As some of you might already know, I have some internal metal work (more soon to be added)
So today I traveled through London Heathrow T2 airport on my way to Canada (Montreal to be exact) and as you might expect the security section of the airport is interesting for me anyway.
Usual drill, remove rucksack from shoulder, remove laptop and e-reader, media player etc etc and place items into the trays provided and get into the line to be called through the metal door scanner, I walk through the first scanner, and I set off the alarm *insert surprised face here* I inform the security person stood near by about my internal and external metal, yes you heard right, starting from the top…..
- underwired bra,
- button on jeans,
- metal hip,
- metal plate with screws (just above ankle)
They ask me to remove my shoes for further screening, which I do, and the guy that was assisting travellers with sorting out their electrical items for the first phase of security screening held a tray out for me to place my shoes into, Jokingly he asked if I was “made of metal” to which I gave the only honest answer I could which was “partially”. The look on his face was priceless, of the I was not expecting that answer kind of look.
I then got asked to step into the full body scanner, and I set off that alarm too, on a plus side I didn’t cause one to crash unlike on a previous trip, but that’s another story….. The nice lady security officer pulls me over to one side to do a pat down, I reel off my list of metal adornments as listed above, to which the security officer say’s the hip and metal plate look fine they didn’t show up….. it is more likely to be your under-wired bra, but I still need to do the pat down. Are you wearing a bra from M & S any chance?? yes I replied they are comfortable. “I agree,” she said, “they just don’t work well with airport security.”
Gone are the days where I can just go through one level of screening at airports, but having metal work does indeed make things more fun!
The morel of the story is don’t wear Marks and Spencer under-wired bra’s when traveling through airports.