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Use of Money Belts at TSA


zorrosuncle
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Greetings --

As a single traveler, I really don't wish to send my cash and credit cards through airport security. It is bad enough to send my camera, cell phone and binoculars and meds. I have heard too much about those criminal schemes where a team of thieves takes your valuables while you are still in a slow line to take yourself though a scanner. By the time you get through the scanner, your valuables are gone!.

 

I have a money belt made of all plastic parts. Is it OK to use this at the TSA checkpoint?

 

ZU

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As a single traveler, I really don't wish to send my cash and credit cards through airport security. It is bad enough to send my camera, cell phone and binoculars and meds.
As CruiserBruce says, this is a wild overreaction to something which is for all practical purposes a non-problem.

 

Put your cash and credit cards deep inside your bag, the same as your phone, and then send the whole bag through the X-ray machine.

 

If you wear your money belt and you're sent through the imaging machine, expect to be pulled over for a thorough pat-down, very possibly followed by actually intrusive searches. This is because the money belt will probably be visible on the screen, but will not be obvious to the screener patting you down. I know how good those machines are, because if I am sent through one I know I will be patted down every time, because of how I look on the screen.

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We also think you are overstating the situation. Most TSA stations have plenty of folks around watching things...and many wise travelers always keep one eye on their stuff...even when it has gone through the scanner (you can usually see the conveyor belt. TSA also has plenty of overhead cameras monitoring the area.

 

As to money belts, if there is no metal in the belt it will be fine if you pass through a metal detector. But if your station is using a body scanner you cannot wear that belt without getting a pretty embarrassing (for many) secondary search. As one who does an awful lot of International Travel we never put ourselves in a situation where we must carry that much cash....that we need a money belt. That is why God made ATM/Debit cards :).

 

Hank

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I too think you are overstating the issue.

 

With that said:

 

When I would travel by myself for business I would not let my carry on go through until I was getting ready to walk through the detector. I would put carry on bag first and right behind it smaller bag with computer, wallet etc as this provides more time to get through the screener before the one with valuables arrive.

 

With my wife we put her purse up last and I go through first.

 

Keith

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Have tried to go through scanner wearing money belt and had to remove it and go through again. The money belt was put on the conveyer belt in full view to go through the x ray on its own. Best to do as suggested and put it into your bag, don’t put your bag into the tray until you are nearly at the scanner, then probably by the time you have walked through, your bag will join you. Not generally a problem.

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If the line of bags on the screening belt is going right on through (i.e. the person monitoring the images of the bags isn't stopping long or at all to study the images) and the line of passengers is backed up such that your bag is going to go through long before it's your turn to walk through, just wait. I don't believe TSA can require you to send your bag through until you go through yourself. Occasionally I am in that position and when they indicate that they want me to go through I just say, "I would like to wait for my bag to through first, please." Sometimes they give me a dirty look but they have never refused, and occasionally I have heard one of them actually tell people to wait til their bags go through.

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If the line of bags on the screening belt is going right on through (i.e. the person monitoring the images of the bags isn't stopping long or at all to study the images) and the line of passengers is backed up such that your bag is going to go through long before it's your turn to walk through, just wait. I don't believe TSA can require you to send your bag through until you go through yourself. Occasionally I am in that position and when they indicate that they want me to go through I just say, "I would like to wait for my bag to through first, please." Sometimes they give me a dirty look but they have never refused, and occasionally I have heard one of them actually tell people to wait til their bags go through.

 

Making life more difficult for the TSA folks (not to mention others in line behind you) is not a good recipe for most travelers. Always keep in mind those TSA folks have the absolute right to choose anyone for "enhanced" screening which can even include a body search (in a private room). When it comes to TSA I always smile, say nice things, cooperate, and move on,

 

Hank

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I use a neck pouch instead of a money belt for cash and credit cards. It is easy to take of if security folks insist. In our travels odds are about 50 percent (much greater in some countries) that I will have to take it off and send it through the scanner with my ipad. If we are traveling in country I might have as much as $500 in various currencies. Much less if we are going into another country.

 

It has never been an issue. I simply keep my eye on the tray and get in the body scanner line so that the tray with my belongings is not sitting there for long.

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You can wear your money belt and "opt out" of going thru any AIT (Advanced Imaging Technology) but you will be subject to pat down and then when they feel the money belt you will end up having to remove it anyway and they will just place it thru the X-ray machine AND then a TSO will test it for explosives with a wipe down so why go all thru that and just have it X-rayed in the first place?

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Making life more difficult for the TSA folks (not to mention others in line behind you) is not a good recipe for most travelers. Always keep in mind those TSA folks have the absolute right to choose anyone for "enhanced" screening which can even include a body search (in a private room). When it comes to TSA I always smile, say nice things, cooperate, and move on,

 

Hank

 

My goal is not to make life more difficult for anyone. My goal is for my bag not to go through the scanner to sit unattended on the other side when there are still 4 people ahead of me in the metal detector line because a TSA agent has stopped the line for whatever reason. It is perfectly justifiable to wait for your bag to go through before proceeding yourself. And if someone wants to go around me, they are welcome to. And I never said I didn't smile or wasn't polite about it.

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I use a neck pouch instead of a money belt for cash and credit cards. It is easy to take of if security folks insist. In our travels odds are about 50 percent (much greater in some countries) that I will have to take it off and send it through the scanner with my ipad. If we are traveling in country I might have as much as $500 in various currencies. Much less if we are going into another country.

 

It has never been an issue. I simply keep my eye on the tray and get in the body scanner line so that the tray with my belongings is not sitting there for long.

 

My last trip I put everything in the bins and pushed them through. I walked through the scanner and TSA told me to stop. That I had something under my shirt. I had forgot about my passport pouch. I told her what it was ... I asked her if I could take it out and show her ... she was SEVERE ... STERN ... she said NO, DO NOT TOUCH IT! She said do you want to go to a private place ... I have to feel that pouch and search you. I am a solo traveler, I put my arms out and said "just do it here" ... and she did and then had me take the pouch out and open it and show her my $$ and passport. But I was staying in direct eye contact with my stuff. I wasn't walking off somewhere.

 

I LOVE my passport pouch ... I just have to remember to take it off and put it in a bin.

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We travel frequently enough that the security stuff is routine and we generally do everything possible to make it easy for us and TSA (or security folks in other countries). However, one incident pointed out how one can cause problems in a very innocent way. I had been given a gift (by my DW) or a pair or lightweight trousers that had 2 zip-off areas on the legs (you can turn them into shorts) plus numerous secure zipper pockets. In a sense they are the perfect travel trousers because off their amazing versatility. At the airport the body scanner was out of order so I had to go through a metal detector. Those pants triggered very possible alarm...and then some :(. When the friendly TSA agent started to wand me...the electronic wand went nutz. The TSA agent (and me) quickly realized the problem...that those darn trousers were full of metal zippers (I think there were 9). What to do? In the end it took two agents...one slowly moving the wand and the other patting down (everywhere) as we all had a good laugh. Needless to say those trousers have never...again left my closet when I pack for a trip.

 

Hank

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Have tried to go through scanner wearing money belt and had to remove it and go through again. The money belt was put on the conveyer belt in full view to go through the x ray on its own. Best to do as suggested and put it into your bag, don’t put your bag into the tray until you are nearly at the scanner, then probably by the time you have walked through, your bag will join you. Not generally a problem.

This was my experience last week in Amsterdam and Houston. Had to remove money belt and send through on conveyor belt. I asked security to hold it while I went through the scanner and they refused. No option of a pat down. I recommend putting it in your bag before security.

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