04/23/2003 - Updated 09:58 PM ET Navigate through that bleeping new airport security By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY Running the gantlet of enhanced airport security "can almost be like going= =20 through the valley of the shadow of death," quips Stanley Greenfield of=20 Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Overstatement? Sure. But tense times, changing=20 rules and procedures, unpredictable metal detectors (will this one bleat or= =20 not?) and the uncertainty of whether you'll sail through the checkpoint or= =20 be singled out for a search fill many fliers with dread. To improve their=20 odds, the savvy have overhauled what they wear or carry. "If I could=20 approach security wearing Jockey briefs and flip-flops (sandals), I'd=20 probably do it," says Ross Markwardt of La Quinta, Calif. "I try to=20 anticipate everything that will make me less of a potential bottleneck at=20 the security gate." He and other seasoned travelers share their tips: =95=20 Examine your sole. With metal detectors set to be more sensitive than ever,= =20 "my dress shoes set off the alarms as I walk through, which means an=20 extensive search and delay," says frequent flier David Govaker of=20 Arlington, Va. "I see more and more business travelers wearing old running= =20 shoes with their Armani suits to get through security undeterred. Is this a= =20 new fashion trend?" Looks like it. Travelers have discovered the false-alarm powers of footwear= =20 containing metal =97 shanks, clasps, tips =97 and are opting for athletic=20 shoes. Michael Becraft of Reston, Va., adopted sneakers, then stopped=20 wearing business attire for air travel, "because I was not facing customers= =20 in the airport or in transit" and "felt a bit geekier than usual wearing=20 athletic shoes and business dress." Others are journeying in slip-ons in=20 case they're selected for that take-off-your-shoes drill. "I always wear=20 loafers," says David Hummel of Billings, Mont. "Easy on, easy off." Still=20 others, wanting to leave nothing to chance, are shucking footwear, putting= =20 them on the conveyor belt and walking through the detector=20 shoeless. Remember what your mother told you about underwear in case of a= =20 trip to the hospital emergency room? "I definitely think many frequent=20 fliers have invested in new socks or hose due to the increase in security,= =20 to avoid embarrassment when taking off their shoes," says flight attendant= =20 Julene Geilenfeldt. =95 Take it off. Though travelers have had more than a year to get used to= =20 stricter security, some are still setting off detectors for avoidable=20 reasons: change left in pockets, a belt buckle the size of Texas. "Wearing the correct metal detector attire is just common courtesy to the=20 people behind you in line," says Stefan Radloff of Chandler, Ariz. "Waiting= =20 for someone to fumble with their change, watch, keys, pager, phone, belt=20 buckle, etc., is frustrating ... and just adds to the lines." Savvy=20 fliers, however, are ready for their security close-up. "I try to strip=20 down," says Sandra Feriancek of Minneapolis. "No belt, no clunky pieces of= =20 jewelry. I've also quit doing up my hair," which used to be "loaded with=20 bobby and hair pins. Beep!" She has had no problem wearing underwire bras,= =20 though some women say they have switched to no-wire support after enduring= =20 a pectoral pat-down. Markwardt and Brian Pier of Springfield, Ill., are=20 among those who have virtually divested themselves of metal when=20 negotiating the checkpoint. Markwardt even wears cheap plastic watches for= =20 travel. "I always take off my shoes, and my belt, wallet, ring and watch go in my=20 carry-on bag," Pier says. "I even carry an extra empty envelope in the side= =20 pocket of my carry-on so that change, keys, etc. can be in the carry-on=20 when I approach security." Despite all his precautions, he has set off the detector. A screener told=20 him the culprit was the zipper on his pants. But "there are limits to what= =20 I'll remove to quickly pass through security," Pier sighs. Julie Ann=20 Allender of Lebanon, Pa., has pushed those limits. Fearing a missed flight= =20 were she stopped and searched, she took off her brass-studded jeans and put= =20 them on the conveyor. "I had long underwear on. But I can't promise what it= =20 will be next time!" =95 Keep hands as free as possible. "I find that using a photo ID holder=20 around the neck frees up hands badly needed for other things during=20 security checks and boarding," says Jerry Fiegel of Lakeland, Fla. Another= =20 tip: stuff wallets, purses, coats or jackets into carry-ons before=20 negotiating the security checkpoint. =95 Bag it. Those chosen for searches say that zippered clear bags are the= =20 way to speed up the process. Contents are easier for screeners to remove=20 and put back, and clear bags "allow the screeners to see without having to= =20 touch my personal items," says Norman Ross of Charleston, S.C. Another way= =20 men are using zip-up bags: storing wallets, cellphones and change in a=20 carry-on bag, to reduce the odds of leaving them behind at the checkpoint. =95 When in doubt, take it out. "Pack light" couldn't be a timelier=20 admonition. Some are sticking to carry-ons to avoid being held up by=20 checked-luggage hassles or to keep valuables close in a time when checked=20 bags are supposed to be left unlocked. Others are cut to the quick when items are confiscated. Metal nail=20 scissors, that wash-kit staple, still are not allowed in carry-ons. Ditto=20 for those indispensable Swiss army knives. But even mindful voyagers can face vexation. Flier Jane Snell of Cortland,= =20 N.Y., worries about the multiple medications she takes in plastic bags in=20 her carry-on. It would be impractical to keep all of them in their original= =20 labeled bottles, as government regulators suggest. She does carry a list of= =20 what she's taking; a Transportation Security Administration spokesman says= =20 the agency encourages travelers to bring along copies of prescriptions or=20 pill-bottle labels. Becraft had the screwdriver from his eyeglass repair=20 kid confiscated by a TSA screener, even though the list of permitted=20 carry-ons includes "eyeglass repair tools (including screwdrivers)." "I=20 took down the badge number of the TSA agent and was going to report it, but= =20 I thought it was pointless. ... When in doubt, leave it at home." *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.pscutt.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************