How to Pass through Airport Security without Hassles

If you’ve gone through TSA security at a large airport, you know that you may be in for a mess.

• People delayed by being pulled aside due to items left on them,
• Delays due to hand inspections and additional x-rays of bags,
• Piles of confiscated items that weren’t allowed through,
• Loudspeaker announcements asking people to come back for missing laptops, cell phones, or even in one case I heard shoes!

This doesn’t have to be. You can protect yourself by following several simple procedures.

Above: I did not take this photo while actually passing through security. Legal or not, why attract unwanted attention?

Routine, routine, routine

Always follow exactly the same routine. That means if your mind is on missing your flight, on an upcoming meeting or whatever, you do not have to think very much about security.

First, prepare for security. Do as much as you can before reaching the crowded security area.

If you have these, take off your watch and take out your cell phone, coins, and wallet. Remove any necklaces. Take off your belt. Put these in your laptop case if you have one, as this will be the second to last item you put on the x-ray belt. Try to put valuables in your case while others are not watching you.

Make sure that you have your boarding pass and personal identification readily available before reaching security. Don’t fumble for these there, where you might more easily drop something without noticing.

I use my passport for all flights these days, as I believe this helps security more easily verify that I am not a person who requires special attention.

Follow same order at x-ray every time

Second, always place items on the x-ray belt in the same order.

My small carry on bag goes through first. I keep nothing very valuable in it.

Next comes a TSA tray with shoes, hat (if any), sealed quart plastic bag of toothpaste and other 3.4 oz (100ml) or less items. (Note: a 5 oz bottle with “just 2 oz left in it” does not count as a 3.4 oz item in the eyes of TSA security.)

In this tray, if I have any, also goes a sealed quart plastic bag of liquid or gel prescription medicines with saved copies of prescription information on the boxes they came in (if bottles have been removed). I place this information face up.

If you’re not sure exactly what TSA allows for carry on or how to pack it--these rules change frequently in this security environment--check the easy to understand and extensive information on TSA's website.

Some TSA teams do not require shoes off, but others do. I automatically take them off. Remember this is a routine. You may wish to wear slip on shoes for easy removal at security, although I stick with my most comfortable shoes with laces while others prefer to wear their heaviest shoes.

Then comes my laptop backpack with laptop removed. (I like my padded laptop backpack because it leaves my hands free and doesn’t tell the world that I am carrying a laptop.)

Finally, the laptop goes in a TSA tray.

Protect your valuables

I wait until person ahead of me has successfully stepped through x-ray before pushing the laptop case and then laptop tray through. That way, I can more easily keep an eye on these.

At security, beware of a team set on stealing. A person in front of you stages a delay at x-ray by deliberately leaving some coins or whatever in her pocket while her partner grabs a laptop or two or other valuables owned by people delayed by the person with the coins.

Our routine works to prevent one of these victims being you.

Have you any suggestions to improve this process? Please comment! Although written with TSA security in the U.S. in mind, the basic suggestions, the same routine always both before and during the security queue and the order of x-ray belt placement, apply anywhere.