Airport & kilt

[KWD]

It has occurred to me, viewing the threads that were shut down, that silence on any potentially controversial topic is enforced and is the only option. I'd post a thread about it, but I honestly figure it would be shut down, see? Because it would be a controversial thread, and controversy is inherently political...or so it would seem. Never mind that we have yet to mention Democrats, Republicans, Congress, Obama...just airport security and governance. Political.

On kilts and flying...on flying, in general...

It doesn't matter what airline you fly. The rough part of flying is getting through security, because security is staffed by humans, and humans are a varied lot. Saying "I flew United and it was cool" is meaningless. I was on four different carriers over Thanksgiving, and they were all cool...Frontier brings everyone fresh chocolate chip cookies, US Airways had comfy seats and a movie, none had anything to do with security.

Or politics.

The best advice I've seen posted was in one of those other oh-so-controversial threads, where one of our members might have thumbed their nose at another, or possibly someone might have been snubbed, or maybe it was because someone whose name rhymed with "Travis" totally Godwinned the thread , but anyway the advice was this: "Go along to get along."

Smile. Everyone around you is more likely to be in a good mood, including the guy that has to tuck his fingers inside your waistband. The guy probably cries in to a 12-pack every night because his job description requires him to handle more packages in a day than FedEx. Have some compassion and don't be a jerk.

Be prepared. Is your luggage packed in such a way that it took three family members sitting on it to close, and will explode in a cloud of underthings, battery operated devices, accessory wiring and bellybutton lint if nudged? Or is it easy to take apart and put back together? Loose small stuff goes in a separate bag. Electronics go in a separate bag. Toiletries go in a one-quart clear ziploc...you know the drill. The point is, all those separate bags can be removed from your suitcase prior to the x-ray, and easily repacked...so instead of digging through your boxer shorts for a pair of suspicious tweezers, they pull a small bag containing only your cuticle-torturing implements and other small metal contraband.

Arrive early. If you are running late and freaking out over the stuff you accidentally packed in your carry-on, or the guy who doesn't know what a three-toed, moss-covered gredunza might be doing in your suitcase, you are less likely to smile. If you're carrying something unusual through security, like a suspension fork for a mountain bike (done it once, expensive fork) or bagpipes (they come with me everywhere), allow extra time for confused searching and explanations. If it won't blow up, doesn't contain liquid, can't be used to cut anyone, and is too small to be reasonably used as a blunt weapon, it'll fly...but it might need to be unpacked first.

Be professional. The people at security, other than the two or three you read about in the papers, are striving with utmost patience to be professional. If you return it in kind, your trip through security will be quick and easy regardless whether you are going through the scanner, metal detector, or pat-down. This includes bag checks.

I was only patted down once...the guy was professional, it was fast, no big deal. The rest of the time, it was the standard metal detector. Why the big about-face? Because what I experienced was nothing like what the Chicken Little reporting predicted.

Oh !#@$...did I just Godwin the thread? Sneakily, at that? Read the Chicken Little article on Wikipedia . They say "Nazi". Thread's gonna get locked for sure now, sorry guys!

What does this have to do with kilts? The same thing that it has to do with bananas (for those of you not frequenting the miscellaneous forum, there is a thread about bananas...just bananas. Not kilts, not funny, just bananas). What you are wearing just doesn't matter...it is your attitude and conduct that makes the most difference.

-Sean

Very well said Sean, Very well said...

[CDNSushi]

To echo what wildrover said, there was another kilted while flying thread many months ago as well. I remember in that one I posted some general advice as well. While the times and procedures do seem to change almost weekly now, most of the points still hold more or less true, so I'm cross-posting my old post here verbatim below, to put in my two bits about flying while kilted (and having done so on several occasions).

I still hold very strong opinions on the new security procedures, and just on airport security in general -- but it's not necessary to re-hash them here. Suffice it to say, security of some kind will remain a necessary evil for anyone who needs to or chooses to make use of air transport, so it helps if you can come to grips with it and find the most effective ways to deal with it.


Taken from this thread: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...t-again-53576/

Just as Beedee said. I do not have experience with TSA, but from my recent trip from Japan to Canada (and back), that is the protocol they all followed. Mind you, it is definitely true that it depends on the airport, the security team and a whole host of other factors too. On my outbound flight, After I took off the sporran, I went through the metal detector and didn't even beep. Depends how their machines are set. Even the wands they use can be more or less sensitive to metal...

As for their procedure, there should be no difference between checking a lady in a skirt or a man in a kilt (and in my experiences, there wasn't). The only difference I noticed was that female security screeners would call for a male one to assist and either he would do the wand thing himself, or he would watch the female screener to make sure she wasn't wanding up my kilt or anything strange. The male screener sometimes would also pat down the SIDES of my kilt (not front or back) and examined behind my kilt buckles and underneath my kilt pin.

I would not discourage anyone from traveling in a kilt, but I would offer some friendly advise, from personal experience. A lot of this may seem like simple, common sense, but all of these things have served me very well throughout the years. I live by these rules myself and have not had a bad experience at airport security yet, even after many international trips to many countries.

1. Dress nicely. Whether you are kilted or not. When I travel un-kilted I choose to travel in a suit, shirt and tie. A well dressed person tends to command more respect and sets you apart. When I travel kilted, I have a dress shirt and tie at the very least.

2. Be well kept, well groomed, clean. Shower before you leave. Don't use strong colognes, perfumes or deodorants. Many people (including security screeners) are allergic or may not like your scent. Nothing puts someone into a bad mood like having to deal with someone with BO or smelling like they tripped over the Calvin Klein demo girl at the mall.

3. Smile. Be friendly. Even if your kindness is met with stony, cold glares or rudeness. Don't repay in kind. It may be tough to do if someone's being a &%(#'& but most of the time, they're just tired, or sick, or having a bad day. And even if they are truly a &%(#'&, stooping to their level won't make them change their attitude towards you. If you can't smile or be friendly, at the very least be polite and don't mouth off, criticize or give them a hard time... Because for whatever you dish out, they can dish out more and ultimately, you'll be the one who's inconvenienced.

4. Pack in such a way that makes it easy for your stuff to be inspected. I think it's hilarious to see people complaining about security making a mess of their belongings after they spent hours packing and making everything "just right." To facilitate this, nowadays you can even buy carry-on bags that are built in a way to make them easy to open, inspect and re-pack.

5. Expect delays at security. It should go without saying, but arrive at the airport early, and get through security soon. Once you're past security, THEN take a load off. Hit the airport bar, go shopping at the duty-free, play with your laptop, take a nap, whatever. But get the unpleasantness of dealing with security out of the way quickly and soon, while you still have lots of time and aren't tired and cranky from all the people at the airport yet.

6. When you pack, use a list (especially for your carry-on). Everything that's on it should go in. Nothing more and nothing less. This way you won't suddenly realize that you forgot about your swiss army knife in your backpack or pocket, or that you still have a flask full of hooch that won't go through the liquid ban at the airport.

7. Have essential things ready when you join the queue for security because you KNOW they'll be asking to see this stuff anyway.
- passport (or ID)
- boarding pass

Also, even before they tell you to do so, remove your jacket, hat, and be prepared to drop your watch, keys, etc into the plastic tray when you reach the screening table. Have your liquids (that are in allowed quantities) out and in clear, ziplock bags.

[wildrover]

If you see a Calvin Klein demo girl at the mall, let me know, so I can go trip over her .

[O'Callaghan]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of myself and the Forum Moderators I feel I need to say something.

This is now the fourth thread on the subject of flying in a kilt. The three previous threads on the topic have been hijacked and derailed by a few members who persist in making comments about the policies, procedures and agencies in airports today.
These comments have added nothing to the original topic nor do they add to a better understanding of the topic. They seem to have been made to either interject controversy or to vent personal frustration with the policies or agencies.

The Forum Moderators do not like closing threads. It is the last resort when a thread has gone so far off topic that there is no chance of it remaining productive.

Earlier in this thread a suggestion was made to create a separate forum section on flying in a kilt with hints and tips. We would like to consider this suggestion but it is a fact that we seem to have a few members who refuse to keep their political and personal comments out of threads and who seem to delight in acting like Trolls. It is the comments of these members that caused the previous threads to be closed. We are concerned that the same would happen again.

We are all equal members here. We all have the responsibility to police our forum. The Report a Post feature of the forum is how this is done. The Forum Moderators will only act on a thread if it is reported. They can also only make a determination on a violation of our published rules. It is a violation or it is not.
Our Forum Moderators do not close a thread out of bias, personal belief or simply because the thread has gone off topic.

You all have a responsibility to insure this forum is what you want it to be. Do you want the forum to go in the direction the last three threads went? Then all you have to do is be silent and those who post will have the predominant voice.

Commenting without noting that our civil rights are being shredded is like ignoring an elephant in the room. So clearly I have nothing else to say.

[dutchy kilted]

I will be flying overseas (our of Newark) in the Spring. I saw Chapmanredbourn say he had flown in a UK Mocker and Survival.

I was planning on wearing my UK Mocker for comfort, but don't feel like being singled out for all sorts of special attention for doing it. Has anyone who has flown kilted found that they got more pat-downs, etc when they were kilted as opposed to non-kilted.

And how do you get through the metal detector, especially with a Survival?

Thanks for any guidance!

[MacMillans son]

I will be flying overseas (our of Newark) in the Spring. I saw Chapmanredbourn say he had flown in a UK Mocker and Survival.

I was planning on wearing my UK Mocker for comfort, but don't feel like being singled out for all sorts of special attention for doing it. Has anyone who has flown kilted found that they got more pat-downs, etc when they were kilted as opposed to non-kilted.

And how do you get through the metal detector, especially with a Survival?

Thanks for any guidance!

If there is a lot of metal on the "kilt" there is no way to get through without setting off the machine. Others have posted about turning sideways as you go through the metal detector as a way to reduce the amount of metal the machine detects at any one point, but I can easily see a TSA person telling you to go through the machine normally. After all, who would go through the machine sideways unless they had something to hide??? You can try all of the explaining you want about the buckles, but I am confidant it will not change their commitment to making sure you are not trying to get over on them.

If I was committed to flying kilted, for what ever reason, next time I think I would bring a pair of baggy sweat pants to the airport with me in a plastic bag. Step into the men's room, pull the sweats on under my kilt, undo the kilt, walk through security and place the kilt in the bin with my other personals. After the security check, pop back into the men's room, put the kilt on over the sweats and step out of them, put them in the bag and they are now carry on luggage the size of a small loaf of bread.

Or, if it is a one way flight, and one without multiple security check points, you could do as my marathon running friends do, buy the sweats at the nearest thrift store for a dollar or two and leave them in the trash after you go through security.

Good times!

[NewGuise]

I wore a kilt through airport security a couple of weeks ago, set off the alarm (of course), and when the nervous young officer told me he would have to pat me down, I simply grinned, took The Stance - legs comfortably apart, arms raised - and said "go for it." The whole security area was smiling when I turned around.

[troxel87]

I will be flying overseas (our of Newark) in the Spring. I saw Chapmanredbourn say he had flown in a UK Mocker and Survival.

I was planning on wearing my UK Mocker for comfort, but don't feel like being singled out for all sorts of special attention for doing it. Has anyone who has flown kilted found that they got more pat-downs, etc when they were kilted as opposed to non-kilted.

And how do you get through the metal detector, especially with a Survival?

Thanks for any guidance!

The last time I flew, I was wearing my new UK Survival. It was brilliant. I had no more attention given me, it was as if I were wearing p@^7$. As for not setting off the metal detector? Didn't have a single problem. As far as I have been told, it takes a certain amount and/or type of metal to set the machines off. I also think that's part of the brilliance of the UK Survival, is the detachable pockets. I detached them, tossed them in the luggage scanner and walked through the metal detector. I flew from Seattle to Salt Lake City, then from there to Baltimore. Never had a single issue (other than the fact that the cabin was FREEZING on the Salt Lake-Baltimore leg of the trip)!

Hope that helps. It was just my personal experience.

[wildrover]

Commenting without noting that our civil rights are being shredded is like ignoring an elephant in the room. So clearly I have nothing else to say.

Ironic, innit?