Help a Fledgling Traveler

A worried mom recently e-mailed me about her son navigating an airport for the first time. Her 25-year-old had never flown, and the mom hit me with a flurry of questions: Does my son need to put his inhaler in a quart-size bag? Will his eyebrow piercings or steel-toed boots set off the metal detector? Is any special assistance available for first-time fliers at airports?

First, let’s get the answers to these questions out of the way. Because they are a medical necessity, inhalers are not required to be inside quart-size bags and may be larger than three ounces. Security will ask passengers to remove all jewelry and metal objects, including piercings, before stepping through the metal detector. Steel-toed boots are fine, as they’ll have to be taken off and put through the X-ray scanner anyway. And there is no special assistance available in airports for first-time fliers over the age of 18.

I solved this worried mom’s simple queries. Nevertheless, I could detect an even bigger, hairier issue lurking beneath her questions that needed to be addressed. The mother closed her e-mail by saying, “I’m a little insecure and concerned since I’ve heard so many horror stories about good people having problems [in the airport].”

Aha! Here’s the real issue. Considering all the crazy stories that have been in the news the past few years regarding airport security, from disturbingly up-close-and-personal pat-downs to pilots protesting new TSA changes, it’s no surprise that a doting mother is concerned about her son braving an airport for the first time. I added a final note of advice to the anxious parent:

“The horror stories you hear in the news about airport security are unusual — that’s partly why those stories make the news. If your son needs help or is confused in the security line, he should explain to a security officer that this is his first time flying and ask for help. Most airport security agents are nice, friendly people. There’s no reason to be alarmed.”

Every traveler has had to face his or her first flight at some point, navigating complex airport terminals, and bumbling through confusing and ever-changing TSA procedures while intimidating security guards keep watch. So help Mom out. Share your knowledge and tell us: What’s the one thing you wish someone had told you before you ventured into an airport for the first time?