Kilt wearer in Scotland, and airport security

**jhockin** · 15th July 17, 08:38 AM

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...s-14072017.htm
( never had this issue myself)

**Jock Scot** · 15th July 17, 08:50 AM

What else did he expect? however, yet another reason----one more of quite a few---- why I don't wear the kilt outwith Scotland.

**Father Bill** · 15th July 17, 09:49 AM

I'm mildly perplexed here. Of course I'd leave the sghian at home and I'd not wear a kilt pin (it could go in checked luggage) but then the entire sporran is as easy to run through the x-ray as any lady's purse which leaves only the buckles to consider.

If the airlines can't handle buckles with a wand, patdown, or private search, they have bigger problems with their planning than with their "planing".

To me, it's not so much a disgrace as a stupidity.

**Terry Searl** · 15th July 17, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

I'm mildly perplexed here. Of course I'd leave the sghian at home and I'd not wear a kilt pin (it could go in checked luggage) but then the entire sporran is as easy to run through the x-ray as any lady's purse which leaves only the buckles to consider.

If the airlines can't handle buckles with a wand, patdown, or private search, they have bigger problems with their planning than with their "planing".

To me, it's not so much a disgrace as a stupidity.

I have considered wearing my kilt when flying but my wife has explained to me the error of my thoughts. I have a hearing impairment to such a degree that for the most part I don't understand what is being said if I can't see the speakers mouth. Even though I have explained my issues to security people I am usually the one who is given the "extra" screening......I can only imagine what it would be like if I was wearing my kilted outfit......Much easier to pack it and put it on when I have arrived at my destination

**LANCER1562** · 15th July 17, 12:23 PM

I have flown kilted twice and had no issues with airport security except to be asked on one flight if I was carrying "the sock knife". I told the TSA agent that I had left my sgain dubh at home. I put my kilt belt and sporran through the X-ray scanner and walked through the metal detector expecting the buckles on my kilt to set off the alarm (which they didn't). Granted it was on a domestic carrier within the Continental U.S. from San Francisco, California to Denver, Colorado the first time and from Orlando, Florida to Colorado Springs Airport the second time.

**cessna152towser** · 15th July 17, 12:33 PM

Much ado about nothing. I will be wearing a kilt to travel to France and Germany next week and of course I will not be taking a sgian-dhu with me and my kilt pin will be travelling as packed luggage. The sporran and belt always come off to go through the security belt. If you turn slightly sideways to go through the metal detector you are less likely to trigger it as your buckles will go through separately rather than side by side.

**Kylahullu** · 15th July 17, 12:37 PM

Interesting.
I have been flying and been security checked a couple of times wearing a traditional kilt with metal buckles. No problems at all. Just had to put the sporran and belt on the belt to be x-rayed. My kilt pin (Xmarks-the Scot-cap badge) has been usually in my carry-on baggage if I had not forgotten to take it off the kilt, even so, no problems.

The airports have been: Helsinki (several times), Edinburgh, London, and Lisbon. Maybe also Havanna (Cuba) but I do not remember for sure did I fly wearing the kilt even I wore a kilt all the time in Cuba.

**Jock Scot** · 15th July 17, 12:53 PM

Now come on chaps I don't want to overplay this, but the world is not as safe as perhaps it might be. Europe, the UK has recently been a target for terrorists too often, other parts of the rest of the world have been and might be, almost certainly will be, again. That is how it is. So when I or my loved ones are flying at 15000 ft I am comforted by the fact that someone in security is doing their job. One hopes they are anyway and lets face it, their intelligence information is more up to date than ours. Inconvenient it is, but its the price, a small price, we have to pay in the reality of the threat of today. Its no good ignoring it, or, bleating about it.

**derosa** · 15th July 17, 03:28 PM

This does seem like much ado about nothing, belt and sporran in the bin like anything else and the buckles may set things off, that's why they have wands if need be.

**lschwartz** · 15th July 17, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by derosa

This does seem like much ado about nothing, belt and sporran in the bin like anything else and the buckles may set things off, that's why they have wands if need be.

I agree. Just somebody else getting all flustered and worked up about something that is a minor inconvenience, the same one that all of his fellow travellers are going through, that really just makes sense.

Larry