Air/Cruise Fashion Faux Pas

[shipgeeks]

As one whose jacket buttons, or bra hooks, can set off the metal alarms in airports and cruise terminals, I was amused to watch a movie in which a young woman, supposedly an experienced overseas traveler, walked into the airport wearing a leather jacket with loads of zippers and studs, high lace-up boots with zippers and studs, a belt with a huge buckle, and loads of chunky jewelry.

Have you seen or made any other poor choices when traveling?

[57redbird]

I had a Chico's top that had metal embellishments on the front....had to be wanded.....have never worn that top again when we have flown.

[slidergirl]

Back in the day, I got flagged for wanting at PHX because the underwire in my bra signaled.  The TSA officer seemed to take delight in wanding my boobs.  Then, in a loud voice for everyone to hear, says "it's her bra."  All my underwires went in the dumpster after that. 

[57redbird]

2 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Back in the day, I got flagged for wanting at PHX because the underwire in my bra signaled.  The TSA officer seemed to take delight in wanding my boobs.  Then, in a loud voice for everyone to hear, says "it's her bra."  All my underwires went in the dumpster after that. 

Oh yeah -- I pack my underwires & just wear regular bras to fly.

[shipgeeks]

Coming back to the ship after a port day in the Caribbean, I was behind a guest instructor as we approached the ship security line.  When she walked through the sensor, she set off the alarm.  She seemed quite surprised, after proclaiming what an experienced traveler and cruiser she was.   As far as I could see, she was wearing 37 gold bracelets and necklaces, not counting her earrings.

I guess she never heard the one about not wearing expensive jewelry ashore, for safety reasons.

[gotta cruise again]

It was in the mid-1990’s when you could go through security to meet someone at the gate. My parents were passing through my city on their way home so I went to the airport to spend some time with them between flights.

 

As I was going out with friends afterward, I dressed for the evening out which included wearing a leather belt covered with metal pieces from one end to the other!! I had to remove the belt while those behind me had to wait. No way I would have worn that had I been traveling but as I was just ‘visiting’ the airport, it just didn’t really register I couldn’t wear the belt!!

[ams1130]

I have a top with grommets that sets off alarms, and my last trip I was on the receiving end of a pat-down. Thing is, I may wear it again as it is pretty and part of my comfortable travel outfit haha.

[PurpleHays]

I used to wear overalls when I traveled. The ex refused to go through security with me because they always set it off.

 

[clo]

On 12/22/2020 at 3:06 PM, gotta cruise again said:

It was in the mid-1990’s when you could go through security to meet someone at the gate. My parents were passing through my city on their way home so I went to the airport to spend some time with them between flights.

 

As I was going out with friends afterward, I dressed for the evening out which included wearing a leather belt covered with metal pieces from one end to the other!! I had to remove the belt while those behind me had to wait. No way I would have worn that had I been traveling but as I was just ‘visiting’ the airport, it just didn’t really register I couldn’t wear the belt!!

I guess I don't remember that pre-9/11 that that was happening. Give me a little more info to jog my memory please.

[gotta cruise again]

22 minutes ago, clo said:

I guess I don't remember that pre-9/11 that that was happening. Give me a little more info to jog my memory please.

Here’s an article I found on Google regarding security pre-9/11:

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/what-airports-were-like-in-1987

 

And this article is about some airports have decided to let non-passengers (with a special pass) inside security again:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2019/10/22/dtw-pit-tpa-airports-non-flyers-past-security-how-works/4059418002/

 

I traveled a lot in the 1980’s until mid 1990’s and the gate areas were crowded with folks waiting for family/friends to get off the plane or were there to say goodbye to those about to board.

 

 

[clo]

24 minutes ago, gotta cruise again said:

Here’s an article I found on Google regarding security pre-9/11:

 

Thanks for that. I remember talking to a United pilot a few years ago and he said that overnight they went from trying to avert hijacking to terrorism. He jokingly said he could tell me more but he would have to kill me 🙂

[middlehaitch]

On our first trip to Bruges we, of course had to bring back a corkscrew in the shape of Mannekin Pis. You can guess the position of the corkscrew 😉.

 

We completely forgot about it being a security risk and had it in DH's hand luggage. Of course it beeped and his bag was emptied and the corkscrew was found to be the culprit, even-though it was quite small.

 

The officer on duty said I, being the next in line, could run back through the security line and put it in our cargo suitcase.

 

Off I trotted, nice officials letting me through and lifting barriers, arrived at the check-in counter only to find our bags were too far in the loading process to be retrieved.

 

Back to security I trotted with Mannekin Pis in my hand bag, nicely let through the line up by the same officials.

 

When I reached the security I thought I would just hand the offending corkscrew over to the  the official that was still stood with DH once I went through the scanner.

 

Well, I put my handbag, containing the offending item, through the scanner, the scanner didn't beep, the Mannekin Pis passes security, the initial officer and DH laughed, and our silly memento of Bruges is still in use.

 

Cheers, h 🥂

[eileeshb]

On 12/27/2020 at 1:52 AM, clo said:

I guess I don't remember that pre-9/11 that that was happening. Give me a little more info to jog my memory please.

That was an American thing, you couldn’t do it in Europe (definitely not Ireland, and I’m reasonably sure about the rest of the EU). My parents had to plead their case to the airport authorities to see me off on my first solo trip, only because my dad was the maintenance engineer for the air traffic control system and my being only 18 persuaded the security manager to give them passes. 
I was super surprised to find my aunt and uncle waiting at the gate when I arrived in the states. At the time I thought it was because my uncle’s SIL was a ground stewardess at the airport but I later found out it was commonplace. 
post 9/11 I travelled to the states quite a bit for work and one of my colleagues always had an issue with his car “key”. It was for a Renault (french brand) and looked like an oversized credit card but had an emergency key embedded in it, the TSA people always thought it was a hidden knife. 

[crystalspin]

Back in the days before we evolved to carry-on only, we visited New Zealand (north island) independently and bought as a souvenir a wine bottle stopper made of one of the endangered woods they can only use if it is 'harvested' from bogs (maybe Rimu?). My husband is v.hard to find a souvenir or for that matter any gift. So rather than putting it in our checked suitcase(s), I put it in my carry-on.

 

WELL, in lieu of a cork, this stopper had a 2-3" metal point, attached to a nicely palm-shaped wooden top. The fellow running the scanner called a supervisor who held it in his hand and said he couldn't go on record as approving such a dangerous looking thing!

 

Of course our checked bag(s) were long conveyor-belted away. I think we gave it to the scanner person! I made me wonder why they don't have mailing stations at the security stations. I would have paid quite alot to mail that to our home.

[zauberflote]

Wearing my long hair in a bun held with no-metal elastics. They told me it was the bun. Wearing boots even in Pre-check line. Any loose clothing, even a single layer. Months with no R in them. Second Tuesdays. Swelling from a 5-week-old hip replacement. 
Best of all-- a silver flute. The G# key looks like a trigger....