US security checkpoint best practices
 

After looking over the forum with a friend, I can't find anything that outlines best practices/best information for clearing checkpoints in the United States. I'd like to change that, since we've got a wealth of experience here.

My goal for this: maintain a list of what the TSA can and cannot do at checkpoints, and the methods to minimize violations of personal security in the face of invasive electronic and physical searches.

I realize this may be a little unclear, and I'd really appreciate others' help on this. I can maintain the information in this post, or someone else can on a subsequent post and I can link there.

The TSA does whatever it wants, if its allowed to or not.

Best practices implies you want a particular outcome.

If your desired outcome is to get through as quickly as possible

1 Approach ID check with ID/BP in hand
2 Greet with good morning/afternoon/evening with eye contact
3 Thank after ID

4 Be situationally aware of TSA in the security area. If they ask to remove belts, even if your belt didnt alarm yesterday, remove belt. If its MMW scanner, even a tissue in your pocket will require inspection.

5 3-1-1 of course, and have laptop in separate bin were applicable

6 I offload electronics and wires into a second gray bin so my briefcase is pretty devoid of spaghetti. I get inspected about 3-4x per year out of 120 inspections...usually because I left something new in the bag I forgot about.

• avoid airports whenever possible
• move out of the country
• limit US travel
• go by train or bus
• wear dark glasses and carry a blind man's cane - complain that you can't see your stuff
• opt out every time
• complain frequently to elected officials and don't vote for them if they support this nonsense
• support anti TSA/DHS groups

the list could be endless - unfortunately there is no magic bullet to get you through a checkpoint without potential hassle - it could happen to you for any reason at any time - "CODE BRAVO"

This first thing to remember is the TSA’s organizational inconsistency, which they pretend is by design. A TSA employee posted here a few years ago “Some airports do. Some airports don’t. Each airport is different.” Even having a printout of policies and procedures from TSA.gov can be met with “The website is out of date.” Or “We don’t do that at our airport.”

Keep in mind that TSA employees wearing the policeman’s costume have less administrative authority than your average municipal dog catcher. They cannot arrest you, physically detain you, etc.

Invest in a passport card. It has no personally identifiable information on it, and there is no reason for a TSA employee to know your home address, especially with the never ending instances of criminal activity within the TSA workforce. If for some reason you find yourself travelling without ID, by all means do not give TSA employees sensitive documents such as Social Security Cards, birth certificates, credit card statements, etc. There are TSA procedures in place to validate who you say you are by asking you a series of questions and comparing your answers to publically available databases. If you’ve ever had to have your online password reset over the phone by a financial institution, you'll be familiar with this. Anecdotal evidence here on FT has shown this to take as little as ~15 minutes, and in fact this was the case when a family member of mine left their photo ID at home by mistake recently. However, be sure to allow for ample time due to checkpoint busy times and staffing levels. Note that these procedures are for travelers without ID, not for refusing to present it if it’s in your possession.

Never allow your things to be out of your sight while you opt out.

Nobody should be feel compelled to engage a TSA employee in conversation, or answer such questions as “Where are you flying to?". I’m not at the checkpoint for random chit chat, and I’m certainly not going to engage a Behavior Detection Voodoo Practitioner. My verbal statements are limited to things such as:

• “I’m opting out.”
• “Yes, that is my bag.” (and only if indeed I can clearly see it if it’s out of the tunnel)
• “I’d like you to put on a fresh pair of gloves, out of the box, not out of your pocket.”

Optimize the time it takes to get your stuff in and out of the x-ray. Stow your keys, change, wallet, etc. in your bag before you get to the Trained Document Checker. Use small non-TSA locks to secure valuable items to minimize the risk of theft by TSA employees. My personal preference for the x-ray is: tub with shoes / jacket, rollaboard, laptop bag, tub with laptop if you’re not using a bag that can go through the x-ray with the laptop inside. Stay at the opening of the x-ray until the laptop is all the way in, and ignore any TSA employee request that you move along. Some FFs put their stuff in reverse order on the belt, but on the other side I find its fastest for me. Also, if the guy in front me of causes a demolition derby of tubs by catching mine while picking up his, I’d rather have my shoes and jacket hit the floor than my laptop.


Unfortunately, that is no guarantee of a venue free of TSA infestation:

Coming to a bus terminal near you…

I've been doing laptop bag, tub with laptop, tub with shoes, backpack with valuables locked inside. Allows me to clearly see both ends of my 'stuff' on the other side while waiting at the WTMD for the assist, quickly put the laptop back in its bag on the otherside and keep my backpack on my back until the mouth of the xray.

Remember, they're just trying to do a job. Be polite and friendly, like you would to any other service-sector employee. Smile if you can. It'll make this faster and more pleasant for everyone involved. Know what you need to remove, and make sure it's easy to access. Put whatever's in your pockets, aside from boarding pass / ID - in an outside compartment of something going through the scanner. Get into the habit of doing that.

Don't put anything on top of your laptop in the same compartment, so you can pull it out and put it back in without spilling things. The same goes for your 3-1-1 bag. Make sure it's easily accessible and can be put out and put back in without spilling things when your roll-aboard is on the belt. Loafers / other slip on shoes are very appropriate for airport use.

I've never found the need to remove wires / normal electronics from my laptop bag or briefcase. I've never had problems with what I carry. If you're travelling with a VCR now - that might be a different story. (Who does that?)

If you are a more private individual, or travel from a state with insecure licenses (read: many western states), travelling on a passport or passport card will provide the screener less unnecessary information and speed the checkpoint process. If you use paper tickets, you can put the ticket in the ID page of the passport for even faster and more convenient access.

Welcome to Flyer Talk! :)

The TSA has admitted in their own internal training programs, ENGAGE! and COACH! (yes, they really holler in ALL CAPS), that customer service is not their goal. I am no-nonsense and brief when interacting with TSA employees, and I'm not at the checkpoint to exchange pleasantries or provide them with administrative conveniences.

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

An earlier thread of mine may be of some use; it's directed at those who wish to opt out of WBI scanners:

First-Time Opt Out: What Exactly To Do/Ask?

What you're looking for is impossible for two reasons. One, the exact TSA protocols in terms of "what can/can't they do" are classified. Two, even if they weren't classified, the TSA still allows its screeners to basically make up their own rules, and pick and choose the protocol they'll use. I've had one screener tell me that his station won't allow him to come in contact with "resistance", and I've had a screener at a different station grab my resistance with an open palm. I've had one screener yell at me for leaving my belt on through the MMW, and I've had another yell at me for holding up the line when taking it off. Virtually all screeners encourage me to turn and look at the Gumby monitor once leaving the MMW, except for that one guy who shouted that if I continued turning around and saw the display before him, I'd be subjected to a "full body pat-down with comprehensive swabbing".

Point being, you're looking for a consistent list when dealing with the least consistent set of rules known to most Americans, and a three-striper at every station who has their own interpretation of them. You could do everything the barkers say exactly as they say to do it, and still end up getting a talking-to about your "inability to follow the rules" from the two-striper who's snapping a plastic glove on to deliver your retaliator--errr--"random" screening.

There's only one "best practice" to avoid problems at the checkpoint: the walletory opt-out. Drive.

Pardon my ignorance: what do you mean by a state with insecure licenses? I thought all state DoT/DMV-issued driver licenses and ID cards were equally valid as long as they have a picture and an expiration date. Is this not the case?

The US government is trying to force the states to bring out "REAL ID" and "Enhanced" drivers licenses which have more ID requirements in order to get one.

Completely contrary advice to what the OP was trying to accomplish, viz, a list of actions to speed the process, not make political statements or assert your personal beliefs on what the screening experience should be.

The political statements have their place, but my sense is the OPs purpose was other than that.

There is some solid good advice here, and would request the Moderators cull the political stuff and lock the thread once this advice stops coming.

States still (as I understand it, I am not an expert) have control over their own visual security / validation features and card design. Some states (OR and AZ, maybe some others) have IDs that take more time to verify that they are real and that the information matches.

They are equally valid, just not equally well designed. It'll just take a few extra seconds. :)

EDIT: Obviously, it also depends on the familiarity of the screener w/ the license. I've had screeners take 20 or 30 seconds looking at my old Oregon license @ CLE and CMH for example, but they're pretty used to them at SEA and PDX.

A passport will most certainly not provide a nosy TDC with 'less unnecessary information'. At least half the time I present a passport to the TDC, he/she feels it necessary to flip through looking at the stamps and visas, even though I always present my BP inserted into the front photo page and opened.

I have even (just once) had a TDC take issue with the fact that I hadn't filled in the 'personal data/emergency contact information'.