Be TSA Approved & Security Checkpoint

When traveling either domestic or international you will need to follow the rules set by the TSA.

The TSA is the Transportation Security Administration. According to tsa.gov their mission is to protect the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce and their vision is to protect the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.

So basically TSA is set in place to make sure you get to where you’re going safely and efficiently. From traveling I have found some tips and tricks to make security and customs a breeze.

3-1-1

This rule is a must know when traveling with carry-on’s. When you travel you will see these number around security.

3: Three-ounce bottles

1: One one-ounce bag

1: Once per passenger

This means that each passenger is allowed to carry 1: One 1: One-ounce bag for their liquids. And their liquid bottles cannot exceed 3: Three-ounces in size.

Know the rules – What medicine can you bring? What can’t you?

One thing I learned recently when traveling to Costa Rica and Nicaragua is that certain counties have restrictions on what medicines can enter their country. For example, there are some countries that do not allow the female birth control pill in their country. If you are on any type of prescription medicine it is best to do a bit of research to make sure that you can legally bring it into the country in which you are traveling.

Shoes? On or off?

Something that always confuses me when going through security at airports is whether or not I need to take off my shoes. I have been told that if you have open, flat shoes that you can leave them and if you have closed toed, chunky or high heel shoes you should always take them off. This rule of thumb has pretty much held true, but the best thing to do to avoid confusion is to as the TSA agent who is checking your passports before you get in the security check line.

Jewelry, watches, belts, wallets

Check yourself out! That may seem funny, but I cannot tell you how many times I myself have forgotten to take something off or have seem someone do that same. Usually when you are waiting in the security line there is a moment between putting your bags on the belt and when you actually walk through the body scan. This is a good moment to do a quick pat down of yourself to see if there is anything left in your pockets, on the wrists or around your neck that could possibly set of the detector. This small step could save you having to get pat down by someone else and save you time.

Food, vegetation and souvenirs

If you are like me and am always hungry then this tip will help you. I am one to always travel with snack. It is something that my mom did for me when I was younger and something that I have continued to do as I travel on my own. Below there is a short list of approved and not approved food to travel with. Just like the medicine point, it is important to check with each country to see if they have any restrictions for bringing in or taking out certain foods and vegetation.

Safe foods to travel with:

• Chips
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Trail mix
• Food bought in the airport
• Sandwiches
• Baby formula

Not so safe foods to travel with:

• Fresh produce
  • Any type of fresh fruit or vegetable
• Meat
  • Fresh and frozen
• Unmarked herbs, spices and seasonings
  • If a TSA Agent sees a large package of powder that has no markings on it, they will instantly become suspicious and I can almost guarantee that you will be pulled aside for questioning.

Souvenir

In many Caribbean countries you can find souvenirs made of banana leafs, sea shells or coconuts. As cool as these are they are not  really supposed to come back to the US. The reason for this is that because these products are living at one point they could contain bugs, barnacles or different specimens that could contaminate or infect something here.

Have your passport and boarding pass in hand

This is help the TSA agent check you into security faster and make everything go easier and more smoothly. Also, when you arrive in another country it is best to have your passport and flight itinerary in a place that is easy to get to. This will make going through customs a breeze.

These are just a couple tips, but I hope that they help you on your next travel adventure!

Thank you for reading! Please like and share my posts if you find them interesting or helpful. 🙂