What is the standard process for going through an X-Ray Machine at an Airport?

Answer:
The process for going through an X-ray machine and metal detector

varies from airport to airport, but generally speaking passengers should be prepared to remove their shoes, all objects from their pockets and any contraband items from their luggage.

A hand search or wand scan may also be requested by airport security officers, and suspicious baggage may be opened and examined before the passenger is allowed to board his or her flight.

The process for x-ray examination of passengers and their carry-on baggage generally begins with the issuance of a boarding pass. This pass separates authorized passengers from their unauthorized companions in the terminal. The passenger should continue with his or her carry-on luggage in tow to a designated area for baggage and personal inspection.

This may be a serpentine line or a series of booths manned by TSA agents or other recognized airport security members. At this point, passengers may be given a list of banned items so that they might discard them before reaching the actual x-ray machine.

At some point, TSA agents may validate the boarding passes of passengers waiting in line to be examined. This should speed up the inspection process significantly. Once a passenger reaches the examination area, a security officer should provide a container to hold any metal objects (keys, coins, watches, jewelry, etc.) which might cause a metal detector to go off.

Meanwhile, any carry-on baggage is placed on a conveyor belt and passed through an x-ray machine while a trained inspector looks for any suspicious shapes. The passenger usually steps through an archway which detects any form of metal on his or her body. If the machine beeps, a security officer may ask the passenger to step aside for a more thorough hand search or pass with a metal detecting wand.

If the carry-on luggage does not contain anything suspicious, it passes through the x-ray machine unopened and the passenger is free to retrieve all of his or her possessions from the tray. If the security officer finds something unusual, however, the luggage may be pulled aside and examined by hand. Once this search is complete, the passenger and luggage can safely be reunited and allowed to move to the assigned gate for boarding.