No Drones Here

After a drone was spotted at a Vikings game, rumors have been “flying” around that it was a TSA drone. I just wanted to take this quick opportunity to say that TSA does not use drones. I have been accused of “droning” on and on before, but other than that, we’re drone free. 

TSA Blog Team

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Body Scanner Resolution Rooms Conduct & Privacy

Happy new year! Over the holidays, I read an article titled “The TSA Is Laughing at You” talking about what happens in the resolution rooms where body scanner images are viewed. We’ve talked about this many times in the past, but information is often spread through uninformed sketchy third-hand sources. So, I just wanted to post on privacy issues again.

First off, I want to make it clear that since the implementation of new software on our body scanners, many of the rooms are no longer in use. Instead, a generic image is used for millimeter wave scanners. You can read more about the software here. This is what the image looks like: 

Millimeter Wave Image

These resolution rooms are still used in locations where backscatter machines are in place. For units that do not yet have the new software, TSA has taken all efforts to ensure passenger privacy. The officer who assists the passenger never sees the image the technology produces and the officer who views the image is remotely located in a secure resolution room and never sees the passenger. The two officers communicate via wireless headset. The resolution room is used only for the viewing of the images and is not a gathering place or break room for other officers as the officer viewing the images has to be focused in order to prevent any dangerous items from entering the airport.

Advanced imaging technology cannot store, print, transmit or save the image, and the image is automatically deleted from the system after it is cleared by the remotely located security officer. Officers evaluating images are not permitted to take cameras, cell phones or photo-enabled devices into the resolution room. Initially, it was feared by the traveling public that these images would be leaked and posted online. This has not happened. To further protect passenger privacy, backscatter technology has a privacy filters that blur images.

This is the image our officers see from the viewing room. 

Backscatter Image

You can read even more about the body scanners here: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/advanced-imaging-technology-ait

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Week in Review: Ten Grenades Discovered at Seven Different Airports This Week

Inert Ordnance and Grenades Etc. – We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays. I know they are cool novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane.  Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.

• Four grenades were discovered in carryon bags this week at Salt Lake City (SLC), Harlingen (HRL), Tampa (TPA), and Miami (MIA).
• Six grenades were discovered in checked baggage. Three at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), two at Albuquerque (ABQ), and one at Gulfport (GPT).

Items in the Strangest Places –It’s important to check your bags prior to traveling. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found in strange places.

• Three saw blades were discovered taped to the inside of an iPad case at Washington Dulles (IAD).
• A razorblade was found in the waistline of a pair of jeans packed in a carry-on bag at Chicago O’Hare (ORD).

Stun Guns –  Eleven stun guns were discovered this week in a carry-on bags around the nation: Two at Atlanta (ATL), three at Baltimore (BWI), and one each at San Francisco (SFO), Fayetteville (FAY), Denver (DEN), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA), and Minneapolis (MSP).

Body Scanner Find This Week: A switchblade knife was discovered in the pants pocket of a passenger at San Diego (SAN).

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items - In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, Airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp pointy things -- to mention a few… 

Firearms - Here are pictures of some of the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. See a complete list below.  

 

 




You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure. 

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Christmas Traveling Tips 2012

The MyTSA App: Want TSA information anywhere, anytime?  Use the MyTSA app. Among the great features, there’s a “Can I Bring My…” tool. Want to know if you can pack a turducken or a light saber? This is the tool for you. Type in the name of the item you’re curious about and it tells you if the item is permitted or not, along with packing tips. This isn’t a Magic 8 Ball, so please don’t expect it to prophetically answer yes and no questions. A wait time feature is also available. It relies on crowd sourcing, which means the more people who use it, the better. 

Foods: Cakes, pies, bread, donuts, turkeys, etc., are all permitted. Here is a list of items that should be placed in your checked bags or shipped: cranberry sauce, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.), gift baskets with liquid or gel food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings), gravy, jams, jellies, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, sauces, soups, wine, liquor and beer. As I said in last year’s post, contrary to popular belief, fruitcake is a delicious edible and permitted cake, not a WMD. 


Risk Based Expedited Screening: TSA has implemented TSA Pre✓™, an expedited prescreening initiative for known travelers, active duty service members and airline crewmembers at select airports, and modified procedures for screening passengers 12 and under and 75 and older to reduce, although not eliminate, the need for a pat-down. TSA Pre✓™ is currently available at 35 airports. 

Expanded Use of Canines: To further enhance explosive detection screening, TSA is expanding its use of canine teams and deploying them throughout the airport environment, including the security checkpoint. These teams are trained to detect trace amounts of explosives that are present in the air. 

Shaving Razors: You can get more info from our blog post on this subject where the pictures will answer all of your questions.


Wrapped gifts are allowed, but not encouraged: Wrapped gifts are allowed, but we recommend waiting until you land to wrap them. If there’s something in the gift that needs to be inspected, we may have to open it. Our officers try their best not to mangle the gift wrap, but it’s not a guarantee and it also slows down the line for everybody else when we have to do this. We’d rather unwrap the gifts that are under our trees.

Eggnog can be an alternate to fuel depending on who’s mixing it. Sometimes there’s a fine line between a beverage and hazmat. Just sayin’…Remember the 3.4 oz baggie rule at the checkpoint. Unless it’s in small container (3.4 oz or less), this tasty liquid treat is not allowed.

• Beverages: Wine, liquor, beer, and all of your favorite beverages are permitted in your checked baggage. You can also bring beverages packaged in 3.4 oz or less bottles in your carry-on bags in the allowed in the 3.4 oz baggie.
• Makeup: Any liquid makeup cosmetics such as eyeliner, nail polish, liquid foundation, etc., should be placed in the baggie. That goes for perfume as well. Powder makeup is fine.
• Deodorant: Stick deodorant is not limited to 3.4 oz or less, but gel or spray deodorant is.
• Gel Inserts for shoes are permitted.

Homemade Soda Machines and Other Gifts with Compressed Gas (CO2) Cartridges:  If you’re planning to take a homemade soda making machine on an airplane, be advised that they include CO2 carbinators, which contain compressed gas, to add the fizz to the soda.  Compressed gas cylinders are prohibited in both carry-on and checked bags unless the regulator valve is completely disconnected from the cylinder and the cylinder is no longer sealed (i.e. the cylinder has an open end).  The type of carbinator in commercial soda making machines do not have this feature.   We recommend shipping this item to be safe. 

Some Snow Globes are Permitted Now: TSA now allows small snow globes in carry-on luggage when packed in a passenger's plastic 3.4 oz bag. Snow globes that appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces (approximately tennis-ball size) will be permitted if the entire snow globe, including the base, is able to fit in the same one clear, plastic, quart-sized, re-sealable bag as a passenger’s other liquids.

Double Check Your Bag for Guns: Seriously!!! It sounds silly, but if you read our Week in Review posts, you’ll see that our officers find guns every day at checkpoints in the U.S. – some even loaded. Save yourself the hassle of a bag check, a police interview and a potential arrest by making sure you leave your gun at home.

Christmas Crackers: Not the kind you eat with a delicious cheese-ball (My mom makes the best), but the kind that “cracks” when you pull it apart. They’re really cool and are a part of a lot of people’s Christmas traditions, but they’re prohibited on aircraft.

TSA Contact Center: The Contact Center hours were recently extended and a representative is now available Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Eastern time; weekends and federal holidays, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern time. The TCC can be reached at 866-289-9673. Passengers can also reach out to the TSA Contact Center (TCC) with questions about TSA procedures, upcoming travel or to provide feedback or voice concerns. Unfortunately, we can’t assist with questions related to preparing a turkey or any other delicious holiday staples.

TSA Cares Helpline: Travelers or families of passengers with disabilities and medical conditions may call the TSA Cares helpline toll free 855-787-2227, 72 hours prior to traveling with any questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. A TSA Cares helpline representative is available during all TSA Contact Center hours.

Christmas Sweaters: As I said in last year’s post, while some Christmas sweaters can have a nauseating effect on passengers, they are currently permitted through TSA checkpoints. After searching the web for my favorite Christmas sweater pic this year, I had to go with this one.

Follow us on Twitter for travel tips, blog post announcements, and other useful information. You can find a list of our national and regional twitter accounts here. Also, be sure to print out this handy travel checklist prior to packing. 

You can also visit TSA.gov and read our "What to Know Before You Go" page for even more travel tips.  

We hope these tips help improve your travel over the full Winter Holiday Travel period.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.