Metal detector etiquette

[mar]

I usually make two or three roundtrips a month as a passenger.

Until this last weekend I thought I pretty much had the metal detector thingy nailed. I've always sailed right through.

But Saturday morning I learned a lesson.

Half asleep, I walked through that infernal machine with my hands in my pockets.

Who knew?

I was asked to step aside for The Wand.

Huh? I said, "But I didn't hear the machine beep."

"Yes sir, please raise your arms and I'll explain it."

I learned that having your hands in your pockets is "suspicious behavior".

I told the dude I travel all the time and never heard of such a thing. He explained a lot of pilots were passing through with metal clenched in their fists (e.g. keys, coins, lucky charms, who knows what?).

Have you ever committed a Metal Detector Faux Pas that took you by surprise?

Or are you a TSA agent that is trained to look for "suspicious behavior"? Please clue us in. Enlighten us. Thanks.

 

[NoPlaneNoGain]

I was waiting for my turn to walk through the detector once with my hands in the pockets and one of those morons rudely yelled at me to get my hands out of my pockets which caught me off guard. At that point, the only thing I was hiding was a bird for this goober.

 

[Caveman]

I was with a Captain that got wanded for suspicious behavior because he didn't swing his arms as he walked through. That was at DFW.

As far as I can tell there really isn't any rhyme, reason, or standardization at the security checkpoints. Every time through is a crapshoot.

BTW, if there are any TSA lurking here would you care to offer an explanation as to how the contraband got aboard the SWA planes? Maybe we should hire ANOTHER 20 or 30 thousand Argendim refugees to help out.

 

[CitationLover]

TSA = DMV

love the enthusiasm of govt ees.

who cares about box cutters on an airplane. some arab jumps up with one he will be dead within 2min from the other passengers, can you say death by coke can bashing (a modern day stoning).

 

[WrightAvia]

Hands in pocket? That's just plain rude...and walking without moving your arms? Hehehe...tell that captain to pull the broomstick out of his ass.

But back to hands in pockets. I remember reading back in the old days that the cops in the transit or port authority in New York? or something, had to have their uniform trouser pockets sewn shut, so they couldn't put their hands in them...which was against department policy.

Here's a story of how it is not "PC" correct, to have your hands in your pocket...

Pc punched 'hands in pocket' man
A police officer punched a man three times in the stomach with metal handcuffs clenched in his fist to make him take his hands out of his pockets, a court has heard.
Pc Gary Waddoups told a jury at Bradford Crown Court that as part of his training he had been told that a police officer must never deal with anyone without seeing their hands in case they were concealing a weapon.

"When I am dealing with someone all I want is for him to show me his hands," he said.

Mr Waddoups, 43, of West Yorkshire Police, said he had made the decision to arrest Stephen Ryan, 31, for being drunk and disorderly while he was on foot patrol in Leeds city centre on 15 December 2001 because he had been abusive and threatening.

Pc Waddoups, of Knottingley, West Yorkshire, denies one count of actual bodily harm, one count of common assault and one count of perverting the course of justice.

Common assault

He told the court that despite numerous requests that he take his hands out of his pockets Mr Ryan refused.

Asked by Jonathan Devlin, defending, why he had pushed Mr Ryan against the police van, Pc Waddoups said he wanted to get him under control and away from other people.

Pc Waddoups said he had told Mr Ryan he was going to arrest him but could not get the handcuffs on him because the hands were so deep into his trouser pockets.

It was at that point he punched Mr Ryan, the court heard.

Earlier the court was shown CCTV video footage showing Pc Waddoups punching Mr Ryan three times in the stomach with metal handcuffs clenched in his fist.

The trial continues.

 

[NoPlaneNoGain]

because he didn't swing his arms as he walked

Caveman,

This is kinda funny as it reminds me of a specific Seinfeld episode.

 

[saabcaptain]

certain small metal items can be cupped tightly in the hand and your hands mass will prevent the detector from going off. even before 9/11 you couldn't walk through with hands in your pocket but back then you would be just asked to step back through and go again. the small metal objects include a bullet, razors, etc.

 

[skiddriver]

Keep your hands open and out of your pockets, your feet walking (not dragging along the ground), and do not touch the inside walls of the metal detector (it will set it off every time). You'll be fine.

 

[chperplt]

Did you and Mav have a good time in Vegas?

 

[Bill Mostellar]

I was with a Captain that got wanded for suspicious behavior because he didn't swing his arms as he walked through. That was at DFW.

Must've been Air Force!

Hey, I resemble that remark....