Ladies, when going through security

[Coyote_Bandit]

have you ever been required to submit to a hand search of your purse because it contained a coin purse?

Happened to me today at the entrance of the local county courthouse where I had gone to pay taxes. I've always carried a small coin purse full of loose change. Nothing else just coins. The purse itsef is made out of a textile and it has a nylon zipper and a single round metal keychain. I've carried this particular coin purse for several years now. It has previously been x-rayed and gone through several other security checks without necessitating any hand searches or provoking any comments or inquiries. What's the deal? Any other ladies here had any similiar experiences?

[pitohui]

1. yes i have

and not just recently, it happened sometimes pre-911 also

the coins should show on the x-ray and normally they shouldn't need to do a handsearch, but sometimes i'm not sure why, they can't tell it's coins and have to check by hand

no biggie

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. The screener knew before he searched

that it was a coin purse full of change and commented to that effect. I guess that combined with my past experience is why it struck me as odd.

[pitohui]

8. sounds like a lonely screener looking to make chitchat then

a county courthouse security job, probably not v. excitement most days

i wouldn't read too much into it

if you are concerned abt screeners in your purse, i find it wise to put money in clear plastic, so they can see it but not palm something, sorry to sound suspicious but we had a good bit of theft at our airport and a few bad apples make you nervous abt everyone, in usa we don't really have any coins of great value such that i care if they are palmed but i know a man who claimed that an airport screener palmed one of his black (worth $100) casino chips

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. Funny you should mention that

before I handed the coin purse over for inspection I removed the bills in the side pocket - without challenge.

You are right no big deal. Just a curiosity - and a bit annoying.

[mtnester]

2. Since 9/11, I have been subject to a hand search of both my purse and

person EVERY time through security checkpoint. The wand, the female guard...EVERY time.

The only thing I can guess is:

1. I have been flagged based upon my political activities and donations
2. I have dark hair and am kinda swarthy looking (Native American mixed with Scots - whodda thunk)

SO, yes, every time I go through, even though I do not set off the scanner.

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Um...

Native American mixed with Scots...you must be gorgeous. ;)

I'm betting number 1 doesn't help. I've got the same basic ancestry as you, but I'm a lily white redhead. I get the detailed treatment every time. Not a swarthy centimeter about me, but quite a record of political activism and financial contributions.

[Coyote_Bandit]

14. I'd be hacked

'course I'm one of those people that thinks there there should be a legit reason to search somebody - as in something that might rise to the level of probable cause.

So sorry for your experience.

[oldtime dfl_er]

3. I have

and I was told that nickel sometimes sets off explosive detectors. Don't know if it's true, but that's what the security people told me.

http://www.cafepress.com/scarebaby/1275605

[Coyote_Bandit]

7. Interesting

love the t shirt.....

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. No, but I'm still seething because I was made to remove...

my suit jacket to expose a flimsy see-through sleeveless shell while the men were breezing through the metal dectector with their suit jackets on.

Did you have a new person on duty with an over-inflated sense of dilligence?

[pitohui]

10. the men also should have removed their jackets

sloppy, sloppy, sloppy!

there is supposed to be a way to report screeners not doing their job but i'm not sure of the procedure, have not encountered this one

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. Over inflated sense of diligence?

No doubt. It was at the county courthouse in crazy red frickin JOklahoma. No doubt there were all sorts of traffic violators, other assorted misdemeanants and other undesirables passing thorugh those doors.

Maybe I should just be thankful I was preached at or prayed for.....

Have no idea if the screener was new. I don't frequent the place.

[Divernan]

18. Amen, sister. Men wear their suitcoats thru; women have to take off more.

I can understand taking off raincoats or topcoats, but when I have already taken off my outer jacket and then some guy insists I take off the cardigan of my two piece sweater set, or the lightweight blouse over my shell, I want to tell him he's a sexist jerk, but of course I don't, because I could miss my filght if I'm detained for being uncooperative. I also am uncomfortable when they peruse my passport, address me by my first name and ask me why I'm going to Chicago or wherever I'm headed. None of their damn business. If I get up at 4 a.m. to make my flight, I'm in no mood for small talk.

[Raine]

19. That kind of thing happened to me too

going into a court house. The guy was also making me remove my belt, my shoes etc. I finally had enough and said "FORGET IT!" I swear he wanted me to stip down to practically nothing and I was sick of being humiliated so I just left. I was going to the court house for some papers (not for an appearance) so I sent my brother to get them the next day. My brother didn't have a problem, he was able to go right in after removing his keys from his pocket.

[MadMaddie]

9. I had a friend going through airport security a couple of years ago...

....she is somewhat heavyset....

She got stopped and they wanded her....they had to wait for a women security person to come from the other end of the airport to come and physically check her......In the meanteam the guy was wanding over her bust (lets just say she is quite busty) and he asked her why there was metal in her chest area.....

wait...

wait.....

She replied, "Well thats the wire in my super duper bra holding up my big titties"!!! Needless to say the guy was quite embarrassed!!

It took her 30 minutes to clear security and get on her plane....when she got on the plane the pilots apologized to her because they could see the event going on through the plane window....

[pitohui]

12. yeah, never wear an underwire bra

i tend to assume that everyone knows "the rules" these days, the metal detector just knows it's metal, not that it's an underwire bra

i have sports bra that i wear on airport days, saves a lot of grief and not just at x-ray, you don't want some wire poking into you at 35,000 when the changing cabin pressures make subtle changes to the dimensions of your body anyway

[beyurslf]

15. I was required to take my phones to my car. Couldn't even bring

them in if I turned them off. And I was going to the records dept, not a courtroom.

[hopein08]

16. I saw on a Travel Channel ad that a good idea for things like that is...

to put anything and everything metal in a clear ziplock type bag. That way, you can just show it to the security or, in cases of going through a metal detector...you can just take out the bag and put it in the tray rather than setting off the detector a bunch of times and having to dig through purses and pockets.

[pitohui]

17. yes i do that

they can see it without touching it, no excuse for a light-fingered security guard to pocket anything either, sure most security guards are honest, but we had a few bad apples at my airport so i think i had heightened awareness

i put all the metal jewelry i'm wearing in the clear bag, gold shouldn't ding the x-ray but i guarantee you from experience that heavy silver jewelry such as southwestern style jewelry will get their attention every time, i guess squash blossom just looks whack on the x-ray