Too Soft for TSA

[bobmsp]

The TSA is a prime example of egos and power trips interpreting and enforcing the rules as they feel like it. With impunity. Someone having a good day…probably would let it slide. Someone having a bad day….you might as well not even fly.

To be fair, the agent was very pleasant and was at least willing to check it out. I don’t place any blame on her - she just seemed to be trying to do her job on one of the worst travel days of the year.

The Figarose was an impulsive grab from my stack of soaps. I’d recently travelled with it (but forgot that I’d had it in a checked bag) recently. I never gave the consistency a thought as I chose it.

 

[Four for Luck]

When traveling I use the little sample containers from vendors. Good for 2-4 shaves. Need more? Bring two.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

The TSA is a prime example of egos and power trips interpreting and enforcing the rules as they feel like it. With impunity.

This made me laugh I hope it does you too. Someone else would probably be yelling. Here is what happened to me:

Two lines fed into one TSA agent looking at your ID and your ticket. He is alternating between the two lines as you would expect. When it became evident that I was to be next I made a mistake. I left the line and walked three feet past the yellow line.

The TSA agent stops what he is doing, looks at me and says, "SIR, please remain behind the yellow line." My eyebrows went up, had not thought it such an orthodox procedure and I went back three feet. The TSA agent got done processing the passenger and he turned to the line the other passenger had just come from and indicated that person was next. I thought, "What the?" The TSA agent got done with that passenger and as I was leaning forward he... pointed at the other line for the next passenger to approach him. He finished with that passenger and then he let a fellow in a wheelchair go next.

By this point myself, my wife and others in line are smiling and gently chuckling, shaking our heads. Such middle school behavior and so fun to see how small minded people behave.

 

[anoop]

There's a lot of inconsistency with TSA agents.

Anyway, here's my sad story --

A few years ago, I was returning from an international trip and I had bought some whiskey from duty free thinking I would put in my checked bag when I landed and before making my connecting flight. My checked bag didn't make it and I lost the bottle of whiskey to the TSA. After that experience, no more duty free liquids if there's a domestic connecting flight.

 

[ChiefHA]

A few years ago I was leaving FLETC in Brunswick GA with a class mate who was an ATF agent. When TSA asked for a government ID he showed his ATF credentials but was could they were not valid as there was no expiration date on the photo ID. He almost missed the flight before a supervisor finally told the TSA agent the ID was acceptable.

 

[Chaucer]

For travel, get a small stick like Arko, La Toja, or Spieck and put it in your baggie. Or get TSA-PRE. Or all these!

 

[never-stop-learning]

The advice is good - don't take ANYTHING you are not willing to leave behind.
You never know if Bob got chewed out by his wife at breakfast before coming to work.

So true.....

 

[snowman]

I appreciate the task the TSA has, but, it seems some of them are just straight up horses bleeeeps. I do my best to give them no excuse. As others have said I dont wear a belt when I'm going to be flying, nor a watch. For shaving its a cart (I know I know) and a TSA approved stick like Pacific Shaving or Cremo cuz I dont care if I lose any of them.

 

[KW Driver]

The TSA is a prime example of egos and power trips interpreting and enforcing the rules as they feel like it. With impunity. Someone having a good day…probably would let it slide. Someone having a bad day….you might as well not even fly.

and the pay scale is a definite factor in my opinion.

and this is why I travel with sticks. it helps that I face lather. my carry on Dopp is a 1qt Tom Bihn Clear packing cube that meets the 3-1-1 requirements and loads up everything I need in travel/sampler sized bottles or tins and two straights when I'm not flying commercial, a Trac II when I am. and I've gotten a month of use out of it on the longest trip.

I can't imagine going checked baggage only because I have had baggage lost, sent to the wrong continent, or not cross-loaded to my connecting flight due to delays, etc. for short trips, I do carry on only and put ups with the shenanigans at screening.

"sir, this is a 4 oz toothpaste tube and exceeds the size allowed."
"and as you can plainly see, half of it's been used and rolled up, putting it well under the allowable max volume which is why I brought it."

"these liquids are supposed to be in a clear, 1qt bag" "you're absolutely right, but you're the first agent that's looked in probably 4 years, and it's just easier with this kit. I've gotten lazy"

and some of them are just woefully undertrained. I've had a couple, "what's this?" questions that have shocked me. didn't mean to have that thing in my carry on, but yeah.

I've never had anything confiscated, and tend to play more within the rules these days.

 

[lancre]

The TSA is woefully inadequate at performing to any given published standard.
It's hard to know what some schmo at one airport will do differently than another schmo at another airport, or even two of them at the same airport in different lines.
The advice is good - don't take ANYTHING you are not willing to leave behind.
You never know if Bob got chewed out by his wife at breakfast before coming to work.

In a study a couple of years ago, it was reported that TSA auditors manged to smuggle contraband onto the plane roughly 97% of the time. Security theater.

 

[lancre]

should've brought an Arko stick!

It's soft, but at only 75 grams it would have been small enough to pass.

 

[Barbarian80]

The TSA agent would have got a wiff of that stick and sent him on his way before opening that bag entirely.

 

[Barbarian80]

Security theater.

Pretty much how the federal government operates in general.

 

[emwolf]

great thread. we have purposely avoided air travel for some time because of this. it reminds me of the following venn diagram:

 

[Ad Astra]

great thread. we have purposely avoided air travel for some time because of this. it reminds me of the following venn diagram:
View attachment 1371580

Good for a smile!

Flying. I always just take a soap stick; got plenty (La Toja, Speick, PAA Diver Down) that are little used anyways.

I don't take splashes or AS either, preferring to forage off hotel hand lotion bottles. Any such works.


AA

 

[Four for Luck]

My wife doesn’t like airport food. Being early to airport to make it through TSA and then flying without eating doesn’t cut it either.
She now packs sandwiches. Bread, roll whatever and meat go in a baggie, tomato and lettuce in another. Small packet of condiment. All go in another bag.
Going through TSA outbound her carryon was pulled from the line, she was summoned. They asked “what’s in the bag?” She told them. Okay, and let her pass.
On the inbound flight she put the sandwich bag inside on top of everything. They looked and didn’t do anything else.
Gambling.

 

[ashcampbell]

Back in 2006 they took my unopened bottle of Advil gel caps. Another female agent was like oh thats fine but my tsa agent wasnt having it. I'm guessing travel envy since we were going out of the country. So I popped it open, dry swallowed 3 and made it rain pretty advil gel caps in the trash. I then got pulled out of line and hand searched. :O It was unrelated to the gel caps, I swear!

They also dont like it when you smile big for the xray machine and put on a show. Sir, dont move!

 

[Just Another Dave]

I'm going to be traveling for the first time since I started using a safety razor and based on what I've learned here, I'll have my razor disassembled and have a shave stick and a trial size vial for my aftershave in my quart size bag. I'm just wondering, what do you guys do with the used razor blades when you're ready to make the return trip home?

 

[FarmerTan]

Bury them in the sand on the Beach.


Kidding! I suppose you could mail them to @Grundi for an upcoming shave challenge!

 

[anoop]

I'm going to be traveling for the first time since I started using a safety razor and based on what I've learned here, I'll have my razor disassembled and have a shave stick and a trial size vial for my aftershave in my quart size bag. I'm just wondering, what do you guys do with the used razor blades when you're ready to make the return trip home?

I'm more interested in how you will carry new blades on the way out!

A used blade can be discarded semi-safely (wrap in some paper and put some tape). Or carry a blade disposal case from a blade that offers something like that (e.g. Feather/Derby) and use that to discard them before the return trip.