View Full Version : Hairtoys and Airport Security
herbgurl82
June 9th, 2010, 03:27 PM
I got into grad school :D, and am flying down to Washington DC next week to tour the school, and meet with my advisor. I want to look somewhat professional when I meet with her, so I wanted to wear my hair up in a FT held by either my large silver Ficcare Maximus, or my Ron Quattro metal Starlite fork. I am only bringing one carry on, as I am only staying for two nights. My question is, will they confiscate my hair clip/fork from me at the airport? I know it would set off an alarm, but if I removed it from my hair, and gave it to them with my other things for X-raying? Would that work? I was thinking of mailing it to my hotel, but then I would have to go through the hassle of mailing it back when I leave.
Akiko
June 9th, 2010, 03:41 PM
I have flown in and out of DC domestically as well as internationally with hairsticks/forks many times. It has never been a problem for me. I always wear a side braid on a plane and carry sticks or fork with me in my purse.
salvia
June 9th, 2010, 03:43 PM
Congratulations in getting into grad school!
I've flown* wearing a ficcare maxima with no problem. Wooden hairsticks were fine too. I don't think I'd try with a metal fork, though.
*only within Europe, but UK regs are fairly strict
May
June 9th, 2010, 03:47 PM
Put it in your carry-on.
SpinDance
June 9th, 2010, 03:49 PM
I've traveled with sticks, forks and Flexi's and TSA hasn't blinked an eye at me about it. None of my sticks are very long, and in my carry on bag probably look like a short pencil. In my hair it's obvious what it is, of course! I have worn or brought with me bone and horn sticks and forks, as well as wooden. Oh, and I even brought a pair of short metal chopsticks once without problems.
Alaia
June 9th, 2010, 03:54 PM
I flew once from Australia to the UK and they took my hairstick away - precisely because I took it off to go through the scanner (having flown from UK to Australia with the stick in my hair there were no problems).
If it's in your hair, they are more likely to see it as decoration and not as something that could be used as a weapon (despite the fact that I pointed out to them that my pencils were sharper).
Schefflera
June 9th, 2010, 03:55 PM
A Ficcare would be relatively hard to mistake for or turn into a weapon, I think. What are you going to do, pinch somebody?
I don't generally fly wearing my lone hairstick because I don't want anything sticking out to catch on things; it goes in my bag and has never occasioned any comment. A pair of three-inch Quattro bronze anchor pins, buried in my hair, doesn't even set off the metal detectors, although my former boss has occasionally set them off with larger quantities of small pins.
Now, one tip I have been given is to carry with you a self-addressed, postage-paid padded envelope, in case it turns out something you thought was okay wasn't, or you had something you forgot about. At least at one point, they were willing to let you mail stuff home that way.
Anje
June 9th, 2010, 04:57 PM
I think a Ficcare is unmistakable as a hair decoration, though you could wear it through security just to make sure they know what it is. Like the other folks, I'd be a little more cautious with a metal hair fork, since it might be unusual looking. Wearing it might be a good way to ensure the security folks know what it is, though.
FWIW, I prefer to fly (or drive long distances) with my hair in a braid rather than bunned. A braid over the shoulder is so much less lumpy and allows you to lean your head back. You could always re-do your hair after you're through security, though.
jane53
June 9th, 2010, 05:23 PM
TSA has confiscated one hairstick from me. I would put it in your carry-on rather than wear it. I was wearing the one they confiscated, but I've gotten several through in a carry-on.
CONGRATULATIONS on getting into grad school!!!
Sunsailing
June 10th, 2010, 08:42 AM
My wife was wearing a large, shiney (expensive) silver barrette the last time we flew. It set off the metal detector when she went through it!
trolleypup
June 10th, 2010, 09:07 AM
Stainless steel doesn't set off the metal detectors...I used to use a plastic stick, until I forgot and now I just sail through with the stainless stick in.
I'd put the hairtoys in the carry on bag. As for the metal fork...does it have sharp points?
Amelia
June 10th, 2010, 09:52 AM
I've often wonder about this!
I wouldn't risk it. You could end up without your hairtoy. I once asked at the airport if it would be ok to take my knitting with me, and explained that it was small needles, sock needles, made of bamboo. They still said no.:angry:
heidihug
June 10th, 2010, 11:01 AM
Most US airport security personnel are absolutely and utterly clueless about things people wear in their hair. I had a couple rather sharp hairsticks in my bun when flying in 2005, and nobody even blinked at them - of course, they weren't metal, but I certainly could have used them for weapons. I've heard tales from other people who put their hair up that they've walked on planes with long knitting needles stuck in their hair and no one said a thing. Or the woman who had a long steel 3-pronged fork that didn't even set off the metal detector.
GRU
June 10th, 2010, 12:12 PM
Knitting needles are allowable on US flights now: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1252.shtm
If the hair fork doesn't have super-sharp needle-like points on it, it should be fine in either your hair or your carry-on. If it sets off the alarm, they'll wand you first to see what the trigger was. They may ask you to remove the fork so they can see what's going on (and also to show that you don't have a knife or firearm concealed within your hair), but once they see that it is just a hair-holder, it shouldn't pose any problems.
The Ficcare shouldn't raise eyebrows in either your hair or your carry-on. Particularly to men, it's "just a barrette".
BlueMuse
June 11th, 2010, 12:51 AM
Wow, I'd never really thought about hair toys and going through security. I'll have to keep it in mind the next time I pack for a flight.
beez1717
June 11th, 2010, 10:58 AM
I just got onto the airplane and I thought I'd post here first :D
I have no hair toys so security was no issue there. I did however take my Wii and games with me since I'm going to Maine for the summer. We have a place there so we can be near my realshives. I'm so happy to be off. I am supprised though that I didn't have my bag searched that had my Wii in it. That was a carry on so...
herbgurl82
June 12th, 2010, 09:21 PM
I have flown in and out of DC domestically as well as internationally with hairsticks/forks many times. It has never been a problem for me. I always wear a side braid on a plane and carry sticks or fork with me in my purse.
Thank you for your info.
Congratulations in getting into grad school!
Thank you!
Put it in your carry-on.
I think I might do that. I wonder if they would say anything if I put in the little felt slipcover that I got from my 60th street fork in.
I even brought a pair of short metal chopsticks once without problems.
Did you bring them in your carry on, or were they in your hair?
A Ficcare would be relatively hard to mistake for or turn into a weapon, I think. What are you going to do, pinch somebody?
Now, one tip I have been given is to carry with you a self-addressed, postage-paid padded envelope, in case it turns out something you thought was okay wasn't, or you had something you forgot about. At least at one point, they were willing to let you mail stuff home that way.
Thank you for that tip! I will get an envelope this week before my trip, and get it ready. I really don't want to lose my Ficcare, especially after what I went through with Ficcare the last time I ordered. (Long story short, I had a customer service nightmare, and I doubt I will be buying from them again...Pity, because I love Ficcare's products!)
CONGRATULATIONS on getting into grad school!!!
Thank you!
Stainless steel doesn't set off the metal detectors...I used to use a plastic stick, until I forgot and now I just sail through with the stainless stick in.
I'd put the hairtoys in the carry on bag. As for the metal fork...does it have sharp points?
This is the fork (http://cgi.ebay.com/QUATTRO-Hair-Sticks-Forks-StarLites-Basics-5-in-/110448216443?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19b73a097b) in question:
It's made of aluminum. No sharp edges, and rather small.
I just got onto the airplane and I thought I'd post here first :D
I have no hair toys so security was no issue there. I did however take my Wii and games with me since I'm going to Maine for the summer. We have a place there so we can be near my realshives. I'm so happy to be off. I am supprised though that I didn't have my bag searched that had my Wii in it. That was a carry on so...
Wow. I am just nervous that I am going to get pulled out of line, searched, and made to miss my flight. I'm just hoping that at 6 in the morning, the TSA will be too sleepy to be too grumpy/snappy at me if anything happens!
The Ficcare shouldn't raise eyebrows in either your hair or your carry-on. Particularly to men, it's "just a barrette".
I am hoping that is going to be the case!
I think I am going to wear the Ron Quattro fork, and put my Ficcare in my makeup bag in my carry on. Thank you all for your input! Now to figure out how to fit my mascara, face wash, moisturizer, toothpaste, lip gloss, and conditioner in my one quart plastic bag...
GRU
June 13th, 2010, 08:52 AM
This is the fork (http://cgi.ebay.com/QUATTRO-Hair-Sticks-Forks-StarLites-Basics-5-in-/110448216443?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19b73a097b) in question:
It's made of aluminum. No sharp edges, and rather small.
I don't know if aluminum will even set off the sensors. But if it does and they wand you and make you pull it out to show it to them, that thing is so blunt-tipped that it won't cause any raised eyebrows, so no worries!
Wow. I am just nervous that I am going to get pulled out of line, searched, and made to miss my flight. I'm just hoping that at 6 in the morning, the TSA will be too sleepy to be too grumpy/snappy at me if anything happens!
There are two different scenarios:
First is if you set off the walk-thru metal detector. They usually just wand you right there just past where you walk through. Wanding usually adds a maximum of about 60 seconds to the entire process. It's only if you have something "not obvious" (like pins in broken bones, or a... uh... er... "personal" type of piercing) that they actually take you someplace else to have you strip down so they can investigate further. Since you can just show them the fork right there in public, you won't need to go anywhere else.
The other scenario is if they see something of concern in your carry-on bag when they x-ray it. They will carry your bag over to a separate table (usually about 15-20 feet away) and wait until you collect your other things and come over to join them. Then they will open the bag and go through it to find whatever it was that concerned them. If they still have concerns, they will wipe down any suspicious items with little cloth swabs, then run the swabs through a device that detects explosives. If they just do the "look through your bag" it adds about two minutes to the process. If they do the explosives detection procedure, it's around 5-10 minutes total (including the searching before they do the wiping-down).
I think I am going to wear the Ron Quattro fork, and put my Ficcare in my makeup bag in my carry on. Thank you all for your input! Now to figure out how to fit my mascara, face wash, moisturizer, toothpaste, lip gloss, and conditioner in my one quart plastic bag...
There is no way I could fit a week's worth of conditioner in a quart-sized bag, so the last time I flew to my MIL's house I just stopped at Wal-mart and bought conditioner on the way from the airport to her house, then I left it at her house when I went home. The extra couple of bucks was sooooo worth the frustration I didn't have to endure! I'll do this any time I have to travel by air in the future. Even if I have to throw away half of the conditioner when I come home, it will still be completely worth the lack of a hassle! And since I don't have to invest in a bunch of little 3oz bottles, I'll probably still come out ahead even if I throw away the leftovers!
Now, if you want some more general "air travel helpful hints", here's my advice:
Wear slip-on shoes. It's so much easier to slip them off and on again at the security checkpoint if you don't have to deal with laces or buckles.
Take one carry-on bag to go in the overhead bin, and one backpack (or purse) that will fit under the seat in front of you. Use the purse/backpack for anything you might want during the flight (ipod, book, magazine, gum, Purell, pen/paper, lip balm, hand lotion, etc.) -- this way you won't need to deal with the overhead bin at all during the flight. (Particularly since there may not be room for your carry-on in an overhead bin near your seat, you don't want to need it mid-flight.)
If some of the stuff you'll want is in your quart bag for liquids (Purell, lip gloss, lotion), put those few items in a separate sandwich baggie inside your quart bag -- it will be easier to fish out the little baggie and put it in your purse/backpack.
If you're taking a laptop computer, you need to take it out of its case before you send it through the x-ray machine. You'll need to put it in its own bin, separate from your other carry-on bag (you can put your shoes and jacket in the same bin as your regular bag, though). Put the case in the bottom of the bin, then put the laptop on top of it. Position the bag so that the opening is on the side of your dominant hand, so that you can just pick up the laptop and slide it right into the opening on the other side of security.
While you're waiting in line to get through security, put EVERYTHING inside your carry-on (or jacket pockets, if you're taking one). So much time gets wasted while people go through their pockets and remove their wallet, watch, change, keys, sunglasses, reading glasses, pens/pencils, etc., to put them in the doggy dishes provided for small items to go through the x-ray machine. Then they hold up the line on the other end when they have to pick up every little thing and put it all back in their pockets (and of course they don't just stuff it all in one pocket and sort it out later, they stand there like they were standing at their bureau at home getting dressed for the day, each item being placed meticulously in its appropriate pocket, etc.). If all your little stuff is in one of your carry-on bags, you can slip on your shoes, grab your bags, and head off to your gate, and then get redressed at your leisure while sitting at the gate. (And don't get me started on the folks who have to go through the metal detector 2-3-4 times before they *finally* remember to remove all their metal objects (first it's the watch, then it's the keys, then it's the coins, etc.!!!)
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. But try not to worry about the security process. As long as you get to the airport ahead of time, and as long as you don't have any "not obvious" reasons for setting off the metal detectors, even if you get pulled aside to be wanded or have your bag searched, it really doesn't add any significant time to the security time.
herbgurl82
June 15th, 2010, 11:48 AM
Thank you for all the information GRU! I appreciate you going into such detail! Two quick questions: Would sneakers that have hard plastic insoles pose a problem in my carry on? (There is no gel), and would they question if I had a small empty pocketbook in my backpack? I am not sure I want to lug a backpack around DC with me, but have things that don't fit in my purse!
(And I just discovered that the airport I am going to has a Body Shop in it! :cheese: They open at 5 am, and my plane gets in at 7:45. So I can buy face wash and conditioner when I get off the plane. I am bringing a shampoo bar for my hair.)
GRU
June 15th, 2010, 12:26 PM
Thank you for all the information GRU! I appreciate you going into such detail!
You've very welcome, I hope it helps!
Two quick questions: Would sneakers that have hard plastic insoles pose a problem in my carry on? (There is no gel),
You could have stiletto heels or steel-toed shoes, on your person or in your bag, and they won't care at all.
and would they question if I had a small empty pocketbook in my backpack? I am not sure I want to lug a backpack around DC with me, but have things that don't fit in my purse!
Again, they not only won't care, they won't even notice. They're just looking for explosives (which is the reason for the limitation on liquids), guns, and other weapons (knives, etc.).
Things I've been pulled aside for have been:
a little toy airplane keychain thing that had a red light in on it (I used it to entertain my toddler son, he liked pushing the button so the light came on). I'm guessing they saw the unidentifiable wiring-and-battery on the x-ray, and they wanted to see what it was in person. Once they saw it, life was good again -- one of those 60-second delays.
a little bottle of Purell that I had forgotten was in my backpack and hadn't put in my quart bag. Again, one of those see it, dismiss it, go on your way 60-second delays.
this one was way back in the early 90s, at Heathrow Airport. We had been to the Hard Rock Cafe and gotten those big Hurricane glasses, and I had them all wrapped up in towels/clothes to protect them. I guess they looked funny on x-ray, because they made me open my bag and show them what it was. And earlier when they x-rayed our checked bags (they did this in the front lobby at Heathrow, while you were still with your bags) they made me open up b/c I had a small flashlight in the bag. They made me take the batteries out of the flashlight (in case it was a detonator, I'm guessing :rolleyes:) and that was fine, too. That was about a 2-3 minute delay, b/c it was my big suitcase and it took a few minutes of rummaging around to find what they were looking for.
Air travel / security really isn't as scary as people seem to think. If you know ahead of time what is/isn't allowed, and if you're prepared (pockets empty, shoes slipped off, etc.), you can be through security in no time at all!
Let me know if you have any other questions I can help you with!
(And I just discovered that the airport I am going to has a Body Shop in it! :cheese: They open at 5 am, and my plane gets in at 7:45. So I can buy face wash and conditioner when I get off the plane. I am bringing a shampoo bar for my hair.)[/QUOTE]
Blandine
June 15th, 2010, 12:29 PM
>Particularly to men, it's "just a barrette".
Do men know what a "barrette" is? I think it is just "another of those hair things" to most. :)
Back to the original topic...
http://i1025.photobucket.com/albums/y315/Blandine_Forberg/Frisuren/EllingmitScrunchie.jpg
I developed this as my hairstyle for flights. A simplified Elling bun with scrunchie. It is totally metal-free. The scrunchie holds the wrapped bun, so there are no pins needed, only a thin elastic for the end of the braid.
1. Take top hair like for an half-up and braid 2-3 rounds.
2. Pull this braid through scrunchie.
3. Pick up the rest of the hair and continue braiding to the end as with the usual Elling bun, and wrap the braid around the base as usual.Scrunchie stays somewhere at the top of the head in the m eantime (it does, no worries).
4. Pull scrunchie around the bun, make sure the end of the braid is well tucked in.
GRU
June 15th, 2010, 01:37 PM
>Particularly to men, it's "just a barrette".
Do men know what a "barrette" is? I think it is just "another of those hair things" to most. :)
LOL, either that, or EVERY hair thingy is a "barrette" to them -- hair elastics, scrunchies, claw clips, bobby pins, combs, forks, sticks! :D
I don't think Hubster will ever figure out the difference between mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow. You'd think he'd know that with a name like "eyeliner" that it is something that you use to "line the eye" but nooooooo, evidently logic like that doesn't work when you have a Y chromosome! :rolleyes:
maybe sparrow
June 15th, 2010, 01:57 PM
It's so random. I was held and had to be patted down for BOBBY PINS in Phoenix once, 'cause I set off the metal detector. It really depends on who's working security.
jane53
June 15th, 2010, 01:59 PM
It's so random. I was held and had to be patted down for BOBBY PINS in Phoenix once, 'cause I set off the metal detector. It really depends on who's working security.
Yep.
It entirely depends.
The hair toy the confiscated from me I had worn through security many times without any questions.
And incidentally, it was NOT a metal hair toy. It was wooden.
Guess someone was sure a hair stick was a potential weapon.
Gulbahar
June 15th, 2010, 02:02 PM
Guess someone was sure a hair stick was a potential weapon.
Well, as long as tiny nail scissors are considered dangerous, some of my hairsticks or forks certainly are.
jane53
June 15th, 2010, 02:05 PM
Well, as long as tiny nail scissors are considered dangerous, some of my hairsticks or forks certainly are.
Exactly.
I never give the TSA people any hassle--even when they're confiscating my hair stick!
They have a difficult job and they have to make a lot of judgment calls.
The 9-11 hijackers achieved control of those planes using simple box cutters.
Anje
June 15th, 2010, 02:30 PM
Wow. I am just nervous that I am going to get pulled out of line, searched, and made to miss my flight. I'm just hoping that at 6 in the morning, the TSA will be too sleepy to be too grumpy/snappy at me if anything happens!
The easy way around this, honestly, is to get there earlier. You don't want to be trying to rush through security and run to your gate... Just get there in plenty of time so that even if they decide to rummage around in your carry-on, you'll be OK. (Almost inevitably, you'll breeze through and end up having to wait an hour before you get to board then. I suspect that they're more likely to pull out anxious people who look like they're in a hurry.)
I'll second the suggestion to empty your pockets and everything into your purse or carry-on well before going into security. But make sure your bag with liquids is on top in an easy-to-grab spot, since that needs to go through separately.
I'd say you won't have to worry about the spare shoes with the hard insoles. I've worn the same thing through the airport every time I've flown for the last 10 years (not that many flights, but enough -- gotta have my orthotics) and never had an issue.
Alcenaia
June 15th, 2010, 02:37 PM
I flew this past weekend. I had several hairsticks, wooden and plastic, in my carryon. I also had my Ficcare in there. I wore a plastic hairstick through security and didn't have a problem.
Safe travels everyone. :flower:
GRU
June 15th, 2010, 02:38 PM
Well, as long as tiny nail scissors are considered dangerous, some of my hairsticks or forks certainly are.
Blunt-tipped scissors under a certain length and fingernail clippers are on the allowed list now, have been for quite some time. Same with knitting needles.
Also, it can be helpful to carry a printout from the TSA website if you've got something that you think might be "iffy". I need to use special aerosol saline solution for my contacts, and I can't buy it in an itty bitty can (at least not around my area). However, I discovered that things like saline solution are considered to be MEDICINES and therefore are exempted from the 3-1-1 requirement for liquids. :cheer: I had my 3-1-1 bag, and a separate bag with my aerosol saline can, and I declared both to the agents prior to going through the security checkpoint. It raised eyebrows each time, and because I had my printout with the relevant portion highlighted, it helped them be able to find where it was listed in their "official book" that they use for things like that. (one airport actually had to look it up, the other airport just had to ask their manager)
And even with the one time that they had to go look it up, I don't think it added more than 5-10 minutes to the security check process.
Madame J
June 15th, 2010, 03:11 PM
When I traveled to and from Houston last month, I wore my hair in a braid to travel (could pull it over my shoulder while in my seat) and brought only two hair toys: my Graydog stick and my plainest Flexi, both of which I kept in my carry-on. While I wouldn't love to part with my Graydog, it's one of my most useful sticks and I wouldn't be terribly put out if it were lost or confiscated. That's my basic strategy for traveling -- if it's not absolutely necessary to bring (like my laptop and an outfit for my presentation) and I would be upset to lose it, I don't bring it. I don't think I'd travel with a Ficcare unless I were moving house -- it's just too easy to lose things on the road.
Congrats on grad school!
herbgurl82
June 16th, 2010, 03:43 PM
Well it looks like a moot point. My sister, who is going with me, freaked out about me putting my Ficcare in my carry on, (she read the TSA website, and is very freaked out about flying, and security and all) and got my mother to hide them on me.:rant: I will still try to find my Ron Quattro fork, and maybe my 60th Street fork.. Grrr. :nono:
GRU
June 16th, 2010, 03:49 PM
What, pray tell, does she think is "forbidden" about a hair accessory???
And what on earth could she have read on the TSA website that said they would be forbidden?
nowxisxforever
June 17th, 2010, 04:36 PM
I had a large hairscrew, hairsticks, a couple metal forks and amish pins (SHARP!) when I went travelling - I just made sure to have no metal ON my person and kept the rest in my purse where it was apparent it was personal items (with my comb, etc - if you'd like you can put your hair-things in a little bag inside your larger bag, like a ziplock baggy ("Look, I'm not hiding this, but look, it's also with my other hairthings...") with some hairties in it.
So far as on the plane - Put it in either one or two plain braids with no-metal elastic. Trust me - it's far easier just to avoid metal during the plane ride. I would also suggest, unless you need to look presentable right off the bat, to travel in 'comfy clothes' - pajama pants, t-shirt, etc. avoiding any metal (besides underwire).
Tell your family there is NOTHING wrong with flying with your hairtoys, you just need to have them IN your purse. I've flown multiple times with mine and never gotten even a funny look.
LawyerGirl
June 17th, 2010, 04:57 PM
Congrats on grad school and welcome to DC :)
ETA: If they tell you that you can't take something with you on the plane, usually they'll let you ship it back to yourself, so you won't lose it forever.
Liave Ekeli
June 19th, 2010, 04:24 AM
I don't know if domestic flights in the US have more strict policies than European ones, but I recently flew from Norway to England with a couple of flexis and some hairpins in my carry-on luggage, and I didn't have any problems because of that.
ibleedlipstick
June 19th, 2010, 03:17 PM
My advice is to put the Ficcare (if you can find it) in your carry on, and wear the fork through security. I believe that if it is in your hair, and you are calm about it, there should be no problem. If you seem anxious about having it, they may have more issues with it.
herbgurl82
June 19th, 2010, 07:59 PM
Got back tonight. Security did not bat an eyelash. I pulled it out of my hair when I put it in the basket you put all of your things in (shoes, purs with the Starlites fork, etc) and it went right through the x-rays, both times. I was floored. I probably could have gotten away with the Ficcare. I'll go into more detail tomorrow, right now I am exhausted, and badly sunburned. (I forgot sunscreen, and I had to abandon the 20 oz bottle of aloe I bought yesterday before I flew at the hotel, cause I couldn't bring it on the plane.) So yeah, time to go take advil and slather myself in aloe.
GRU
June 20th, 2010, 01:52 AM
Glad the flight went well. Sorry to hear about the sunburn, though... been there and done that more times than I care to count!
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