Always remain CALM and be prepared to undergo a bag search, hand-wand and a pat-down.  Do the following to make the screening process easy for you:

1.  Wear clothes that have no metal, including underwire bras.  Underwire bras will alarm when the screener uses the hand-held metal-detector.

2.  Don’t wear baggy pants, dresses or skirts.  There is an additional required procedure when screeners are wanding you called, “the step forward method” for those who wear skirts or dresses.  This is to assure that a passenger is not hiding a weapon or prohibited item.

3.  Wear slip-on shoes.  It is required for all passengers to take off their shoes.  Ask the screener to check your feet and return your shoes after walking through the walk-through metal detector. 

4.  Place underwear and lingerie in plastic zip-top bags to avoid contamination from screener’s gloves when they riffle through your bag.  This applies to both checked and carry-on baggage.

5.  Pack your carry-on as light as possible.  The fewer items for the screener to check; the faster you get out of secondary screening.  Remember your 3-1-1 rule- 3 ounces of liquids, gels or creams, 1 zip-top plastic bag and 1 bag per person.  Place your plastic 3-1-1 bag at the top so you can take it out and declare it at security checkpoint.

6.  Pack ALL personal bedroom toys in your checked baggage.  In my book, I tell a story about how a vibrator shutdown an airport checkpoint for 45 minutes.

7.  Know your prohibited items for carry-on baggage.  Go to http://www.airportbook.com and download my Special Report, “The Ultimate Packing List” for FREE!  

8.  Use TSA approved luggage locks for your checked baggage.  This way you can drop and go and TSA will be able to unlock and relock your bag without you being there.  You can buy the locks at http://www.divineislandbooks.com/Travelstuff3.htm.

9.  Always carry the proper identification for you and any child traveling with you.  A birth certificate or social security card would be proper identification for minors.  This also applies to your child’s friend when traveling with you.  You may always refer to the airlines for changes for identification.

10.  Arrive 2 hours early.  This will allow ample time for you to get through secondary screening.  Remember that power outages, security breaches, weapons scare and long lines, even for secondary screening is a reality. 

Be prepared and be armed with valuable information I have in I Might As Well Be Naked: How To Survive Airport Screening With Your Clothes On!  Buy this must have reference book at http://www.airportbook.com.

A bonus tip is don’t dress in overalls and this applies to children too.  Overalls will automatically put you in secondary screening.

Happy and Safe Travels!

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A passenger should never feel rushed. Most airports have porters in front of the airports to assist all passengers with their luggage. A porter also has a dual function of assisting passengers to and from the gate and throughout the airport when necessary. A person who requires additional assistance throughout the screening process should contact the airlines ahead of time and arrange porter service.

Always consult your doctor prior to traveling for the best screening process for you and inform the screener how you want to be screened. Screeners should always inform the passenger of the process whether they’re in primary or secondary screening. A private screening should be offered before the process begins. You may request a private screening at any time. Two screeners of the same gender as you should be present during private screening. Whether you are in private screening or not, always ask the screener to change his or her gloves before they touch you or your personal items. This will reduce the amount of germs picked up from other people’s baggage.

Liquids, gels and creams that are used for medical conditions or devices are automatically exempt from the 3-1-1 rule. 3 ounces or less, one zip-top bag and 1 bag per person. If your liquid medication is over 3 ounces, place those items in a separate plastic zip-top bag and hand it over for inspection. Only take enough medication in your carry-on baggage for the flight. Place all additional liquid medication in your checked baggage.

All medication must be clearly marked with a manufacturers or pharmacy label. Normally, medication is x-rayed; however, you can request a physical inspection if your doctor recommends it. Always use a plastic bag and pack your medication separate from other carry-on items. To avoid contamination or damage, you will be asked to handle and repack your medication throughout the visual inspection process. Any medication that cannot be visually cleared must be x-rayed to allow you into the sterile area of the airport.

1. You will be screened in your wheelchair or scooter if you cannot stand or walk.

2. Ask the screener to assist you with taking off or putting on your shoes. Shoehorns should be available.

3. Companions or a family member should make suggestions on the best way to screen a person with a disability or may accompany and assist you through the screening process.

4. Contact the airlines in advance for their procedures in handling additional medical aids, such as an oxygen supplier or a wheelchair.

5. Discreetly discuss with the screener what your physical limitations or capabilities are before you start a hand-wanding or pat-down procedure.

6. Medical supplies, equipment, mobile aids, and/or assistive devices are exempt from the one carry-on plus one personal item rule.

7. If you have a medical device implant inside or outside your body, always check with your doctor prior to traveling for the best and safest way to be screened at checkpoint. Ask if it is safe for you to walk through the metal detector or to be hand-wanded. If it is determined that you cannot walk through the metal detector, then quietly ask for a full-body pat-down.

Download all 119 Tips for Passengers with Disabilities at: http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm

Happy & Safe Travels!

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Passengers should always consult their doctor for the best method of screening. Passengers with a pace-maker, defibrillator or insulin pump should choose the full-body pat-down. Any metal detector could drain the battery in your medical device. If your doctor tells you that your medical equipment cannot go through the x-ray machine or needs special handling, inform the screener and ask for a visual inspection.

There are alternative ways for a passenger to be screened if they do not want to or cannot walk through the walk-through metal detector. When a passenger with a disability approaches a screener, the screener should always be discreet if the person’s disability is discussed and not visible. They should also ask the passenger if they need assistance. The screener should offer all screening methods. They will ask the passenger if he or she prefers to walk through the metal detector, receive a hand-wanding or a full body pat-down. It’s the passenger’s choice. You do not need to disclose your medical condition if you choose to take an alternative screening method. If the passenger walks through the metal detector and it alarms, then the screener will conduct secondary screening using a hand-held metal detector or pat-down.

Ask the screener to change their gloves before undergoing a full-body pat-down or hand-wanding. This will eliminate other people’s germs from spreading. You may ask to sit before, during, and after the screening process if you need to. If you cannot remove your shoes because of your disability, then don’t. Other screening procedures will be performed to clear your shoes through security. Inform the screener of all sensitive areas on your body before undergoing hand-wanding or a pat-down.

At no time during the screening process should a passenger be asked to take off a prosthetic device for screening, nor should a passenger volunteer. Expect an alternative screening procedure, which will include an explosive trace detection test. This will test your prosthetic for explosives and is required by federal law in order for you to proceed to the gate area.

Sometimes screeners need to be able to visually clear a medical device worn on the outside of the body. If this is the case, a private screening should be offered as a requirement by the screener. If this doesn’t happen, the passenger should then request it if they want it. There should always be 2 screeners of the same gender as you (one being a lead or supervisor), you and your family member or companion. Ask for a supervisor or manager if there are only 2 of you going into private screening. You should never be separated from your family member, assistant, or companion when going through the screening process, unless dictated by you. Once your family member has been screened they can offer assistance or directions on the best method for screening if you are not able to communicate it to the screener.

Travel with less stress and be flexible with the changes that come your way with airport security.

Download all 119 Tips for Passengers with Disabilities at: http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm

Happy & Safe Travels!

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Apparently surprised that some airports long have allowed guns in unsecured areas, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said the new Georgia legislation represents a significant hole in national security and a threat to travelers.

He asked the Transportation Security Administration to clarify federal law governing weapons in areas outside security checkpoints. In a letter Monday to TSA Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley, he said “the committee may seek legislative action to correct this omission” if there are no restrictions.

TSA spokesman Christopher White said Tuesday that no federal prohibitions apply to areas outside security checkpoints and that the agency follows local regulations. He said he didn’t know how many airports allow firearms and declined to say whether the agency has a position on the matter, maintaining that it is focused on keeping guns from getting through security.

“We work within the framework of local laws,” he said.

At issue in Georgia is a law signed by Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue earlier this year that allows residents who have passed criminal background checks to carry concealed weapons onto mass transit, as well as into state parks and restaurants that serve alcohol. The law took effect July 1.

A legal battle quickly erupted over whether the law applies to public areas of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before travelers pass through security checkpoints.

On the day the new law took effect, Atlanta officials who oversee the airport declared it a “gun-free zone” and said anyone carrying a gun there could be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin argued that allowing guns could endanger people because airports remain attractive targets for terrorism.

Gun rights supporters filed a federal lawsuit challenging the designation, saying the airport qualifies as mass transportation and has restaurants that should be accessible under the new law.

Sean Broderick, spokesman for the American Association of Airport Executives, also said he did not know how many airports allow handguns. Andrew Arulanandam, a National Rifle Association spokesman, said he thinks guns are at least partially allowed on airport grounds in most states.

The Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport, for example, allows weapons in areas outside checkpoints, while Washington’s Reagan National and Dulles International airports eased rules several years ago to allow weapons on grounds and parking lots, but not in terminals and other buildings that access airfields.

Hartsfield spokesman Herschel Grangent said airport and TSA officials were scheduled to meet late Tuesday on the guns issue.

By BEN EVANS-WASHINGTON (AP)

Associated Press writer Shannon McCaffrey in Atlanta contributed to this report.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRBGpYXCqND81Gr2Q0EhViM9UftQD9235PBO0

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You hand over your bag to an airline or Transportation Security Administration employee, or
You walk through the metal detector at a TSA checkpoint.
In either case, your consent to be searched is implied, and you are in the hands, and at the mercy, of the federal government.

Thus, agents may conduct any method of primary or secondary screening allowed by federal guidelines. You have the right to ask for a private screening at any time during the screening process or to sit down if you cannot stand.

Recently, I’ve been getting questions about passenger rights relating to two whole-body imaging technologies: the Backscatter and Millimeter Wave machines. Passengers want to know if they are required to pass through these detectors or if can they decline.

My answer is that they do have a choice. Even before these technologies were introduced, the TSA always had an alternative screening method available, and it still does.

The TSA has implemented the whole-body imaging technologies in primary and secondary screening because the Backscatter and Millimeter Wave are effective means of detecting weapons, liquid explosives and other threatening items concealed under layers of clothing. They do so without physical contact and within a matter of seconds.

Currently, the Backscatter is being used for secondary screening in lieu of a pat-down. The Millimeter Wave is being used in primary screening in addition to the walk-through metal detector. Both are being tested in pilot programs at several airports.

Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the scanned images produced by both technologies. However, the TSA is working to rectify that problem by ensuring that, once viewed, the images will be deleted immediately and will never be stored, transmitted or printed.

If you are concerned about either device, there is one question you need to ask TSA agents when you arrive at security checkpoints: Is the Backscatter or Millimeter Wave in the pilot phase at this airport?

If a technology is in the pilot phase, it’s offered on a voluntary basis, and it’s an alternative to the traditional pat-down.

If it’s not in the pilot phase, then be forewarned that if you decline, you will undergo additional screening employing another screening method, which probably will include a full-body pat-down.

According to a TSA spokesman, 90% of the passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, one of the pilot sites, prefer the Backscatter to a pat-down. However, it has not been determined how passenger-imaging technology will be used in the future. If you feel that this type of technology is violating your privacy, opt for a full-body pat-down.

In addition to whole-body imaging machines, the TSA is also testing a so-called “trace portal” technology popularly known as the Puffer.

The Puffer is different from the other whole-body technologies in that it does not produce an image; instead, it blows air on you, then analyzes it for traces of explosives.

Though the Puffer is still in pilot testing, it has already engendered a popular myth: that it blows air up women’s legs, raising skirts and dresses a la Marilyn Monroe on a sidewalk air vent.

I recently went through the Puffer, and I can promise that your skirt or dress will not fly up, for the simple reason that there are no holes at the bottom of the Puffer to direct air upward. The holes are located only on the sides and blow air across your body and clothing.

As is the case with the whole-body imaging machines, the Puffer is still in the pilot phase at most airports, so the TSA does not yet require you to pass through it.

You can always refuse to be screened by any technology, but keep in mind that if the technology is not in the pilot phase, you will be screened by another method.

Ask what your choices are, then make your own decision. If at all possible, don’t let the TSA make it for you.

Happy and safe travels!

Natalia Ippolito, a former TSA officer and now a passenger advocate, is the author of “I Might as Well Be Naked! — How to Survive Airport Screening With Your Clothes On” [Divineisland Books, 2007]. Contact her at www.airportbook.com/contact.htm .

Article provided by Travel Weekly Opinion

Go to http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm to purchase your valuable 369 tips book for safe and easy travel!

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Shemeka Greaves, a TSA officer at O’Hare International Airport, read a newspaper account about Janisia Grant, 8, who had disappeared with her mother a week ago Thursday, the TSA said in a news release.

Greaves checked the security tapes and confirmed that Janisia had been through an airport security checkpoint and boarded a plane to Atlanta with a companion, the TSA said.

Police were able to narrow the search for Janisia to Atlanta, and ultimately bring her home, the TSA said. A comment from police was not immediately available.

Janisia and her mother, Felicia Lomax, 39, had been seen walking in the 6100 block of North Fairfield Avenue in the West Rogers Park neighborhood, near DeWitt Clinton Elementary School.

Lomax is Grant’s mother, but does not have custody of the child.

The TSA release did not mention whether Lomax had been found.

For Travel Safety Tips: http://www.divineislandbooks.com/articles.htm#Criminals%20And%20Petty%20Thieves%20Travle%20Too!

The STNG Wire contributed to this report.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/missing.girl.atlanta.2.726494.html

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The survey of 1,000 U.S. business travelers showed that many take such security precautions as monitoring weather conditions (www.weatherbug.com), major world events and the U.S. State Department’s (www.state.gov) travel warnings list.

It also found that more than 93 percent believe their employers have a responsibility to take measures to help ensure travel safety, though less than 55 percent were unaware that any such measures had been taken.

“It’s clear that safety is top-of-mind among business travelers,” Rob Greyber, senior vice president of North America for Expedia Corporate Travel, said in a news release. “Whether it’s researching major world events prior to departure or simply placing valuables in the hotel safe, business travelers are taking proactive measures to increase their feeling of security while traveling.”

article by: http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2008/04/07/focus7.html

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Everyone should buy a luggage scale.  Northwest (www.nwa.com), Delta (www.delta.com), United (www.united.com) and US Air (www.usair.com) are charging you for your second checked bag, plus bag overages.  A scale will eliminate those pesky fees and give you peace of mind.

Everyone should have TSA approved locks.  This is important for many reasons.  Thieves travel too and if your bag makes it to baggage claim before you do, you will know your bag is safe.

If the lights are too bright in the airplane’s cabin, check out my silk eye shades. 

Go to: http://www.divineislandbooks.com/Travelstuff3.htm and purchase any of these GREAT Products at my secure site:

BabyBjorn Baby Active Carrier; Canon 7.1 MP Camera; 80GB iPOD; Portable GPS; Luggage; TSA approved locks; Wireless Travel Mouse; Adapters; Passport Holder; PacSafe Backpac, Purse and Wallet; Mobile Printer; Luggage Scale; Silk Eye Shades; Traveling Toddler; Travel Clock.

All I want to do is make your travel experience easy and pleasant!  Please feel free to leave your comment about your travel experience and what made it easy!

Happy and Safe Travels!

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