Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've always had pretty good luck with security when flying domestically or internationally....the two that stick out in my mind are when coming back from Grand Cayman, they looked at a jar of sparkly make-up powder very closely...then the girl realized it was make-up (and not cocaine, I'm assuming) and just started laughing! The other time we really were hassled was when connecting through Houston en route to DFW, when coming back from Grand Cayman. We had our scuba masks and regulators in a carry-on bag...oh my. You would have thought we had an entire bag full of hoses to build goodness-knows-what. The guy questioned us, swabbed us and the stuff, patted us, everything possible and acted as though he had never seen scuba gear before in his life...I even put my reg in my mouth in front of him to show him! I told him that those hoses had been in salt water for a week so he needed to check for salt before anything else. He didn't think it was funny. I thought it odd, since we were returning from one of the best dive locations in the world, and people everywhere around us had bags full of scuba gear.
Other than those two occasions, I have always had good luck with security screening, I guess because I'm polite and smiling and there's nothing about me that could even imply suspicious! (Hey, I'm going on vacation...why not smile?!)
I've always had pretty good luck with security when flying domestically or internationally....the two that stick out in my mind are when coming back from Grand Cayman, they looked at a jar of sparkly make-up powder very closely...then the girl realized it was make-up (and not cocaine, I'm assuming)
Just a note here...TSA is concerned with security, not drugs. They are not law enforcement officers in any respect. I don't think they have any training at all in drug identification and likely the only drugs they are familiar with are the ones they consume themselves in there leasure time (if they find any obvious drugs in there screening they will call over a "real" police officer).
The Grand Cayman thing sound like it was US Customs, assuming it took place at your entry back to the US and they were checking your luggage for contraband (if it was at the point of embarkation in Grand Cayman then it was just GC's version of TSA). Do not confuse Customs with TSA. These people are very different from the "mall cop/walmart greeter" level TSA agent idiots. These guys are law enforcement officers, are well trained, are usually armed, and can arrest you.
Just a note here...TSA is concerned with security, not drugs. They are not law enforcement officers in any respect. I don't think they have any training at all in drug identification and likely the only drugs they are familiar with are the ones they consume themselves in there leasure time (if they find any obvious drugs in there screening they will call over a "real" police officer).
The Grand Cayman thing sound like it was US Customs, assuming it took place at your entry back to the US and they were checking your luggage for contraband (if it was at the point of embarkation in Grand Cayman then it was just GC's version of TSA). Do not confuse Customs with TSA. These people are very different from the "mall cop/walmart greeter" level TSA agent idiots. These guys are law enforcement officers, are well trained, are usually armed, and can arrest you.
No, the Grand Cayman thing happened at the Grand Cayman airport, when we were going through security headed home. They pulled my bag out, opened it, and pulled the container of sparkly makeup powder out.
And the incident in Houston was a TSA agent (or he stole a TSA agent's shirt and was wearing it while doing the job) and he swabbed our hands, our scuba gear, and when I asked what he was looking for (although I already knew) he said "drugs".
I'm quite traveled and married to a police officer, so I know what I'm dealing with.
No, the Grand Cayman thing happened at the Grand Cayman airport, when we were going through security headed home. They pulled my bag out, opened it, and pulled the container of sparkly makeup powder out.
And the incident in Houston was a TSA agent (or he stole a TSA agent's shirt and was wearing it while doing the job) and he swabbed our hands, our scuba gear, and when I asked what he was looking for (although I already knew) he said "drugs".
I'm quite traveled and married to a police officer, so I know what I'm dealing with.
The GC thing was not TSA of course, but that countries version of TSA, which may be more lax or strict.
If a TSA agent blatantly told you he was looking for drugs, rather then weapons, he could potentially get in trouble. I have to find a link somewhere, but that is not part of their mandate at all. Reason being it distracts from the intended mandate of focusing on threats to aviation security, and they are not trained in identification of drugs nor is there equipment designed to detect drugs. This is called "scope creep", a dangerous concept. Hand swabbing is done to detect explosive or gunpowder residue (I try not to clean my weapons before a plane trip just in case). Of course, no doubt, they do find obvious drugs in the course of there duties from time to time.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
