Security at United States airports has tightened up since 9-11 happened. Because of this, many people who don’t fly very often get confused when they are going through security checkpoints. For those of you who are confused, here is a list of steps that should get you through security correctly in any United States airport:
1. Make sure you do not have anything that is prohibited on you or in your carry on bags. Here is a list of the basics that are prohibited through security:
A. guns
B. improvised explosive devises (IED’s)
C. blades of any length
D. club like items
E. tools over 7 inches
F. liquids over 3.4 ounces
G. mace or pepper spray
2. Take out all liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes from your bag and look at the sizes of the containers.
3. Get rid of all the containers that are 3.4 ounces or more as they are not allowed through security (you can throw them away or put them in your checked baggage).
4. Put all the liquids that are under 3.4 ounces in a quart size sealable plastic bag (you are allowed one quart sized bag of liquids per traveler).
5. Put the quart size bag with your liquids in it in one of your bags where it is easy to reach.
6. Get in line.
7. Take out your I.D. and boarding pass, while waiting in line.
8. Show the ticket checker your I.D. and boarding pass once you get to him.
9. Take a quick look at the divesting lanes that are open to see which one is moving the quickest.
10. Go over to the stack of grey divesting bins at the beginning of the lane you have chosen.
11. Grab the number of bins you think you will need to fit all your belongings into. You will need bins for each of the following:
A. small bags/purses (probably two per bin)
B. laptops, game systems, DVD players and other large electronics (you will need one bin per item in this category)
C. other small items such as your cell phone, keys, other items from your pockets that have metal or foil in them (that includes gum and cigarette packages), jacket/sweatshirt and jewelry (you should be able to fit all this small stuff in one bin)
12. Put the bins and any large bags that do not fit into bins onto the rollers.
13. Push the empty bins and larger bags down the rollers as far as you can without putting them in the x-ray yet.
14. Take out your quart size plastic bag with your permitted liquids in it from your larger bag and put it in one of the bins.
15. Take any computers, DVD players, game systems and any other large electronics out of your bag and put each of them into their own bin by themselves.
16. Push your larger bags that do not fit in the bin into the x-ray machine (only when you see that the automatic belt is moving forward).
17. Take off your coat or bulky outerwear and put them in the same bin that your liquids are in. (unless you would rather be patted down after you go through the walk through metal detector).
18. Take out anything that has metal or foil from your pockets and put them in the same bin that your liquids are in.
19. Take off your belt and/or your jewelry if they have lots of metal on them (you shouldn’t need to take off rings or glasses) and put them in the same bin that your liquids are in.
20. Take off your shoes (or any footwear besides socks) and put them directly onto the rollers.
21. Push all your bins and your shoes into the x-ray machine one at a time (only when you see that the automatic belt is moving forward).
22. Walk over to the walk through metal detector (WTMD).
23. Wait at the yellow line until the officer that is on the other side of the WTMD tells you to walk through.
24. Walk through the WTMD at a normal pace with your arms at your sides when the officer tells you to.
25. Walk over to the rollers that are on the secure side of security once the officer tells you to.
26. Gather your items after they come out of the x-ray tunnel and put them back on/away.
27. Go on your way. You are through security.
Hopefully these steps have answered any questions you might have had about getting through airport security.
