Have you ever gotten the look at the airport? You know the icy, if-daggers-could-fly-from-pupils stare that fellow passengers give to anyone who is holding up the line at the security screening area? Believe me; if you know want to protect your child from hearing a litany of profanities (I kid you not) you don’t ever want to be the one causing the bottle neck at the airport X-ray machine.
With the busy holiday travel season fast approaching and the advent of new security devices still a ways off I am providing some steps you can take to make sure your next trip through airport security is uneventful as possible.
Tip #1—Be Careful When Transporting Medication
First of all, for goodness sakes, don’t bury your medicine bottles in your bag. Pack your pills in an easily accessible spot so you can remove them quickly when you are at a security area. Also, leave your prescription medication in its original container. According to new security rules, your name must appear on the original pharmacy label attached to your pill bottle. If your name has changed since getting the prescription filled you need to visit your pharmacy to update it prior to bringing your medication with you on a flight.
Tip #2—If You Wear Contacts Pack Your Glasses In Your Carry On
Here’s a lesson I learned the hard way. According to the Transportation Security Administration, travelers can carry “essential” nonprescription medicine on board a flight. However, since it doesn’t define “essential,” items like contact lens solution fall into a gray zone. Meaning it is left up to individual screeners to determine if contact solution is “essential” and can be transported through the security area. If you cannot convince a TSA agent that your contact solution is “essential” he or she will confiscate it and you will be out of luck. TSA agents recommend that if you absolutely don’t need it on the airplane, to place your lens solution in your checked luggage and bring your glasses just in case. (F.Y.I. I was unsuccessful in convincing a TSA agent in Chicago that my solution was “essential.” It was tossed with the other non-essential liquids and I was out lens solution and $8.)
Tip #3—Don’t Pack Hand Gel In Your Carry On
I’m a big advocate of anti-bacterial hand gel; however TSA agents loathe the stuff and won’t allow you to pass through the screening area with it. My advice: Stock up on antibacterial wipes such as Wet-Ones before you take flight. They make the cut with TSA agents.
Tip #4—Leave Your Bottled Water At Home
You can buy bottled water on the other side of the security checkpoint area. I once had the misfortune of standing behind a man who insisted his health would be compromised if he was not able to transport the bottle of water he was carrying through airport security. I heard him say that he didn’t want to have to spend $3 on a bottle of water at an airport store. None of his arguments worked with TSA agents, but they sure worked to clog up the line. If you are that concerned about saving money on water I would suggest bringing an empty bottle and filling it up once you get through security.
Check back for my next blog that includes several more tips on how to get through airport security as quickly as possible.
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