Ben Menoza

It’s no secret that I travel a lot — whether it’s for business or pleasure. Not bad for someone who was once petrified of flying at one point in his life. Over the years, I’ve learned how to be a better traveler; learning how to prepare for the flight, getting through security, and figuring out how to make the most of my time while waiting for my plane. Hopefully, what I’m about to share will help you on future trips. Admittedly, my advice is probably geared more towards business travelers or people who don’t have kids. Still, you should be able to learn something from all of this.

This is the second of three posts on practical travel tips.

Assuming that you’ve packed your bags properly, going through a security or Customs checkpoint should be a snap. Of course, people will find a way to screw this part up, thereby messing everyone else up in the process, including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and your fellow travelers. Here are some tips to make things easier for everyone, including yourself:

Keep your belongings organized
An organized personal item or carry-on is easily scanned by the TSA, which makes things go much smoother. Conversely, a disorganized, messy item is likely to raise flags, cause your bag to be rescanned, and/or force TSA agents to give you a once-over with the wand (or worse). If you’re like me and you carry cables for electronic devices, you should have these coiled up so they’re not all over the place.

Keep as little in your pockets as possible
All you need to get through security is a form of picture ID — passport, state-issued drivers license — and your boarding pass. Everything else — your wallet, cell phone — should be thrown in your personal item or carry-on. This serves two purposes:

• You have fewer things to throw into one of those containers to pass through the scanner at security, and fewer things to take out afterwards.
• You can avoid having to use one of those containers altogether by putting those belongings in your bag.

Dress wisely
I once had my choice of two security lines to go through, and I observed the people who would be ahead of me in those lines. In the end, I chose a line that was a little longer but appeared to have fewer issues with people and their dress, which ended up being the right move.

So what was wrong with what those people were wearing? Nothing, under normal circumstances. However, in a security line at the airport, there was plenty. Here’s what I look for, and what I don’t wear myself when traveling:

• Belts, even if they don’t have metal buckles
• Footwear that can’t be taken off easily, like boots
• Jewelry, including watches and necklaces
• Jackets (harder to avoid in colder months)
• Hats

If you wear any of these things, in all likelihood, you’ll have to take them off before the metal detector, and even worse, put them back on after it. If you absolutely have to wear these things, make sure you give yourself sufficient time to remove these articles before going through.

Dispose of all liquids before getting in line
If you have a bottle of water or a cup of coffee, or if you neglected to check in your bag with your favorite 16-ounce bottle of shampoo, then make sure you finish your drink or check your bag before getting in line, or else you’ll be forced to throw it out. I’ve seen people get upset because they had to throw out full, unopened containers of water or soda and nice hair care products, but it’s their own fault for not paying attention to the rules. If you have a reusable container for water, make sure it’s empty. Usually, there is no good place to dump liquids out of a vessel in line, unless you count a garbage receptacle or the floor, which is usually frowned upon.

Fill out Customs forms before you get to the agent
This applies to people who travel outside the country, and it’s just as important as the security line. Typically, the forms take time to fill out, even if you’ve filled them out thousands of times before and you’ve committed your passport information to memory. If you’ve purchased items that need to be declared at Customs, then you’ll want to make sure you’re declaring the right amount. If possible, avoid filling out the form in the line, because you never know how fast the line will move or how many mistakes you’ll make on the form.

If you have your own tips in security lines, please feel free to comment on this post with them!