Is American airport security as scary as it's hyped up to be?

[You kip if you want to...]

Flying into JFK for the first time, next week! I'm excited. Will a name like mine (second name Ali) raise any eyebrows or is all the racial profiling business really just a media hyped thing?

Just a thought.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

"Ali", eh?  No no, you'll be fine.  Here's a live shot of customs officials at JFK.   

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Seriously, bro, relax.  You'll be fine.

[Franzl]

It's not fun, but you'll survive.

[Gustaf]

Just don't do what I did when I flew to Egypt and attempt to put your pocket knife through security.

[opebo]

Its not at all scary, its just extremely tiresome. 

[AndrewTX]

Its not bad at all. You'll be fine.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Its not at all scary, its just extremely tiresome. 

This.

[Ban my account ffs!]

You're from Britain?

Just make sure you get your approval from here:  esta.cbp.dhs.gov

That allows you to come into the U.S. with a British passport without a visa.  A pain in the ass... but relatively harmless and able to be processed online.  I'm sure you've already done this or know about it.

As long as you've done that, you'll be fine in customs.  Once beyond there... I hope you have a great visit!

[Хahar 🤔]

I'm a brown and I make it through just fine.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

It's not bad... I try to make it easier by putting all my meal objects (watch, coins, keychains) in my laptop bag right when I get to the airport.  That way, when I'm putting my stuff in the bowl to get through security, I'm pretty much guaranteed to not have much/any metal.  Sure, it's a bit of a pain to take off your shoes and all that crap, but it's not bad once you pass through.

[The Mikado]

Tedious is the best word.

[Smash255]

Haven't flown Internationally, so haven't had to deal with Customs, but have flown in and out of JFK numerous times (last time was a month ago) and have never had any issues.

[opebo]

Its not at all scary, its just extremely tiresome. 

This.

That said, I have had scary experiences with American customs, if not security.  So I can relate to the original poster being afraid of the authorities.

Tedious is the best word.

Not for me.  I people watch.  Its more tiresome - I literally get tired from all the standing up - more than tedious or boring.

[Storebought]

International customs is always more rigorous than typical domestic security. Even if you have a passport from the UK, expect to be made to feel like a criminal from the interrogations and searches.

Truth be told, if I held a passport from any non UK/EU/Japan type country, or, god forbid, required a visa of any sort, I wouldn't bother to come to the US.

[Franzl]

International customs is always more rigorous than typical domestic security. Even if you have a passport from the UK, expect to be made to feel like a criminal from the interrogations and searches.

Truth be told, if I held a passport from any non UK/EU/Japan type country, or, god forbid, required a visa of any sort, I wouldn't bother to come to the US.

Even with an American passport it's no fun.

[You kip if you want to...]

You're from Britain?

Just make sure you get your approval from here:  esta.cbp.dhs.gov

That allows you to come into the U.S. with a British passport without a visa.  A pain in the ass... but relatively harmless and able to be processed online.  I'm sure you've already done this or know about it.

As long as you've done that, you'll be fine in customs.  Once beyond there... I hope you have a great visit!

Oh, done. It's a college thing, so it's all been done.

[The Mikado]

Just remember that they are serious about all the things you shouldn't have in your carryons.  I had a TSA guy yell at me when I accidentally left a pair of scissors in my carryon. 

[You kip if you want to...]

Just remember that they are serious about all the things you shouldn't have in your carryons.  I had a TSA guy yell at me when I accidentally left a pair of scissors in my carryon. 

Oh, i'm normally careful about that anyway. Just my iPod (+ charger), a book, my mobile phone, money, glasses and anything I might buy in the airport.

[You kip if you want to...]

I did get taken aside for like an hour at JFK btw. Dulles, on the return flight, was fine though.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I did get taken aside for like an hour at JFK btw. Dulles, on the return flight, was fine though.

An hour?  It doesn't pay to be part muslim these days, eh?

[Gustaf]

Just remember that they are serious about all the things you shouldn't have in your carryons.  I had a TSA guy yell at me when I accidentally left a pair of scissors in my carryon. 

I took a Swiss Army knife with me last time I flew.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Just remember that they are serious about all the things you shouldn't have in your carryons.  I had a TSA guy yell at me when I accidentally left a pair of scissors in my carryon. 

I took a Swiss Army knife with me last time I flew.

Try it again, and it's a one way ticket to GITMO 

[Boris]

I'm not a muslim yet the fuckers at Logan and Port Huron interrogated me for an hour each time. I had drank like six Icelandic beers on the flight over in the former incident (and was 20 at the time), so I wonder if I was breaking the law in any manner by entering the US with a non-zero BAC.

[Gustaf]

Just remember that they are serious about all the things you shouldn't have in your carryons.  I had a TSA guy yell at me when I accidentally left a pair of scissors in my carryon. 

I took a Swiss Army knife with me last time I flew.

Try it again, and it's a one way ticket to GITMO 

I was surprised and a little worried that I got away with it.