/me is not keen on upcoming holiday travel

[derien]

I figured I'd check out what the TSA website says about packing for travel, since everyone keeps saying, "the rules are all up there where people can look them up" but so many passengers are unprepared and confused. Granted, nothing is going to be readable for everyone, or understandable - there are always going to be people who won't get it. But I really don't find this article all that clear!
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/simplifly.shtm


It starts with a lot of chatty rambling on, which is certain to lose some readers immediately. I think I'd have preferred to start with bullet points and then expand on the ones which people seem to have the most difficulty with.

The fact that liquids have to be out by themselves in a bin is stuck in the last part of the second paragraph and not highlighted anywhere that I have yet noticed.

The video actually shows putting the shoes on the bottom of the bag, which is not a good place for them, either in checked baggage or in carry on. On top is best.

Of course to me it all looks simple, I know it's not so for people who aren't used to it. Many people aren't even sure of the difference between carry-on baggage and checked baggage. Of course in my airport we do get those people who are 60 and have never been 20 miles from the place they were born in potato farming country. Gateside check confuses that issue even more - the airlines should just stop that practice altogether. Gateside checked bags have to be treated as carry-ons because after the screening process the passenger still has access to it.

Anyhow, am out of time - I had planned to be ready to face the day by this time, and I'm not. Need to get packages mailed out.

Comments

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

Why is putting shoes on top (of carry-on luggage?) best? Does that make them easier to see on the x-ray? I have to say that if I put shoes in my carry-on, I and probably most people would pack them on the bottom so they didn't squash other things (as I can actually control the way my carry-on is treated, I could be sure they'd stay on the bottom).

[derien.livejournal.com]

Doesn't make a great deal of difference in carry on, but if you should happen to get extra screening in the U.S. we're supposed to run a test on the shoes, which just disarranges your things more if we have to pull them out from the bottom of the bag. And then it takes longer to put the whole bag back together.

You know, I'm glad you brought it up, because I'm wondering if my assumption that it's quite helpful is false. It seems quite helpful to us, but maybe it doesn't matter as much to other people? If the bag is not packed to the gills it's not so bad. But most seem to be.

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

I think most travellers (non-military, anyway) pack according to a logic that is meant to maximise space and minimise squashing of their stuff - this of course may make screeners' jobs more difficult! I've seen a number of "how to pack" articles, and they all emphasise putting heavy items on the bottom, putting smaller items inside other ones, especially other items with some good structural integrity (jewellery inside shoes, for example). This seems like it would make screeners want to beat their heads off walls (and my beloved packing cubes would fall into that - they make my life easier, but would probably depress you to a great extent!)

[derien.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right, it pretty much does make me want to beat my brains out on a wall! :D

[derien.livejournal.com]

I think where I formed the opinion that on top is best was because guys who are in the army were apparently taught to stuff their boots in the bottom of their duffle. Boots cause the baggage x-ray to alarm, and two years ago that would mean we'd have to unpack the whole bag, test the boots, and pack it all up again. Which could take around fifteen minutes and sometimes required two people and creative application of a screw driver. Things have changed since then, we have newer systems, and I think that they're now telling the guys to not put the boots on the bottom.