Breast forms in carry-on luggage, good experience with TSA

Hi, Girls,

I'm on my way to Puerto Rico for a working vacation. I was planning to check my suitcase, since it contained a number of things that wouldn't pass security. When I arrived at the airport, I discovered it was a total zoo -- long lines at security, longer lines at bag check. I'd already checked in on-line, so I decided if I was going to get on the flight (still 90 minutes to go) I was going to have to scrap the prohibited items, and carry on my bag.

So, I squatted next to a trash can and tossed out all the "bad" stuff, including a spray can of Hollister medical adhesive, and a bottle of the remover for same (which I am going to miss next week!). But, I didn't throw out my breast forms!

This was a big moment for me, one I'd anticipated/dreaded all my life. Would the TSA x-ray screener see the breast forms ("D" size, of course) and think it was plastic explosive? Would I be held up to ridicule? Would the screeners snicker? Would I be delayed and miss the flight? Would someone else in the crowd who I know see the forms?

Well, the breast forms *did* capture the screener's attention. She reversed the conveyor belt and looked at my bag twice, then looked at me quizzically. She asked, "what is that, a rock?".

I told her no, it's a pair of silicone breast forms. She didn't bat the smallest eyelash -- her reaction was sort of, "oh, right, I get it, interesting". But, she was baffled what to do. She called over a supervisor, who looked at the image, and conferred with the screener (I could lip read "breast forms" between them, but absolutely straight faced).

The supervisor decided to inspect my bag. He took it to a relatively sheltered desk and cracked it open, pulled the forms out of a side pocket. "Are you a doctor," he asked. "No," I answered, "I'm a transgender." Straight face again. He pulled out a paper swab and rubbed the backs of the forms, put it in the bomb sniffer, which bleeped happily.

The forms had been clumped together in a ball, but he laid them out flat in my bag, zipped it up, and took it back to the x-ray. He and the screener peered at the monitor again -- probably looking for detonation wires :).

The supervisor brought me the bag, smiled, and wished me a good day. I thanked him for treating me with respect.

So there you have it. Lessons learned:

1) Breast forms in your carry-on bag are going to get the screeners' attention, and they may not know what to do with them. Your bag will probably get hand searched.

2) My small sample of one TSA screener and one supervisor yielded a 100% professional attitude. A-plus.

Hugs,
Susie

honesty is the best policy once again. Thanks for the update.

Leann

I am with Leann. It sounds to my uneducated ear that they handled it as they should for something they were unsure of. And unless you are friends with TSA agents, what does it hurt to be upfront with them. I did wince when reading that you threw out the Hollisters and remover. That had to hurt unless they were just about empty.

The Hollisters and remover were just about gone, and are not all that expensive (compared to missing a day of my vacation, that is), but I doubt I can find them anywhere in San Juan!

Well, it's good they didn't find them loaded! But then again the next time you wear them your bra will be!

Concerning the number of women who have had mastectomies I really doubt that screeners are unfamiliar with breast forms. You probably added a bit of spice to an otherwise routine day of staring at people's stuff.

eryn, my wife never packs hers, she wears it. Male luggages, plus item that does not look like what is in most males luggage, it's TSA's job to be sure of what it is before it gets on a plane, one just got fired in Hawaii for not looking enough. It sounds like they did there job as unobtrusively as possible. And Susi did it just right too!
Tina B.

Actually, prying into why the traveler possessed the forms ("Are you a doctor?") went beyond the TSA's supposed mandate of ensuring that nothing dangerous be carried onto a flight. Once they had established that the forms were not prohibited items they should have ended their questioning.

After the first time wearing forms flying i have never looked back or been stopped. My wife with new knee's get stopped everytime! :confused:

I wonder if you're wearing them thru a body scanner? Would they make u take them out and swab them? To TSA, what's the difference?

I went thru a body scanner in Vegas and forgot to remove a plastic Chapstick from my pocket. Even tho I took it out and showed the agent, he still made me listen to his long, "personal space body search", speech. Which was more painful than when he smacked my left huevo while feeling me up!

Well, I'm glad you had a somewhat pleasant experience! It's good to know about that stuff. My boyfriend and I will be taking a dildo with us through the airport...so...I really hope his parents are anticipating me checking my bag! If not...uhm....yeah. They won't want to swab that thing. And, I'll just kill myself before they open the bag in front of his parents.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by docrobbysherry

I wonder if you're wearing them thru a body scanner? Would they make u take them out and swab them? To TSA, what's the difference?

I went thru a body scanner in Vegas and forgot to remove a plastic Chapstick from my pocket. Even tho I took it out and showed the agent, he still made me listen to his long, "personal space body search", speech. Which was more painful than when he smacked my left huevo while feeling me up!

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It's never the cute ones that feel you up. I got felt up by a very scary woman. She went through my bag and found my Harry Potter book and a roll of condoms. She questioned me about having a Harry Potter book at my age when I need to be using condoms. Epic Fail.

Thanks for posting! I went through once with silicone enhancers without any problem but am going to Florida later this month and want to take my full forms. At least I'll be prepared for questions. What about eyeshadow and powder makeups? Do they need in with the liquids?

Thanks,
April

OK, I could accept they didn't understand breast forms in a guys luggage, it confused my wife the first time too. But harry Potter, whats the world coming to when you can be questioned by a government contractor about your reading habits, that goes to far, and I won't explain my copy of Vogue!
Tina B.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shananigans

My boyfriend and I will be taking a dildo with us through the airport...so...I really hope his parents are anticipating me checking my bag! If not...uhm....yeah. They won't want to swab that thing. And, I'll just kill myself before they open the bag in front of his parents.

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So if the dildo is big and fancy, what if security is impressed and says really loud, "this thing is the BOMB!" ("Bomb" as in, impressive, nifty, cool, rad, "beast", groovy, etc...)
I mean the shit would hit the fan!

Then security would have to explain, "Worry not folks, it isn't a real bomb, I was just saying how nice this big rubber dong is, carry on carry on..."
And are they gonna subject the dog to sniff it to make sure it is not something that violates security?
What if they deem it dangerous cause it causes "explosions"?

So in the likely case that this does happen, I would not be carrying the big rubber wingily wang. It could cause a lot of disturbance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nicole Erin

So if the dildo is big and fancy, what if security is impressed and says really loud, "this thing is the BOMB!" ("Bomb" as in, impressive, nifty, cool, rad, "beast", groovy, etc...)
I mean the shit would hit the fan!

Then security would have to explain, "Worry not folks, it isn't a real bomb, I was just saying how nice this big rubber dong is, carry on carry on..."
And are they gonna subject the dog to sniff it to make sure it is not something that violates security?
What if they deem it dangerous cause it causes "explosions"?

So in the likely case that this does happen, I would not be carrying the big rubber wingily wang. It could cause a lot of disturbance.

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I literally just cracked up. I'm going to have to check my bag anyway...I have more makeup and perfumes than a circus performer. There's no way it's going through carry on. And, I am completely incapable of packing light. There has never been a time in my life that I have packed a bag under 50 pounds. One time it was 53 pounds...so, my dad made me take all of my jewelry out of my bag and wear it on the plane...I also had to wear a few layers of shirts and my heavy jacket.

I also have nightmares that I overly pack the suitcase and it drops on the ground and explodes...and, out pops a wig, a variety of lingerie, and a plethora of sex toys.

This is good info. sharing, but also be aware that in ( especially coming in ) or out of the country security has orders to be cautious.
And don't pack candles next to an alarm clock.:)

Susie, I thought I'd add my experience as well. I have traveled with my breast forms three times. So far, only once has my bag been opened. It was in Denver, for my return flight. As the TSA agent was searching my bag, I told her I had breast forms. She said, "I thought that's what they were." It didn't phase her and surprisingly, didn't phase me. I'll never she her again.

Now, I made the mistake of packing my in the bottom of my bag so she had to remove dresses, skirts, my wig, my purse fill of make up, all of it. Next time, I place them right on top. TSA agent was fantastic. She had seen it before....

Yes I'm sure they have seen them before, I go with the idea of leaving them in an easy to access area so they don't have to rummage thru all your stuff!