I've never in hundreds of entries through the Gates of Hell (domestic, abroad or boarding Charon's ferry) been required, asked or volunteered to take my wallet from my pocket. Why do folks do it?

Here in ATL, a trip through the scanner is a random experience. So, ya would just do with your wallet what you would normally do with your wallet at security.:)
I find the scanner experience to be annoying enough to distract me from what's going on with my bags.:p

It greatly increases the chances of an over-zealous TSO wanting to give you a pat-down if they can see that there is something in your pocket. I've never been asked either but I usually leave it in my bag for this reason.

It is a requirement at RDU -- Flying out on Sunday, if asked to go through the WBI, you have to remove EVERYTHING from your pockets and remove your belt.

I refused and was held for 2 minutes until someone capable of doing a pat-down was found. During that time, 8 TSOs were standing around on the far end of the WBI line.

I watched and 100% of the people going through the WBI were given a secondary pat. I asked why and was told that the specific machine there provides only a "cookie cutter outline" with red dots where "suspicious" materials might be -- everyone has something that triggers the red-dot, so everyone gets an additional feel-up.

Seems like a GREAT system.

On the other hand, Portland is beautiful.. wish you were here. :p

Good for you! More people need to do this.

There are at least two of us. Check out my previous posts on this subject and you'll find a lot more. FYI, I've been locking my wallet in a locking briefcase to prevent airport checkpoint theft since about 1976.

I am genuinely shocked. I don't know how you find the time to do this.

The wallet stays in my hands or my pocket. There are no other choices.

Why would anyone take off their watches or wallets or let them out of their sight for even one second? :confused:

And how does this relate to a possible security threat?

Locking a wallet in one's briefcase? Does that take more or less time than it takes to remove one's shoes and put them back on again? How do you find the time for the shoe routine?

Relates in the same manner that TSA is a security organization.

Is there any reason that burying it at the bottom of the carry on wouldn't work? I normally keep my ID in my pocket with my BP and PC card and the rest of my pocket essentials get buried in a way that most people would have to dig. I just make sure to pack so that I know how to Jenga my stuff back out with minimal effort after getting through Smurfville.

Depending on my mood, I'll dig the stuff back out at the lounge or while still hanging with the Smurfs.

Pretty much identical to my experience at BOS. No belt/wallet/anything in the pockets, all was supposed to be put through xray. The folks ahead of me that took the WBI still got searched anyway; I don't know why.

I opted to skip the imager so I kept the wallet in my pocket until it was time for the pat down. I held it in my hand but they made me put it in a cup (which fortunately stayed in sight). I see others reporting that TSOs either opened their wallets and rifled through them or walked off with them to put through xray. I suppose I should consider myself lucky since neither of those happened.

I guess I'll have to find the least accessible pocket on my bag to hide it in the future.

This is really getting ridiculous.

Do you use a TSA lock, or a combo lock that they can't unlock with a TSA key? I've always locked my rollerboard when it passes through the x-ray. This will give me more reason to keep my wallet inside the locked bag.

Hope Flies.... doesn't mind if I put my two cents in......if you just bury it without locking the bag, it still allows a screener to get into the bag possibly without your knowledge. With a combo lock, they have to come to you to ask you to open it.

Flies, would it be safe to say that your carry-on doesn't get searched too often?

That's been my practice since 2003.