This was actually a pretty good article that I think would be helpful for parents. It talks about how to pack one bag that will have all the potential items that could be flagged by the TSA. It makes a lot of sense and I think it’s a good idea. Lifehacker usually has good tips like that.
https://lifehacker.com/you-should-pack-a-family-flagged-bag-for-the-airport-1850747507
A corollary to the family "flagged" bag is to pack a "lithium" bag. My husband and I just flew from Boston to Seattle. In one of the carry on bags we had two cast iron griddles (don't ask). In the other carry on bag was all of the electronics with lithium batteries. When the bag with the cast iron was pulled for secondary screening I told them what was in it and the TSA agent said it couldn't be carried on. (Upon arriving home I checked the TSA website and sure enough, cast iron can't be carried on). I said fine, I'll check it. So out I went and over to the ticket counter to check the bag. Easy peasy. No upset and no delay to speak of. And yes, I should have checked the TSA website first.
Speaking from experience, gummy fruit snacks are always flagged. They show up weird on the X-ray. I once told my 6 yo to pack a “few” snacks in his backpack for our flight. Little did I know he dumped a whole Costco-sized box of fruit snacks in his backpack. The TSA agent had a chuckle at my reaction when his bag was flagged and opened. There were about 40 packs of fruit snacks in there!
The above 6 year old understands minimalist packing and carrying only the essentials. Food is always the most important if stranded. As a dental professional, I suggest that he switch to tiny packets of peanut M&M’s or other - far less damaging to the teeth. I cringe at sticky foods, knowing the damage they cause.
Trotter,
Thanks for the education about cast iron. I learned something new about TSA today. Maybe, it’s metal in general? Or, the cast iron pan (griddle? - I need to look that up.) could be wielded like a club? What’s a cook to do without cast iron cookware!
Thanks for sharing, Mardee. I’d never considered packing a carry on like this but it’s a good idea. My kids are good travelers but going through security efficiently can be tough since you’re trying to move quickly and not leave anything behind. Plus traveling with kids means we pack more (activities, snacks) in our personal items. travel4fun, that made me laugh about the fruit snacks! I could see my youngest doing that.
This family bag idea assumes 30that you know what the TSA agent of the day will be playing in his let’s make up a rule game.
As someone who travels a lot, what do you think may be reviewed probably won’t be. They’re going to go find something new to play with.
Let’s see there was the time the TSA agent took my corkscrew with wings and without a foil, cutter and told me that thus gave him the right to strip search me. It did not. As I told his supervisor, some training might be useful. When I to the agent I wanted to see the supervisor, he threw the corkscrew back in my bad and said he’d let me by this time and I told him I didn’t care. I wanted to see the supervisor - he was not happy with me.
There was the guy in the mobile Alabama airport, who apparently had never seen an external keypad to a computer and wanted me to make it do something, but would not give me the computer to plug it into and of course, without that it didn’t do anything.😂 I refused to give him my keypad, and he finally gave it back to me, saying he never seen anything like that. I walk in the gift shop and they’re hanging on the wall. I started to buy one and take it h him and suggest maybe he should get out more but decided against it.
Last month it was my shoes they wanted to look at. The funniest thing was, I realize as he’s going through my luggage and pulling out my shoes that apparently are dangerous there is an oversize can of hairspray sitting right there that apparently I had thrown into the suitcase at the last minute by accident. It’s about 12 ounces of that hairspray. He doesn’t even notice that. 😂
