice is "don't have brown skin." Anecdotally, that seems to have the biggest risk of getting people inconvenienced.

Edit: that anecdote being watching on at least a half dozen ocassions, a pleasant, chipper, efficient person check me through security and then watching his/her demeanor immediately turn dour and suspicious for the guy behind me in line.

Being white has certainly helped me through line quite a few times but I wouldn't suggest someone bleach their skin to prepare so it's not the most useful of anecdotal information.

Last year I went on a month long trip travelling around America, as we were hitting up the main cities (Toronto, Boston, New York, Philly, Washington, Chicago, Las Vegas and San Fran (and yes I know Toronto isn't in the States before anybody starts).
Anyway, after hearing lots of horror stories about immgration checks and lines, I have to say that it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting, ok it wasn't as smooth as my recent trip to Munich but then again as an E.U citizen I don't have to go through immgration in a European airport. Although I didn't have to go through immgration on U.S domestic flights either.

Anyway now I have the pointless background out of the way. I really don't remember any bother, they came across as people just doing their jobs, if anything the problems are with the rules and as long as you are polite and help in anyway you can, like people have suggested, taking off belts, emptying pockets ect in the line, away you go, although the full body scanners are mental, luckily I only had to go through one.

I think we go more of a grilling from Canadian immgration officer than we did off the U.S one, maybe that is because we were flying in from Canada though. It didn't help that my mate forgot where we were staying and accidently implied he only had $200 to last him a month! We got through though. I did get some comments about the state of my passport but they were made in joking way (having taken it on two long trips now, it has got a bit battered) so even shows some of the staff are nice people

The lines really depend on how lucky you are when your flight gets in, because if 5 planes have all just off loaded, there is going to be a long wait.

Also you guys stamp passports! So I now have stamps in my passport.