My wife, 9-month-old son and I recently flew up to Seattle on Alaska Airlines and had a great two days checking out the city and staying at the stylish Thompson Seattle. On our way back to Los Angeles, we had an encounter going through security unlike anything we’ve ever seen before…and we’ve taken over 50 flights a year for the past 10 years as a couple!
When we arrived at SeaTac Airport, we used our CLEAR membership, which allows TSA PreCheck users to essentially cut the TSA PreCheck line. There was no line but since we had just become members a few days earlier, we wanted to use it to get more familiar with it. The only problem was that the TSA PreCheck lane was actually closed. I’m assuming this was because it was 2:30pm on a Thursday and not a lot of business travelers were using it at that time. But we were given a red pass so we didn’t have to take our shoes off or go through the millimeter wave scanner, but we did have to take our laptops and liquids out. Otherwise, we just had to the walk through the metal detector.
I’m so used to not taking my liquids out with TSA PreCheck that I forgot about Jack’s oversized eczema cream that was in my bag, so it was rightly flagged. The agent first tried to tell me it wasn’t allowed because it was oversized but as soon as I told him it was my child’s cream for medical purposes and he could see this on the side of the container, he realized it had to be allowed as long as he tested it. He said, “Well, you either have to give it up or get a full-on pat-down and thorough bag check.” I said, “He needs his cream and I’m not in a hurry.”
The agent then started giving me attitude since I wasn’t in a hurry like most other travelers and I don’t think he wanted to take the time to do the pat-down and bag search. I don’t really blame him. He told me it was going to take at least five minutes, and I said it was okay and to do what he had to do. As he started patting me down, I learned my wife’s belongings were also flagged. It turns out she put the baby food in the same bin as her laptop and her agent said that was a big no-no. She gave Natalie attitude for not knowing that the baby food had to go in its own bin.
When my agent really started to go on a power trip, I tossed Natalie my phone and asked her to record my pat down. That didn’t make the agent happy. He turned his back to the camera and called for his supervisor who was a nice guy but knew I had the right to record. However, I didn’t want to be a jerk so I stopped.
Supposedly, my phone tested for some kind of chemical and set off their alarm. And because Natalie touched it and her unopened bottles of baby food tested positive too, they said they had to call in—get this—the Explosives Unit! I thought it was a joke and I was on some kind of Candid Camera show but sadly, it wasn’t.
It took the two Explosives Unit agents a few minutes to get there and I could tell that Natalie was starting to get really worried. Jack was starting to cry because he sensed her fear and he hadn’t liked seeing his mother get a pat-down. I wasn’t worried at all but Natalie later told me she was concerned because she has seen how things can escalate and because she’s brown, living in Trump’s country.
Fortunately, she was immediately put at ease by the Explosives Unit agent who really couldn’t have been any nicer and probably sensed it was a false positive when he saw us. He had everything tested and run through the X-ray again, and had our carry-on bags hand searched. The whole process took at least 30 minutes but it felt longer and I felt bad because it was such a waste of taxpayers’ money. The security line was getting really long and those who had their bags flagged had to wait for us.
My takeaways about going through security with baby food are:
- Don’t put baby food in the same bin as your laptop.
- Try not to have more than 3.4 ounces of cream but know that if it’s for medical purposes, you can have more.
- Show up to the airport extra early, just in case you get flagged.
- Be polite to the agents but if they question the amount of food or medicine you’re traveling with, ask for a supervisor. Many agents don’t know the rules but most supervisors do.
Bottom line: It was an unfortunate incident but it was a great learning experience for me. As anyone who has ever met my wife knows, she is possibly the nicest person in the world and I’m a nice guy too, but unlike my wife, I will give attitude back if provoked.
I’ve heard from my friends on Facebook (where I first posted about what happened) that SeaTac is known for having overzealous TSA agents. Do you agree? Have you ever had the Explosives Unit called in? Any other tips I should add?
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Fly from Medellin in Colombia back to the USA and you get the full pat down twice from the before you get to board. And you do not get to ask for a private pat down. Oh my, the trama and humiliation of modern air trsvel is enough to make me cry not!!
I understand this kind of situations. I used to travel regularly because of my job. To be a good TSA agent, training and updates need to be accomplished at least every year to make the agent more knowledgeable. For the persons that got your political statement in the wrong manner I have an advise for them: Educate in political science or history before you make a comment with no grounds. Humanities and social sciences are expressed by professionals in these fields. I am sure that nobody makes comments about chemistry without studying natural sciences first.
JOHNNY- I carry hunting weapons all over the world and firearm ammo and fireworks do not set off the ‘wipe’ test- but nitro from my Dad’s heart medicine sure will- use your resources to find out actually sets off the ‘alarm’.
Be thankful you are living in the USA which does not really belong to Trump- and you as a world traveler you should appreciate that.
Jeez, Johnny… My wife is a dark skinned Mexican American who just retired as a Sergeant after 32 years with the Los Angeles Police Department. She is very happy to be living in Trump’s America, rather than Merkel’s Germany, for example. You think that TSA personnel are Trump supporters? Please be non-political. On the other hand, your name is on the Masthead and you can say whatever you want! My right is to cancel all my subscriptions to JohnnyJet.com!
I also got flagged and searched a couple of years ago. The reason I was flagged was because I had on jeans that had metallic threads in them. I was then checked for explosives which was positive. So, I had to go to a room to be patted down and have my carry on hand searched. The very nice young ladies that searched me told me about the metallic threads in my jeans and that it was the lotion I used before leaving home that gave the explosive alert. They also said jeans with decorations on them often set off the alarm. So, you can add these items to your tip list.
Occasionally, we meet persons in government or in the service industry who aren’t exactly professional when dealing with the public. They may behave that way because of fear of losing their jobs or fear of the worst thing happening. They may be having a bad day (a bad life) or they could simply be on a “power trip”. Running into those persons can be both traumatic and humiliating. That experience can haunt a person (even people who enjoy bullying others) long after that incident has passed. That is why a person in power such as a TSA agent, a policeman or a politician (in any office) should always try to behave in a professional and respectful manner toward other human beings. I’m not saying that they should be weak or not strong… just behave professionally (probably, the way they were originally trained and the reason why they were originally chosen for that job). In other words, treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. Thank you for your story!
Sorry you had to go through all of that. And even sorrier that some people are so sensitive about how they react to a factual statement of how your wife was feeling.
I stopped going to Seattle because of the left wing politics up there.
But now that this is “Trumps’ Country” maybe its time to go back?
or is that just bs from another lefty? First time i have ever read your blog, last time too.
And for the haters, its his right to say whatever kind of bs he wants, and its my right not to listen.
Great article and great reporting Johnny! Unlike some of your readers, I appreciate your telling of things as they happened, whether people like it or not. Keep up the great work.
Damn bro, glad it all worked out in the end!!! Happy 4th to you guys!!!!
A few months ago, a fellow traveler was flagged for explosives in Auckland’s airport. Apparently it was the “fantastic” hand lotion she purchased in New Zealand and had used that morning. Last year I had to undergo a body search at the Frankfurt Airport because the scan showed a large sweat patch on my back resulting from carrying my backpack. Oh well.
I was once denied boarding out of the Colorado Springs airport because the cast I had on my hand tested positive for explosive residue. The TSA agent took me back to a screening room and swabbed the cast again and still positive. She asked if I had lotion on and I said I did. I had just washed my hands in the bathroom and applied lotion before getting into line. She said the soap was probably the trigger because it is a glycerine base. She called a supervisor, because she said he could allow me through. Now here comes Mr. Attitude. He came back and asked for my ID. I gave it to him. He asked for additional ID. Huh? I had my military ID and my passport so I pulled those out. Now he really is grouchy. He asked how long I had the cast on and I told him 2 weeks prior it was put on at the Air Force Academy. That was the last straw for him. He now says that there is no way he will allow me to board. I was on business and needed to get to California. His response is “to bad” and walked out. The TSA agent apologized and told me to get to the United counter and fly out of Denver where they had a cast scope. And that was what I ended up doing. So some good ones and some bad ones. Just like life every where.