That's exactly why it's getting checked! And I don't eat meat so they might arrest me if I refused to prove it was food and not a beef gun.

Come on guys, gift bags? NO FUN.

We've traveled with wrapped presents, mostly checked, but some carry on, and never had a problem. We are aware that there is a slight possibility that some TSAer might decide that some packages need further inspection, and we will need to rewrap, but it's a chance thats always worked out for us so far.

I fly to CPH and back every Jul to bring gifts back and forth between my Svenska relatives. I've always just packed them in my checked luggage and there has been no indication that they've been messed with upon unpacking. I did carry a really expensive Royal Copenhagen plate back in my carry on wrapped last week, but had no problem in CPH or AMS.

I've just arrived in HNL from CMH. Someone at CMH decided to unwrap the books, which were in Barnes and Noble wrapping paper. These were two paperbacks wrapped together. There's no way it could have been anything else.

And the three small bottles of jam and bottle of wine? They ripped the gift bag apart--they weren't even wrapped.

My family, which includes many faces of the political spectrum, agreed that this was quite clearly an act of aggression. "I didn't get the gifts I wanted for Christmas, so I'm going to rip yours up."

Oddly enough, I had just sort of complimented the TSA. They were very polite on yesterday. Perhaps that's because their jerks were all in the baggage makeup room "acting out" their psychiatric problems.

I suspect the "acts of aggression" - if any - result from TSO's this week being REALLY tired of explaining to many clueless but offended infrequent flyers what has been true for over 6 years: wrapped objects in carry-on bags ARE SUBJECT TO BEING UNWRAPPED. Christmas, birthday, hostess/host presents - nothing is immune, and woe betide you if it has liquid > 3 ounces. It's old and well-publicized news.

I don't like it either, but given the warnings, there's no point in accusing TSO's of "aggression," when they carry out the rule. Be angry about the rule, but don't unduly demonize the poor guys who have to carry it out.

Read the post again - it says "baggage makeup room" which I take to mean the items were in checked baggage.

Yes, the books were in checked baggage. And the jam and wine were not wrapped in sealed wrapping paper, just a gift bag with tissue paper. All items--even in checked baggage--are subject to search. We're all aware of that. But this was like peeling a banana to see what's inside.

Yes, it's inference on my part to suggest that it was a psychological outburst that led someone to rip the gift bag and the giftwrapped books. But, judging from prior experience, the TSA has a bend toward hostlity.

Oops.
 

Sorry for not reading more closely - I understand your annoyance more now! :( I still suspect it was more time pressure than outright hostility, but your hypothesis is more plausible than on my first reading.

Hope the gifts were still well-received!

Time pressure or not, the TSA should be respectful of passengers and their property. Some are, some are not. Some in TSA and its management seem to have forgotten the cardinal rule that the a'holes are the ones that generate the public image of the agency. By ignoring that cardinal rule, and ignoring complaints, it appears that some in management are giving tacit approval to those that act like jerks. Don't think for a minute that the lack of discipline on the bad actors is overlooked or ignored by the good ones. One rotten apple can ruin the entire bushel.

I have fown a couple times with wrapped presents (though not during the holidays). I have never had a problem but IF they needed to inspect the gift the will most certainly not hesitate to unwrap it.

just as a data point, i traveled iah-sfo on the 22nd with a bunch of wrapped food items--mostly candy--as well as a wrapped book and shaving brush in checked baggage...half expected things to be unwrapped, but all made it through unscathed.

Interesting that I just found this thread. I left on the 4th for a long vacation in Asia. I left from a small airport that I guess does not have a big machine for the checked bag.

Well my very large checked bag was pulled aside, in front of myself and everyone else (tiny terminal) and EVERYTHING was pulled out including my wrapped gifts, which were then unwrapped by the TSA guy.

Such a great way to start my trip! :rolleyes:

We flew out of DRO a couple of weeks ago carrying a couple of boxes of wrapped presents from family there for our grandchildren in the Northwest. Too much for carry-on so with no baggage x-ray machine the TSA employee carefully unwrapped and then rewrapped as best she could one box full of presents and gave us a pass on the other.

It would have been a lot quicker if we'd been able to carry the bags on and run them through the machine.

A solution if you're the one who wrapped the gifts is to obviously don't put prohibited items in your carry-on bag; if you know what can and can't go in carry-on bags. The sign about not wrapping gifts is basically there to prevent having that nice wrapping destroyed. Personally this Christmas I opened one wrapped gift because it was a snow house; picture a snow globe in the shape of a house that you put on your window sill. The lady was able to wrap it back, and go check it in with her airline; but it took me some time to get it open neatly.

Flew RDU-IAH-OAK with all my gifts wrapped yesterday(carrry-on) not a single problem

Horse Glasses, wow lucky brother-a 3# stick o' beef