Traveled into the US and through the US last month and had a rather good experience.

People were either friendly or professional, sometimes they appeared impatient but I didn't get to feel their impatience personally.

One guy at JFK was especially fun and cheered people up while he organised the lines in front of the security check.



That said, I'm Whity McWhiterson and travled with nothing but a backpack full of clothes. Nothing ever beeped for me. I was patted down once.



I had a few fluids within the allowed range, but not in a plastic bag, which wasn't a problem anywhere except for in Germany (Düsseldorf), where a very rude lady made me buy a stupid plastic bag for 1€. I even had to get my stuff off the x-ray band while I walked the 3 meters to the machine that sold the platic bags, even though no one was in line and it would have been no problem to just leave my stuff there for a few seconds.



I also had a good experience at the border. I had bought some weed in colorado and traveled to the Grand Canyon and LA with it, and on my way back to Texas I somehow had to go through a US border shortly after El Pas, even though I never left the US, at least not knowingly. Since I didn't know about it my passport(since I'm not a citizen I needed to show them) was in the trunk, where my weed was and a subtle but distinctive weed smell was present.

So they pulled me out and I opened the trunk while dogs went around my car, for some reason neither the dogs nor the border guards smelled anything (I did) and I was good to go a minute later.





But in my opinion these security checks are ridiculous.

Last year I flew from munich to instanbul and I brought my Hookah equipment, which included a 350ml gas can(for a little gas stove to light the coals), in my hand luggage.

Nobody cared. I basically had a little bomb on the plane.

Security people in munich are always chill. Just greet them with a "Servus" and they'll like you.

I also had a knive in my backpack once in munich. A nice lady came to me and said there is a knive in my backpack and that I can't take it one the plane. I gave it to her and went my way. I didn't mean to bring it, I had just forgotten it in there.

On my way back from instanbul to munich however they weren't fine with the gas can and pulled me out. The security chief came and pulled the gas can out of the stove. (even though i told him that thats not a good idea) Obviously the gas came out of the can then and the whole areas smelled like gas. He freaked out and ran to get a spray to make it smell like flowers again.

I never saw the gas can again and they also made me check in my hoookah hoses as regular luggage because I could strangle people with them so I can't bring them in my hand luggage, even though belts are perfectly fine...







I read so many horror stories about these checks and I've never experienced anything like it. I think it has a lot to do with the color of my skin.





Edit: When I entered the US and they checked my ESTA I had a fun experience, because the young lady asked me all kinds of questions about the reason for my stay and the reason was a little weird (I was staying in NYC with the girlfriend of my cousin, who I had met in istanbul, but she lives in Austin,Tx). I don't think she really understood what exactly was going on and just laughed and told me to behave. I don't think these guys are TSA though.