Bags searched at the airport.

[omegared]

Did anyone else's bags get searched at the airport? I flew with Southwest, and if you're coming back from the playa they make you put your bags in a plastic bag when you check them. Pretty much marks them out (as if the dust didn't already) for "Hey search this bag!!!"

I wouldn't complain but I've flown hundreds of times and NEVER had my bags searched, at least not like this. They pulled all of my stuff out of my bag, got into my tent bag, went through everything. I know this because they even got into my tent stake bag which was ALL the way on the bottom of my duffel bag, inside my tent bag. When they were done, they just crammed my stuff back into my duffel bag and what wouldn't fit they just crammed in the plastic bag. When I was unpacking I noticed a lot of things missing... presumably having fallen out of the plastic bag when my tent stakes punctured the plastic bag and ripped a gaping hole. When my bags came around the luggage conveyor at my destination, they were basically just two dusty piles of my stuff that had to be completely repacked right there in the middle of the airport.

Has anyone else encountered this either this year or in years past, or was I just in the path of the tornado this year?

[tatonka]

I get pulled to the side and searched everytime , its because of the metal plate in my chin . I tell them yet they still search

[Sham]

Nearly every year my luggage is searched--most of the time on the way to BRC. I guess the eclectic assortment of crap shows up very strange on the x-ray machines. I ALWAYS take the batteries out of all electric devices and avoid putting anything super valuable in my suitcase. The most valuable thing is my Swiss Army knife. Other than that, it's all playa supplies and clothing.

On my return from Reno, I tend NOT to have my luggage searched. I think the TSA understands the crazy assortment of possessions and doesn't bother to snoop in them.

[omegared]

Nearly every year my luggage is searched--most of the time on the way to BRC. I guess the eclectic assortment of crap shows up very strange on the x-ray machines. I ALWAYS take the batteries out of all electric devices and avoid putting anything super valuable in my suitcase. The most valuable thing is my Swiss Army knife. Other than that, it's all playa supplies and clothing.

On my return from Reno, I tend NOT to have my luggage searched. I think the TSA understands the crazy assortment of possessions and doesn't bother to snoop in them.

My carry-on was also searched, both to and from Reno. To Reno was my fault... I had my Swiss Army knife in my carry-on and that's a no no... didn't even think about it because I ALWAYS have my Swiss Army knife in my backpack. Had to mail it to myself at my home address from the airport, which was nice that they have that service because I've had the knife for a really long time and it has some sentimental value (It did cost $20 but it was better than having to throw my knife away). On the way back from Reno they didn't even say what they were looking for they just pulled me aside and went through it.

To Reno my checked bags escaped inspection.

[graidawg]

my bags werent searched at the airport. mainly because they were in MDF's car. but yea my stuff often gets searched. i guess a bunch of electrical items metal boxes and several (usually about a dozen) bottles of liquid sets of some kind of alarm. wonder why? its for your safety though.

[TT120]

Every time I fly, business or otherwise, my bags get "randomly" searched by the TSA.

[chuckularone]

I had a straw hat with two strands of EL wire, the EL transformer, a 3v - 5.5v step up transformer and a two AA battery pack zip tied all around the inside. When I went through security they freaked right the fuck out over it! They totally missed the credit card knife I had forgotten was in my wallet.

The full on freak out lasted about 5 minutes while they tossed my carry on bag and looked at all of the bizarre crap I had packed in it. Eventually I convinced the TSA agent it was safe to flip the switch on the hat. He did and they laughed. The EL wire lit up... Go figure.

Of course I packed the credit card knife in my checked bag for the return flight. It was among the missing when I arrived back in Philly.

[Drawingablank]

I think this was basically just a case of bad luck. They apparently saw something they needed to check such as a large mass of metal on the xray (bag of stakes).

I try to keep in mind what my shit will look like when xrayed and generally try to not have large masses of metal objects in the bag together.

I usually get the full treatment at tsa but this year was smooth sailing. As for baggage, I wiped my bags down at the hotel and this was my first time flying out of Reno that they didn't put my suitcases in the plastic bags. Those bags are not an auto flag to search though since they have never searched mine.

[some seeing eye]

My philosophy traveling domestically and internationally: don't check anything that could be lost, stolen, endanger your survival, or lead to customs or law enforcement scrutiny. That's the way it is.

If you want to launch a one-person crusade for gentle baggage handling, polite searching-repacking or non-theft, go for it!

I would not being anything I could loose to the event, or anything that is illegal.

[theCryptofishist]

you guys go through the metal detector. I get a pat down with weird pads looking for chemical traces.

Don't know if tha'ts better or worse...

[omegared]

you guys go through the metal detector. I get a pat down with weird pads looking for chemical traces.

Don't know if tha'ts better or worse...

Kinda seems like worse... damn Crypto what'd you do?

[Just_Joe]

OP was a member of our smallish Plug and Play camp for Burner Express people.
Since the buses bypassed any Law Enforcement scrutiny, it was decided to make a few discrete calls to the TSA in order to provide true acculturation.
I knew you wouldn't want it any other way, Omega.
You're welcome.

[tatonka]

you guys go through the metal detector. I get a pat down with weird pads looking for chemical traces.

Don't know if tha'ts better or worse...

I get the pat down and go thru the machine of unknown rays

[Molotov]

Back in my days as a LEO, I was flying somewhere on vacation and they wanted to swab my favorite set of shoes. I had worn these shoes to the pistol range for qualification the week before, and I was sure there was gunpowder residue on them, and I told them so.

Needless to say, the meter went crazy and for a bit I thought they were going to eviscerate my shoes with a knife looking for explosives. Finally somebody listened to me and their supervisor ended the freak-out and I went on my way.

[theCryptofishist]

you guys go through the metal detector. I get a pat down with weird pads looking for chemical traces.

Don't know if tha'ts better or worse...

I get the pat down and go thru the machine of unknown rays

Twice as lucky!

[theCryptofishist]

Back in my days as a LEO, I was flying somewhere on vacation and they wanted to swab my favorite set of shoes. I had worn these shoes to the pistol range for qualification the week before, and I was sure there was gunpowder residue on them, and I told them so.

Needless to say, the meter went crazy and for a bit I thought they were going to eviscerate my shoes with a knife looking for explosives. Finally somebody listened to me and their supervisor ended the freak-out and I went on my way.

I wonder if some people set off those things with residue from the fire and explosives out there. Not likely to be casual people, but people who worked with the stuff directly. All those that I know, drive in. Still, I bet there have been instances...

[Lonesomebri]

I have a friend who misplaced his Drivers License during the Burn this year and when he got to Reno late at night after the week on the playa discovered that he could not check into a hotel/casino without picture ID. He had a credit card to pay, just no picture ID. In desperation of a shower and rest he turned to the only picture ID he could find, his California Medical Marijane Card. The casino accepted it and my friend had his room. The next morning he decided to stay another night and stopped at the desk to tell them as he went out for breakfast. Again, he had to show his card as ID. Returning to the room after breakfast, his bags from the room were all gone. He contacted house-keeping, figuring they had assumed he was only staying the first night, and that the bags had been left by mistake. Housekeeping transferred his call to Security. Security told him to come down and collect his bags at Lost and Found, in the Security Room..."just ask any casino security officer on the floor and he will direct you". Not having anything illegal in his bags, down to the office he went. Inside the room, around a long table, were at least 6 blue uniforms and 3 to 5 suits. "I came for my bags." "Can you describe them?" asked one of the suits. "They're sitting right there in that chair." And that was it, he returned to his room with his bags without further incident, glad that he was in no way associated with omegared.

[BBadger]

Now if you guys looked Middle Eastern...

[omegared]

OP was a member of our smallish Plug and Play camp for Burner Express people.
Since the buses bypassed any Law Enforcement scrutiny, it was decided to make a few discrete calls to the TSA in order to provide true acculturation.
I knew you wouldn't want it any other way, Omega.
You're welcome.

Thanks Joe, You're Awesome!!!

[AntiM]

Whenever we fly, I get waved over to the Mostly Harmless line, while MyLarry gets the full treatment. May be the beard, or possibly he always has a whiff of diesel about him.