On the Plane: At the Airport
Security
Security is serious business and about the only place along the trip that you should not seek to make the journey fun and educational. All the more so post-9/11/01.
These days, you never quite know what to expect from security lines. All in all, it seems like things are getting better. For me, I find it helps to go in expecting it to be a nightmare. If it’s only a mild disaster, then you’ve come out ahead!
The one tool I really, really recommended comes from our friends at the TSA. They have a page dedicated to
Security Checkpoint Wait Times. It will list pretty much every airport and what the waiting times are like at different times of day. For example, if you’re flying from Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ) on a weekday at 6am (lucky you!), your average wait time is 5 minutes and the maximum is 8 minutes.
The X-ray machines in the U.S. and most developed countries will not harm most standard film, computer disks or half-eaten food in your carry on luggage. We’ve had film go through three or four X-rays changing planes three times (yes, it was a long day) without problems.
Speaking of X-rays, your kids may be curious about what their stuff looks like being x-rayed. Again, security is serious business. What is best is to pass completely through and then— maybe— stop and look back to see the next traveler’s luggage being x-rayed. Needless to say, no one will find witty jokes made about bombs, guns and the like. This is a part of the trip to simply get through without trouble or delay.
If you in an airport, here or abroad, where you are somewhat concerned about security, the best thing to do is to check in quickly and get through security. The area outside of security is open to anyone, whereas after you pass through the security check point there is some additional screening having been done.
Carry-on bags pass through the X-ray machine on rollers. If you carry-on a bag that does not close with a zipper or a good clasp, it may fall open passing through the X-ray machine, spilling all your stuff.
For infants, if they are in a stroller you will likely be asked to carry them and push the stroller through the metal detector separately. Plan ahead and have the babe in arms before you get to the line at security to make things easier.
Sometimes you will be selected for a more stringent, “random”, examination of your luggage. This additional check takes only a few minutes and is designed to make sure explosives don’t get on the plane. Typically it means moving your baggage to a special machine. The kids do not need to go, so if you are two parents one can take the bags and the other the kiddies. If not, no harm done walking to the machine. Needless to say, objecting to the screening only means you’ll get to the gate that much later.
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