Do I wear my moneybelt during the TSA body scan?

A few years ago, I had my moneybelt on when I was going through airport security. Forgot which aiport. I wasn't expecting (hadn't had one through the rest of my trip) a pat-down body search, but when I was asked, I obediently held my arms out and stood still. The security person was female and when she patted my abdomen, she discreetly & quietly asked if it was my moneybelt. I said yes. She nodded and sent me through. I think coins in the moneybelt might set off the alarms though. I only had paper in my moneybelt.

Matt, I often keep my Money Belt in my carry-on and don't start wearing it until just before I land in Europe. I keep my Passport and other items in a wallet on my person during the flight, and transfer to the Money Belt on arrival. Especially with the new "security procedures", it's highly likely that the Money Belt would be detected either by the Full-Body Scanners or a "pat down", and at that point you'll be asked to remove it for inspection. That's an annoyance I wouldn't tolerate well! Good luck!

Thanks for your reply, Ken. I does sound sensible, in light of the new security procedures, to put the belt inside the hand luggage. But don't you ever worry that someone will snatch your bag, especially if you are randomly selected for a more extensive search?

I keep my moneybelt in my purse/day bag (not my backpack or carry-on suitcase) until just before the plane lands at my destination. I keep an eye on the day bag when I go through security screening, the only time I take it off before I board the plane. I haven't (yet?) been tagged for a search on an international flight and also haven't yet gone through a body scanner so I'm not sure how the TSA would react to seeing a moneybelt. I would think that when you get in line, you could tell a TSA agent that you are wearing a moneybelt and ask if you should take it off.

In Venice this past May four of us were going through security at the airport. Two of us were body scanned & there was a notice in place to remove everything from the body that wasn't clothing. One of the ladies had on her moneybelt & was told to remove it.

Matt, how would someone snatch your luggage while you are being patted down? Everyone else there is a ticketed passenger, your luggage will be near you, there are TSA agents everywhere...How far could someone really get if they tried to steal luggage after security? Have you ever heard of anyone's purse being snatched or wallet pickpocketed during or after security? I haven't.

If you have to go through a "full body scanner" you will need to remove the belt. We were in line for such a scanner recently. The TSA staff were shouting that you had to remove everything- even a folded dollar bill in your pocket or a tissue would "set off" the scanner. If you think you might be subjected to this, etither opt for the body pat down and tell the agent you are wearing a money belt. Or put the money belt in your carry on before heading to the airport, then go to the restroom after secrutiy and put it on. Or do like we do and use the lines with just the old-fashioned metal detectors, hand scanners and "explosive residue puffers". Hubby has a metal plate and screws in his ankle and sometimes sets off the metal detectors- they use the hand scanner, pat him down and sometimes do the "puffer".

Regardless of what someone else has posted, I have a TSA security agent living in the apartment above me who tells me that computers are stolen after going thru the machine every once in a while. More often, computers are left behind by their owners who forget them. Always keep an eye on your stuff and when I travel with someone we try to watch out for each others stuff. TSA may be worried about the security of the airplane but they are NOT worried about your personal stuff.

Thanks Charlie--it's good to hear your perspective.

Matt, if you are subject to a pat down, the TSO is supposed to get your bags and bring them to you. You're not allowed to touch them until after the pat down. If they don't get your bags, ask them to do it. If they balk, demand it. It's policy.

as others have said and would agree, these are a hassle but neccessary, so make it easier on yourself. if you are already traveling light then what you are wearing on the plane should be too. just check all your pockets before even getting in line and through everything you need in one part of your carry on so you know where ya put it. easiest way to beat TSA is to just do everything they expect you to do.

I went through the full scan this week and it did detect the money belt, which prompted a head to toe private pat down (even though they knew it was around my waist and I could show it to them). In answer to other comments - we have had stuff disappear between when we put it in the little bowl and when we got through (about 8 euros in coin) to the other side. We watch our stuff really carefully now and don't keep stuff loose anymore - it all goes into the small pack (cameras/cell phone/GPS/wallets/and now, moneybelts). I'm still not comfortable with taking off the moneybelt, but we may not have a choice anymore. Mostly it seems like they have you face your belongings if they "wand" you (the old method) and would have had me retrieve my bags before going into the private area if I hadn't been traveling with others who could keep them for me.

Thanks Karen--it's good to hear some first hand experience (though your experience sounds rather unpleasant...)

Just wear it so its covering your private bits. Not helpful but it would get a chuckle.

Don't wear it. It probably won't set off the normal walk through but the full scan will show it. When TSA sees it, they'll send you for the full monty because you had something hidden on you. Keeping it in your carry-on is the best idea.

I just returned from six weeks in Europe. The plane travel was the worst part of the trip, even in business. But I went through innumerable airports and security. The only full body scan was in El Paso (not Miami, DFW, Chicago, Heathrow, Madrid, Brussels, Cairo). I did get the pat down five or six times. At every security I was wearing my money belt with credit cards and cash inside. I was never asked to remove it. I kept passports in zippered shirt pocket. Most of the time I went through with the exact same things and sometimes I set off the detector and sometimes not. Some pat downs I was asked to take out my passport. The most stringent security was at Heathrow. Almost everyone seemed to have at least one carry-on that was emptied after the x-ray and then sent through again.

I don't use a money belt but if I did I think I'd only put it on once I arrived at my destination. In the past, I put everything that might set off the scanners in a zipped pocket in my carryon. Change, watch, keys, phone, etc. Nothing went in the little bowls. These days, I also put my wallet in the carryon and wear a belt with a plastic buckle. It's not so easy to grab a carryon, unzip a pocket, and steal something without being noticed. But it is relatively easy to go through the scanner without raising an alarm. I've been poked, prodded, canned, and patted down at airports for more than 20 years. I don't like it because it adds time to my day. But, it's better than letting someone with a gun or a bomb on to my flight. As for the new scanners and and the presumed invasion of privacy that happens when a naked representation of your body is sent somewhere, ... well, women have been putting up with men picturing them naked forever. Get used to it.

I've returned from my trip and wanted to report back from about my monebelt / tsa adventures. Many of you said you don't wear a moneybelt until you get off the airplane. This doesn't work for me because I live in Chicago and take public transportation, so it's much safer for me to have my moneybelt on while getting to the airport. We removed our moneybelts before going through security at O'Hare and buried them in our bags. I went through the regular screener and my spouse went through the new scanner. A bar of soap in my bag triggered an alert so TSA had to go through my entire backpack. I was close by while all this was happening so I wasn't concerned about my moneybelt being stolen from my bag (I never took my eyes off of it). Our next flight was out of Heathrow and once again we stored our moneybelts in the bag. Right before I was entering the metal detector the agent requested to view my passport and I had to tell her I didn't have it because it was in my bag. After that I kept my moneybelt on through future screenings at Rome FCO and Heathrow because they didn't have the new screeners there. My moneybelt was never detected and I wasn't asked to remove it. In the future, I woould only take it off if I knew there was a chance of going through the new scanners. Otherwise, I'm keeping it on.