Travel Unintruded – How to Avoid Checked Baggage Searches
Modern security screening in airports are highly automated systems, with only a limited number of humans interacting with it at key points (maybe that’s why it breaks down so often?). Computers control sorting, weighing, screening and transport almost all the way out to the plane. Security, however, can’t always be trusted to machines, who can read patterns well, but has, at times no more sense than a cockroach in a snowstorm. That’s why your bag, if you’re just having that kind of day, will sometimes be picked out for closer scrutiny by human eyes.
When your bag comes floating down into the baggage handling system. it is first sent through an x-ray machine that will determine whether it contains a pattern of items and a density analysis that consist with a weapon of some kind. If the machine thinks there might be some kind of fishy business going on, the bag will then get sent through to another x-ray machine, where the image produced will be reviewed by a human. In more than nine out of ten cases, the human will determine that there is no monkey business afoot, and your bag will go on its merry way to the plane, and back to you without anyone ever even thinking of opening it.
There are, however, the times when the security officer can not see what’s in your bag, and that means it has to be rummaged through. There’s nothing fishy about it, an believe it – the officers have seen everything before. Twice. So even if you had something in your bag that you feel bad about some stranger seeing, never fret. They won’t tell, since there’s nothing new under the sun in the baggage handling system.
But anyway, with the x-ray systems growing ever more advanced – 3D images are getting common – how can you make sure your bag isn’t selected for search? The answer is in the organization.
1; Pick a large enough bag or suitcase. It should be so large that you don’t have to cram everything down and then sit on the thing to get it to latch shut.
2: Organize things correctly. If you have to bring electrical equipment, put them spread out through your bag. Wires should be arranged in a coil, and with the plug by itself – imagine taking a picture of the item where it is in your bag. You should be able to discern every part of it clearly.
Cheese, marzipan, vacuum packed coffee or dry goods and other dense food items or organical items will be analyzed as having the same density as explosives. Consider not bringing such things unless you absolutely must.
3: Separate items. Put your clothes, liquids (i.e. toiletries and such) and objects containing metal (electrical equipment, computers, phones, etc) in separate areas of the bag, preferably either tie or tape some separating cardboard between them if there’s a chance the things might bounce around and mix with eachother.
4: Remember to tag you luggage with your name clearly printed on a laminated card securely affixed to your bag(s). Many countries (especially in Europe) has legislation that demands the owner is presented when searches are conducted, and you can be sure that your plane won’t lift off before they can find you. Either that, or your bags might be left behind and dealt with by police. (And the police aren’t polite baggage handlers…)
If you’re going on a trip and you’re planning on bringing carry-on luggage, take a look at SnallaBolaget.com – the menu on the right contains pages that’ll make sure you breeze through security in seconds with that too.
Lastly, you can never be sure that your bags won’t be sure, but these tips will certainly bring the chances up in your favor!
SnallaBolaget.com is a public and private resource for security information, being added to every day and run by experienced security professionals.
G. Sommerfeldt is closing on a decade of security experience in both private and public sector, and has been a security supervisor and manager for several of those years.
I agree. Proper organisation makes it easier on all and gets you through a baggae check in a breeze. Great article! Gave me some good ideas on how to pack electrical equipment.
I agree with this. I wish I had known some of the tips a little early when I got hassled by security for having anxBox360 and lava lamp in a carry on bag. I wanted them there because I didn’t want a baggage handler drop-kicking them onto cargo. but I ahd packed things so it turned out to be really inconvenient to get at the xBox-TSA wanted to see that out like a laptop. the lava lamp that my son had won was confiscated as being a bottle of liquid-despite being sealed and in its original box! I argued with them about it, really argued and finally toosed them the box and said “keep, your kid will get to enjoy it!” Probably not my best move with security people, but they were rude and very inconsistent that day and were making us late for our flight, especially after I pointed that out!
If I had even thought about potential problems taking a lava lamp on a plane, I could have padded it and stuck in a suitcase. I was just thinking what was most secure for me, not what was going to get me hassled or not. Jeez, it was only a lavalamp and sealed and in its box!
Watch out for TSA in bad moods, they will purposely hold you back and delay to hassle you-it’s happened to me too many times, even when Iwasn’t rude to them as well! Actually this last trip was the first time I was rude and angry. But so were they!
sure sure Eliza … “only a lava light “… Say isn’t that a bottle of oily liquid with blobs of organic waxy matter? Thankfully no chance at all that that combination could be tampered with to create a malicious device.
And in a sealed box no less ? Yes obviously gluing a box lid re-shut after opening would defeat even the most ingenious terrorist or Walmart shopper returning used goods. And of course the bottle cap on top of it is impossible to replace; didn’t they register or confiscate every bottle cap press in the 30s ?
How exactly do self absorbed people like you function with the rest of us dolts in your path ? Just run us over “because you are late” or some like drivel ??
The only line in your posting that didn’t irk me was “If I had even thought” , where I agreed; yes, if only you could THINK then how many people would not have been delayed or provoked by your naivety .
I am wondering about medical marijuana users and how they can avoid getting tagged at the boarder? Obviously no product is going to be coming over the boarder because that would be illegal, but the odor and residue is still detectable for days after the last use when they swab your luggage or hands or the dogs sniff you.
What can be done to avoid this?
Um how can i take my pocket knife with me