flying with large amounts of soap..

[pulselesstea]

I'm not sure where exactly to post this, but i was just wondering if anyone has tried flying with lots of soap in their carry-on luggage? It's not against the rules, but i'll be bringing quite a bit home with me for my family! Just seeing if anyone has experiences good or bad!

Thanks!! =)

 

[dibbles]

I took a dozen or so bars in my carry on last March. TSA pulled my bag for inspection. My daughter had a similar experience when she took some soap home with her. I think it just looks like a solid block on the x-ray. There was no problem, other than the delay.

 

[IrishLass]

I, too, have been pulled over when carrying soap in my carry-on luggage. They let me go through without incident, though, when they were able to see it was only soap...although the gal inspecting my baggage asked me, "Why so much soap?", lol. Ever since then, I've taken to packing it in my checked-in suitcase. They most likely check that, too, before they put it on the plane, but at least it saves me the public embarrassment of being pulled aside at the security gate.


IrishLass

 

[Cindy2428]

I made a mistake once carrying about 10 bars in my carryon labeled "Glycerin" soap. You betcha - It was a good thing our flight was delayed or we would have missed it... They did all kinds of explosive tests. I kept telling him he'd be better off washing his hands with it..... It only made him go slower. Oh my DH was so mad at me.

 

[galaxyMLP]

I flew with about 12 bars of soap about a month ago in my carry on. Along with some scrub cubes.

My bag was pulled for inspection and she tested all sides of every single one (soaps and scrub containers) with those drug strips. All of my stuff was labeled and wrapped. I'm lucky I was at a small airport and it was slow. Otherwise it may have taken much longer or they may have just confiscated it (though I doubt it). I think if you just took naked soap bars it wouldn't be such a big deal.

 

[dixiedragon]

Interesting thread - it never would have occurred to me this would be a problem! But now that I think about it, it makes sense. It's a dense block -could be anything!

 

[kchaystack]

There was a story in the last few months about people smuggling drugs across the border in soap.

http://abc7news.com/travel/federal-agents-at-sfo-find-opium-smuggled-inside-soap/309990/

 

[shunt2011]

I pack mine in my checked bags. I usually take 3-4 dozen bars when I visit my sister. Not been an issue.

 

[Susie]

We have people flying in to go on vacation with us. I mailed their soap to them rather than them running the risk of getting pulled for bag inspection. They have autistic boys who have never flown. I just did not want to be the cause of complications they do not need.

 

[Seawolfe]

If you are flying to Hawaii or any place with strict agriculture laws they may confiscate soaps with herbs in or on them. TSA swiped my lavender soap with ground lavender in it!!

I fly internationally a lot, always with at least 4 bars of soap, and other than the above, never had an issue. But I have found that if flying with odd things, it never hurts to request a security check and explain to them why you want one.

 

[green soap]

Soap has a similar density as plastic explosives, so the TSA is just doing their jobs!

I flew to Europe with 75 sets of soapy wedding favors. Took it as a carry on since I could not risk the bags being delayed or lost. We just asked for a security baggage check and had no problems or major delays.

 

[earlene]

There was a story in the last few months about people smuggling drugs across the border in soap.

http://abc7news.com/travel/federal-agents-at-sfo-find-opium-smuggled-inside-soap/309990/

TSA does not look for drugs. They look for anything that would/could compromise an aircraft. Explosives and anything that may be used to detonate an explosive; ignition devices (lighters, for example); weapons and ammunition; biological warfare types of drugs, so maybe some drugs. But they don't care about the other types of drugs. The DEA and the police and the FBI might care about it, but that is not TSA's job. They also look at us, the flying public and how we may be behaving, as it relates to airport and aircraft security.

If you are flying to Hawaii or any place with strict agriculture laws they may confiscate soaps with herbs in or on them. TSA swiped my lavender soap with ground lavender in it!!

I fly internationally a lot, always with at least 4 bars of soap, and other than the above, never had an issue. But I have found that if flying with odd things, it never hurts to request a security check and explain to them why you want one.

TSA is not required to enforce agricultural laws. Their sole responsibility is to keep air travel safe.

Soap has a similar density as plastic explosives, so the TSA is just doing their jobs!

Yes!

My husband works for TSA and I asked him about this when I first started making soap because he comes home with many stories, including things like 'you wouldn't believe how many people fly with a jar or two of peanut butter.' (Always requires a bag to be opened and checked.) Or some guy came through the checkpoint with a gun in his bag and said 'Oh, I didn't even know it was in there.' (TSA is required to contact the police in these situations and as you can guess, arrests do occur and the person may end up on the 'No Fly List'.)

Once I bought a new top with lots of bling and I said, 'Isn't this pretty?' and he said, 'It would alarm and you'd have to have a pat down.' Everything he sees makes him think of how it will be perceived at airport security checkpoints.

 

[HowieRoll]

It's interesting that others have had their bags pulled for additional screening when carrying soap, as that happened to me, as well. I was flying domestically in May with about 18 bars and my bag was flagged, but the extra screening took less than 30 seconds. In fact, the agent didn't even bat an eye, and I suspected they've just about seen it all.

 

[pulselesstea]

Thanks for all the great information! I'm feeling confident about flying with my soap - I'll let you all know how it goes when i'm back in a month =)

 

[snappyllama]

Once I bought a new top with lots of bling and I said, 'Isn't this pretty?' and he said, 'It would alarm and you'd have to have a pat down.' Everything he sees makes him think of how it will be perceived at airport security checkpoints.

I have a pair of jeans with embroidery on the back pockets that always set off the machines. The thread doesn't look metallic though. They are also insanely comfortable... so I often grab them without thinking. I now think of them as my "getting some action at the airport" jeans.

I'm not sure what it is... maybe the glycerin in soaps, but I always have to be swabbed - even in normal jeans that don't set off anything. Maybe I look suspiciously happy.