Down on the Ground

I read an interview with Jason Reitman in the winter issue of Celebrated Living where he opined on the best travel advice he’s ever received:

“Put your shoes through the X-ray machine before your carry-on,” he said. “That way you can re-lace as your bag comes through.”

Sound advice. So I surveyed other frequent travelers, and here’s what they said:

*Lauren Godinez of Atlanta suggests you spec out businesspeople if you can choose a screening line. “Usually people who dress in suits are a safe bet to get behind, because you know they’ve got to be somewhere on time,” she says. “Don’t get in line behind families with kids; they’ve always got more than two bins and take forever.”

*Joseph Sobin of Colorado has another suggestion: “Follow the flight crews, they know the screeners and are efficient,” he says, adding that there’s an ideal order for placing items on the belt: “Coat and shoes first, bag second, laptop last, because you may be delayed by passengers in front of you being rechecked or merging in, and during the delay your possessions will be scanned, and your laptop will come out last with less risk of being stolen. Few would steal a coat/shoes or a roller board, but it’s easy to pick up a laptop and walk away with it.”

*Jan McInnis is a comedian who performs for corporations and associations. She says don’t waste time putting your change and bracelets in the tray as those never set off the monitors. “People dump out their pockets with little change when truly you need a LOT to make that thing go off, at least in my experience,” she says. “Besides, who carries more than a buck in change these days? Leave it in your pocket.”

*With an airport-friendly laptop bag, you may not have to remove it for screening, since it opens 30 degrees for normal use and 180 degrees to lay flat. One model is the booqbag www.booqbags.com

*Frequent traveler Stephen Hultquist suggests you pay attention to the different security lanes. “If you’re a premier flier or flying first or business class, use the premium lanes in security at airports that have them,” he says. “In the U.S., there are black diamond, blue square, and green circle lanes, indicating the experience level of the travelers: expert, familiar, unfamiliar/families with small children/etc. Make sure to use the right one.”

*Finally, Jennifer Kellas of Brooklyn suggests keeping the Golden Rule in mind. “Look nice, wear a smile, and be prepared,” she says. “It never ceases to amaze me how travellers don’t realize that if they were simply nicer to the security personnel, maybe even smiled and followed their directions, they’d breeze through so much faster. Security staffers are much more likely to help a traveller who is friendly, complies and doesn’t aim to ruin their day by complaining or frowning at them for doing what they need to do.”

Related posts:

1. What Dangers Lurk On Airport Floors?