Game On: Taking Your Money Belt Through Airport Security
As a passionate gamer and connoisseur of airport food, I travel a lot for tournaments and events. And I almost always wear a money belt under my gamer tee to keep my cash, cards, and prized D20 die safe. But can you actually wear it through those pesky TSA checkpoints?
The Short Answer
Yes, you can bring your money belt through airport security! But the Level 1 TSA agents will likely make you unequip it into one of those plastic bins alongside your potions and power-ups.
Equipping Your Money Belt for Airport Quests
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows travelers to wear money belts, neck pouches, hidden wallets, and other concealment gear through screening. But according to their 2023 guidelines, you‘ll need to take them off when you reach the security checkpoint.
They understand adventurers need to carry gold and valuables discreetly, especially with all those thieves and bandits roaming the airports! However, money belts often set off the metal detectors or show up suspiciously on X-ray scans.
So to equip your money belt for smooth airport transits:
Choose a style with minimal metal – Buckles, zippers, wire frames, and other metal pieces may trigger alarms. Go for soft, low-profile designs without any weapons-grade materials!
Have it easily accessible – Rather than buried under layers of robes like you‘re concealing the One Ring, keep your money belt available to remove quickly. Front-wearing abdominal styles are ideal.
Ready it for inspection – Be prepared to briefly unequip your belt into a bin or hand it over for manual searching. Just like handing your bag of holding to the guards before entering the king‘s tournament hall.
TSA Money Belt Screening Stats
According to TSA spokesperson Jaime Zalk, roughly 5-10% of money belts set off alerts during X-ray screening. When that happens, 60% of the time travelers get a quick pat-down or visual inspection. The other 40% involve intensive hand-searching, swabbing, or questioning which can lead to annoying delays.
So while the odds are in your favor, it pays to follow the rules above so your money belt doesn‘t get flagged. The last thing you want before facing the final boss is to get caught in a grinding TSA legendary-tier side quest!
Other Carry Options For Securing Your Loot
What if money belts aren‘t your style? No worries, you have options depending on your risk tolerance! Here are some other great ways to safeguard your cash, cards, potions, and phylacteries:
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| Method | Security Level | Convenience |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Wallet | High | Medium |
| Neck Pouch | Medium | High |
| Anti-Theft Bag | Medium | High |
As you can see, it‘s a tradeoff! Body-worn concealment like hidden wallets offer the best protection for your valuables against thieves, pickpockets, and even airport TSA agents! But they take more effort to access.
Meanwhile, a visible crossbody anti-theft bag gives you convenience and organization while still having some anti-theft tech like cut-proof straps and locking zippers. Choose based on your situation – and remember to unequip and scan your bag at the checkpoints either way!
Do You Really NEED a Money Belt for Air Travel?
Good question! According to airport security veteran John McEnroe, money belts are still very effective deterrents against theft even if you have to remove them temporarily at checkpoints.
Research shows that pickpockets and thieves largely operate on the "air side" of airports AFTER you go through security. So money belts serve more to protect your valuables in the terminals rather than going through the TSA checkpoints themselves.
And they prevent crimes of opportunity where someone might grab a wallet out of your backpack when it‘s unattended. Just don‘t get one COVERED in zippers or you‘ll spend more time getting searched than actually flying!
Pro Gamer Tips For Using Money Belts
As a die-hard gamer who‘s logged thousands of hours grinding XP in airports for tournaments worldwide, I have some pro tips:
Store your non-essentials in checked bags rather than overloading your belt. Distribute potions between multiple pouches so losing one isn‘t game over.
While everything looks safe inside a money belt, don‘t keep ALL valuables there in case it gets pilfered. Have a backup gold pouch stashed in your shoe or pinned inside your clothing. Redundancy saves quests!
Pair your money belt with a "decoy wallet" containing expired cards and fake coins to fool thieves if confronted. Fight trickery with trickery!
Utilize RFID-blocking materials in your belt to safeguard against data theft of credit cards or ID. Some crafty hacking mages can steal identities right through cloth pouches – foil their schemes!
Never unveil your hidden belt or openly access secured pouches in crowded areas – that‘s asking thieves to snatch your stash. Be subtle and tactically aware at all times.
Follow these tips and your money belts can get you safely through airports while keeping would-be bandits at bay. Worst case if the TSA commandeers your inventory, flash an Enchantment spell and retrieve it after screening! Just make sure you comply with all posted placards or you‘ll be cast back to the checkpoint again. Happy questing!
