Cash and airport security?

Why not? Because once it's out of my control, I have to trust others with my cash. And I don't trust them. And what if you're traveling by yourself and they pull you aside after your bag has gone through? Those are questions I would rather not find out the answer too.

You can do what you like of course, but that's the answer to why not, IMHO.

 

I'm never flying through your airport! Never heard of that before.

I usually have two wallets and a paper envelope in my hand in the scanner. (Of course I'm not going to flash a wad of bare cash in one hand, thus the envelope.)

 

LOL

I know. Really annoying. I actually watched them make some guy take money out of his pocket and put it in a little dish to send through security.

I just bury it in my carry on. Coming home on my last trip, I put it in 2 dirty socks

 

This past Sunday I talked to one of the TSA Supervisors in LAS, she advised me to carry my wallet and cash in my hand through the body scanner.

At the time I thought I had lost some cash between the curb-side baggage drop and the gate.

She went on to say they have a problem with passengers stealing from the bins. She also said sometimes the curtain on the x-ray machine would knock items out of the bin on to the floor.

 

I keep a large wallet with all of my cash and credit cards in my carry on (as well as my watch and anything else of value, until I get through security). I use a TSA approved lock so no one can open it except me (TSA personnel can only open the baggage with TSA locks that is checked, not the bags that go through security). When it goes though the security scanner, if they want to look inside they have to have me there right in front of them to open it and see what is going on.

 

Oops, I had it wadded in my hand on my last two trips when going through the body scanner. Good thing I didn't get kicked out of scanning! Just call me Jason Bourne.

Seriously though, thanks for the tip Josie. I can bury it in my bag and just watch it. I just really like having it on me

 

Boy I would not be putting large amounts of cash in my checked baggage....too many thefts over the years somewhere between when you hand your bag over and you see it come down the carousel in Vegas. I always have it in my front pocket of my cargo shorts.

 

I know. I hate carrying a bunch of cash. I actually may wire transfer it to the casino. I checked with my host at the Cosmo and she said she could arrange for me to get the entire amount from the cage when I check in. Then I can transfer it to the safe in my suite. The only time I really worry is going through airport security. I'm still 2 weeks ago, so I still have time. Have a great trip!

 

Not sure if it's regularly done but at HNL airport the security people won't send your hand carries through the scanners until you are ready to go through the body scanner. This may be because there might be 2 lines that merge into 1 to go through the body scanner. This is good because I usually will put everything in my pants pockets in the small zipper area in my backpack so it usually has my wallet, watch and cash. If I don't feel comfortable I will hold my money clip when I go through the body scanner but since my wallet is in my backpack I don't mind putting my money in my backpack.

 

HI Josie, oh my gosh have a great time on your upcoming trip! I seriously looked at wiring, but I stay at 2 hotels at the minimum, and transferris is a pain.

I'll probably try the hand method again, but if you see a frazzled/panicked lady on the news, wearing strappy heels and being tackled at the airport...that's me, and you'll know it didn't work!

Again, have a blast Josie, and thanks for making me grin!

 

I don't think anyone is proposing to put money into checked baggage-you might as well just throw it onto the airport escalator. Unless I'm reading this wrong, there are three schools of thought-1. Send it via wire, or have a line of credit-use markers 2. Carry it on your person, 3. Put it in a carry on and watch it like a hawk.

We travel together so one of us always goes ahead and watches the bags come through the conveyor and I carry too much cash to 'hold in my hand.' At DFW you can't hold it in your hand or in your pocket if you go through the big scanner , they'll stop you and make you put it into a tray or to your hand luggage-easier on the walk through at TSA pre check. I'm all for people doing whatever they want with their money. I don't want to ever have to take my money out-I'm much more afraid of someone seeing me with that much money than I am the security of hand luggage with two people watching it (and it goes under the seat, not in the overhead). For me, almost 48 years of loss free cash toting.

My brother regularly has $100-$200K in banded packets in a briefcase-he's been doing it for years without hassle-he's one of those who wants no records.

 

I strongly agree with this. This is security through obfuscation. Everyone goes through airport security with valuables. Laptops, cell phones, jewelry, nearly every one has something worth a few hundred at least. If a thief gets into your bag, they're going to go for the obvious iPad or laptop that is immediately visible after opening that first zipper. There's close to zero chance anyone will have the time to rummage through all the inside zippers and pockets, like a mini Monty Hall game of "what's behind zipper number three?"

No one is going to miraculously know that your bag has the biggest jackpot among the hundreds of people going through security. There aren't any x-ray sunglasses you can buy out of the back of Mad Magazine for $5.99 that will allow a thief to scan every bag of the people in line in front of them. Any thief will go for the softest target, for example, a woman with 3 kids who puts the $800 iPad into the outside pocket of a bag. That's going to be a grab-and-run thief's target.

But any thieves standing in line there with you may indeed know exactly where the big jackpot is if you hold an envelope or whatever container in plain sight with 200+ people standing in line behind you to see it. Plus you will undoubtedly have to put it over your head in the mm wave machine, so even the guy way at the back of the line where the ropes start can probably see it. Giving a few hundred people a full view of the fact you have *something potentially worthwhile* in your hand.

It's not too difficult to imagine a thief following you to a gate, maybe waiting for you to hit the bathroom. And one thump on the head in the bathroom and the thief will know what to grab out of your pockets as you lay on the tile unconscious.

Not being critical of anyone who wants to keep the cash in hand at all times, everyone should do what they feel best. Just explaining the reasoning behind keeping it buried inside a bag where no one can see it.

 

You're right Johnny....I misread Josie's post where she said she buried it in her carry on. For some reason my brain processed that as checked baggage. You know how our old brains are sometimes...

Heading out today and I'll be carousing at Wynn tonight

 

It's not the first time I've been misread. Sniff. Sniff. LOL

Have an awesome trip! 14 days from today I'll be happy like you are!

 

Envy, envy, envy! Have a great trip and please leave some money in the casino for me.

Counting down, counting down......................soon, but seems so far away............

 

I think you are worrying to much. You are not on a Chicago street corner, you are at the airport with a bunch of other people traveling. It's not like common street thieves can just wander around in the airport security area. You need a ticket to be going some place. On the other hand, it has been shown many times over, that these TSA assholes are bottom feeders.

 

I don't understand, are you suggesting some rogue TSA agent will rummage through your carry on without you seeing? Isn't that contrary to TSA rules? Every time I've had my carry on opened up, they first ask whose bag is this, and only open it when I'm right there.

 

I'm not suggesting it, it has happened. Besides, there is no way for you to "keep an eye" on your carry-on through this whole procedure. Numerous times I have been stopped after going through the scanner, and been patted down. I can't watch my bag that whole time.

I just think that even though the odds of either scenario happening are extremely thin, I would rather take my chances on being thumped on the head in the shitter, versus letting some TSA thug roll me.

 

Sure, I wouldn't criticize you for doing what makes you feel most comfortable. Different attitudes might result from experiences at each person's home airport. At my home airport (PDX), the configuration of the xray scanners and the walk thru machines are such that you aren't ever going to lose sight of your carry on once it's past the exited the xray enclosure.

 

What method do you use to get your bankroll through airport security? I am taking more money this trip than ever and do not feel comfortable putting it on the conveyor belt while I go their the machine and more than likely pat down. Would really suck to walk over to retrieve my belongings only to find no bankroll.