MCO Customs experience

I was dreading passing through the Customs check last night after a previous horrendous experience at MCO with multiple queues, confusing instructions etc.

but the Passport/ Boarding check desks were without queues then as we joined the line up for the scanners an officer was shouting for us not to take anything out of our bags, leave the electronics and liquids in the baggage, leave on shoes and just empty pockets and put all that stuff into one of our bags. So no trays were used and everything just passed through.

A much better / quicker experience , but it left me wondering if this was a dilution of security checking ?

[mitchja]

It sounds like TSA were taking shortcuts TBH to get pax through quicker, as it clearly states on the TSA website that liquids, shoes, belts, lap-tops and coats need to be screened separately.

It's only pax with TSA-Pre that are supposed to be able to leave those in bags and leave shoes / coats on.

Oh dear. Do the Americans really need reminding what happened 15 years ago?

Were you in the pre select line as you don't have to take anything out if so?

To the OP - did you have your hands / bag swabbed for explosive traces before going through the x-ray & metal detector?

The only time I have been specifically told to leave everything in the bag / take nothing off (belts, watch, shoes) at MCO was when we were directed down a line where everyone had their hands swabbed. If your swab gave a negative in the machine looking for explosive traces, then they let you leave everything in it for the x-ray as they were happy you had not been in contact with explosives. Have only had this experience once - every other time has been the normal "everything out / everything off" TSA experience.

[Neil]

To the OP - did you have your hands / bag swabbed for explosive traces before going through the x-ray & metal detector?

The only time I have been specifically told to leave everything in the bag / take nothing off (belts, watch, shoes) at MCO was when we were directed down a line where everyone had their hands swabbed. If your swab gave a negative in the machine looking for explosive traces, then they let you leave everything in it for the x-ray as they were happy you had not been in contact with explosives. Have only had this experience once - every other time has been the normal "everything out / everything off" TSA experience.

We have had the hand swab / leave everything on etc at MCO a couple of times before also. It does seems random when these use it as it certainly isn't dictated by the queue lengths, it took us nearly 90mins to clear security coming home at the start of January this year.

We travelled through MCO last year and it was the same for us, no shoes off, keep everything in the bags, got through really quickly, but slightly worrying.

no , we weren't in the pre select line up and we didn't get pulled aside at all or swabbed. There was one handler and dog walking around though.

I have travelled through MCO the last ten years and it's always been empty out electricals from bags, empty pockets, watches belts and boots off. I've never been swabbed.

Dick D

Did you go through a metal detector arch, or a nudiscope? If it was a metal detector, it would of been the Pre-Check lane. I have been through LAS when it was the only lane open,