ScatterX

Left Florida (VPS) this morning with pre-check. Everything seemed like normal PC, until...

The "push your stuff into the X-ray barker" noticed I had sunglasses folded and hanging from my short (i.e., where a tie normally is). Barker says that is not allowed. I mentioned that I was going through e WTMD, not the NOS, but only got a blank stare and "You are not allowed to have them there, you must put them on, put them on top of your head, or hold them in your hand." Not wanting to play stupid reindeer games today, I put them on and went through the WTMD.

Now, the WTMD "guardian of freedom" insisted that I could not wear them through the WTMD, but did not say why. The WTMD didn't alarm and the clerk said, please hold them in your hand next time. I proceeded to grab my stuff and leave w/o engaging anyone about this insanity.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is there any possible logic to this or have the clerks simply become bored with their current menu of stupid human tricks?

FredAnderssen

Well, geeze. Everyone knows that sunglasses in your hand looks like a surface-to-air missile launcher, smart guy.

And nobody wears surface-to-air missile launchers on their head (unless you're Persian for whom on your head is preferred).

Got it?

DeafBlonde

I wonder what this nut-case would do if someone was wearing prescription eye-glasses? Are we no longer allowed to wear eye-glasses when going through the WTMD?

It has never happened to me with regard to eye-glasses, but YMMV. I will never take my eye-glasses off as they are medically necessary devices.

I also have prescription sunglasses, so if I ever fly again. I might try wearing those through just for grins.

yandosan

They usually demand I take off my sunglasses and put them into the tray.
This is further proof they just like barking out arbitrary orders.

InkUnderNails

I guess enough of them have metal frames (mine do) and might set off the detector. That explains the tray but not the hand.

One other possibility is that they thought they might be spy glasses with built in cameras and they did not want to end up on YouTube barking ridiculous orders.

Spiff

If they are prescription (they are prescription, right? ), then you don't have to remove them.

chollie

If you keep your sunglasses (even prescription ones) on, you are potentially interfering with the screening process.

You are interfering with TSO/BDO ability to see your eyes and accurately and fully evaluate your micro-expressions.

ScatterX

These are freakishly light, non-metal framed glasses. No metal detector in the world would catch these bad boys.

Besides, I wasn't given an "in the tray option" -- my choices were on head, in hand, or on face.

This is one of the only two straws I good grasp at. There was a BDO lucking about that had to read my eyes. They looked like at first and then transitioned to .

My other thought is the TSOs don't know the different between a WTMD and a NOS, which would explain the glasses can go on head, in hand, or on face, but not over clothes moronicicity.

Of course they are. This wouldn't have solved my problem though, since would have said I had to wear them (taking two of the options away).

This is one of the only two straws I good grasp at. There was a BDO lucking about that had to read my eyes. They looked like at first and then transitioned to .

My other thought is the TSOs don't know the different between a WTMD and a NOS, which would explain the glasses can go on head, in hand, or on face, but not over clothes moronicicity.

Of course they are. This wouldn't have solved my problem, because they would have said I had to wear them (taking two of the options away).

ScatterX

At least I can rest easy that I'm not the only one they're after. They are being stupid for everyone.

gobluetwo

I wonder what would happen if they encountered Transitions lenses - doh!

Spiff

I'm sure your doctor advised/prescribed them.

Often1

When someone ahead of me in the PC line sets of an alert, that delays me. The whole point of PC is to move people quickly. If only 1% of sunglasses trip the WTMD, it's faster and better to have them removed.

Same reason that you can either wear your jacket or put it through for screening as you choose, but you can't carry it through. Enough people scrape the side of the WTMD with items they carry that it slows the line down.

Spiff

Bummer for you. If someone wants to wear their corrective lenses through the WTMD, then that's the choice they make. Perhaps you might instead champion the elimination of the ID/BP check which 100% contributes to delays at the "security" checkpoint.

Randyk47

I've never given much thought to wearing my prescription sunglasses through security. Glasses are just part of me, worn them since I was two so for more years than I want to count or admit to. Never, not once have I ever been asked to take my regular glasses off. I'm not particularly a conformist but then again I don't make it a habit to "test the system" just to prove a point so I won't be trying to wear my sunglasses through security any time soon. I'm more interested in getting through the routine, regardless of what I think of it, as rapidly as possible and keep me and everybody else moving along.

chollie

I've been legally blind since I was a child. I would have difficulty understanding signals or even verbal commands if I were told to navigate a WTMD without my eyewear.

I have had the misfortune to be returning from the Southwest with a broken pair of regular glasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses. So sorry if I inconvenienced you on that occasion. Perhaps you mistakenly assumed I was testing the system instead of understanding how profoundly bad my uncorrected vision is.

Just as I mistakenly thought your obvious impatience and loud grumblings about people 'testing the system' instead of following orders were rude and directed at me.

As others have said in other circumstances, if you don't like running the risk of being behind handicapped people whose limitations are not immediately and obviously recognized by you, perhaps you should drive or charter a jet.