Replies

And even when they do a full body and carry on search they still miss the lighter. Yep, happened to me. My teen daughter and I had the full search and they missed the lighter in the carry on.

Also, my oldest kid, 16, 15 and 14 at the time of all three searches, was tagged for a full body search, pulled out of security line, and full, ticketed luggage search. Ticked her off they messed up her luggage since she’s a neat freak.

Again, is there anyone in America that doesn’t realize just how serious it is to follow the instructions/rules? I considered it a hassle, felt bad for my teenage daughter (the body search thing freaked her out, she’s so “don’t enter my space” type of person). But she handled it and I was there since she was a minor so they couldn’t do it without me being present. And the bottom line is, sure it’s an inconvenience but one I’ll gladly put up with in today’s world. I told her, when she asked why she keeps getting searched, that she’s the easy, training person. The one they pick to train the new security personnel.

The most recent time was in Orlando airport, our family of 6 leaving Disney World. It happened another time there 10 months earlier when it was just the two of us and not all 6 of us (family). Anyway, leaving DW, she was pulled aside, me with her once they knew she was a minor, and given the search. Since it happened twice before, but my husband wasn’t present those times, he was freaking out, it was common to the two of us by this time. She thinks she’ll be searched every time we fly and I agree with her. Anyway, my husband was not happy about it but we were used to it by this time.

This latest time we flew, I made sure every shampoo/conditioner, etc. was the exact size permitted. And every time, we get pulled out of the long security line, which is a plus really since we don’t have to wait in those long lines. The search takes less time than going thru security with no problems.

It sucks. I wish they’d focus on those who pose a real threat but figure a teen traveling with her mom or her family of 6 COULD be a threat even though we know we’re not a threat.

I found the TSA and all the officers to be incredibly polite and gentle (especially when dealing with me and my kid, especially when searching my kid). They had what I perceived as apologetic looks while searching her and me. One TSA agent in SLC airport, saw me using a lighter to light my cig and was really belligerent in taking it from me and read me the riot act and how did I get through security with a lighter, blah blah blah. I had no idea we couldn’t fly with lighters then, it was the first time I flew since my honeymoon many years ago, and ignorance isn’t a defense but I really didn’t know. He snactched it out of my hand as if it were a weapon, in the smoking lounge where he was smoking and told me not to give him attitude, he thought I was giving him attitude. I called my husband on my cell, cos even thousands of miles away I expect him to fix everything, and he said “crap, I forgot, you can’t have a lighter” It was a Damn! moment. Then my carry on was searched for “explosives residue” and the TSA guy was very informative and sorta apologetic about it all. Then we were full searched and my kid was WTH? She was a teen girl. Then the last two times, she was ok with it, it was still creepy to her but she’s older and realizes it may happen. She always gets tagged for it for some reason.