metal detector triggers?

kaoss asked:


I go to the airport 2 times a months, and I still cant figure out what actually sets off a metal detector, the list as following
Metal shoe shank = yes (steel???)
coins in pocket= no
Piercings= no (surgical steel)
keys = yes
metal buttons on jacket = no

yet to try more objects….

what substance/amount of substance actually sets off a metal detector!?!?!?!?

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Tags: Metal Buttons, Metal Detector, Surgical Steel

This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2007 at 10:10 am and is filed under Air Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “metal detector triggers?”

1. How Do You Love It? Says:
   December 24th, 2007 at 4:49 pm

   metal shoe= yes(your gonna have to take off you shoe anyways)
   coins= yes, that’s why you have to put it in the basket
   piercings=probrobly not
   keys=yes
   metal button= prob. not.

2. porschefraulein Says:
   December 25th, 2007 at 11:20 pm

   Anything metal will could set it off–hence the term “metal detector”. It makes no difference what the metal is. It will pick up all of the items above.

   As for what amount of metal it takes to set on off, that depends. The detector can be set to different sensitivities. Airport metal detectors vary greatly over time and between different airports. I’ve noticed that the more potential there is for a threat, the more sensitive they’re set. For example, immediately after 9-11, most detectors were so sensitively set I thought they’d pick up the fillings in my teeth. ) Lately, though, as long as I don’t have change in my pockets, a big belt buckle, & my big metal watch on, I have no problem getting through with a necklace, a couple of rings, and a hairclip. I remember times when that was not the case, and *everything* short of the zipper & buttons on my jeans would set it off. (On a particularly embarrassing time, it was the underwires in my bra that set it off!!!)

   So, it’s no surprise you can’t figure out exactly how much metal you can get by with– the machines are probably set at least slightly differently every time you go through.

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