Airport Security prodecure, what's the glass room wipe down?

[Squigglove]

This is sort of off topic but who knows if it could happen again.

We went to Vegas a few years ago and on the way back, at the Vegas airport, I was put in a round glass section and my palms were wiped with something. They didn't do this to everyone, not even my husband. I don't know if I was randomly picked or if something "weird" showed up on me during the standard security pass... I was asking the woman questions and she wouldn't answer me so I got nervous and starting making jokes, but again she was unresponsive. I still have no idea what that was about.
Any ideas?

 

[NYwdwfan]

This is sort of off topic but who knows if it could happen again.

We went to Vegas a few years ago and on the way back, at the Vegas airport, I was put in a round glass section and my palms were wiped with something. They didn't do this to everyone, not even my husband. I don't know if I was randomly picked or if something "weird" showed up on me during the standard security pass... I was asking the woman questions and she wouldn't answer me so I got nervous and starting making jokes, but again she was unresponsive. I still have no idea what that was about.
Any ideas?

My husband has had his hands wiped a few times - but right on the line not in a separate glass section. They said it was to check for explosives residue.

 

[SAV]

I had it done for one flight and he said it was for explosive residue as well. It was done in the line and done to many people. I would say 1 out of 5 that I saw.

 

[Weather_Lady]

This is sort of off topic but who knows if it could happen again.

We went to Vegas a few years ago and on the way back, at the Vegas airport, I was put in a round glass section and my palms were wiped with something. They didn't do this to everyone, not even my husband. I don't know if I was randomly picked or if something "weird" showed up on me during the standard security pass... I was asking the woman questions and she wouldn't answer me so I got nervous and starting making jokes, but again she was unresponsive. I still have no idea what that was about.
Any ideas?

I've had it done, too, now and then -- I've had my hands swabbed, as well as the zippers and/or interior on my luggage, checking for explosives residue. (The swab gets put in some little machine that looks like a microwave and tells the handler if there's anything weird on it, as I recall.) Sometimes I used to get "wanded" (my bra underwires are lethal, y'all) although that's mostly a thing of the past now that they have those full-body scanners.

Sometimes you just get marked for random "extra attention" from airport security. In Europe, I've even been randomly selected for a hand swab AND a pat-down! (That Swedish airport employee should have bought me dinner afterwards, I tell ya.) It doesn't mean you did anything wrong, acted suspiciously, etc. Nothing to worry about.

 

[HollyAD]

On our last trip my son kept beeping going through security. Therefore, I had to get my hands wiped down. I also had to get my boot for my broken foot wiped down as well during a different flight. It's for explosive residue. I hope I don't lose my TSA pre check for it!

 

[dreamfinder]

I get wiped every time. Opt out for the win baby! Checks for residues. Hate to see what would happen if one happened to work with explosives for a living.

 

[thomas998]

This is sort of off topic but who knows if it could happen again.

We went to Vegas a few years ago and on the way back, at the Vegas airport, I was put in a round glass section and my palms were wiped with something. They didn't do this to everyone, not even my husband. I don't know if I was randomly picked or if something "weird" showed up on me during the standard security pass... I was asking the woman questions and she wouldn't answer me so I got nervous and starting making jokes, but again she was unresponsive. I still have no idea what that was about.
Any ideas?

Happens at lots of places especially if you opt out of being nuked by the full body o machine the call an x-ray machine.

 

[zakattack99]

Funny story on this. When we where comming home from Disney in 2009 my little brother, 15 at the time was selected for explosive resadue testing. The TSA woman put the swab in the machine and it went off!!! She said that she wanted to run the test again and sure enough it goes off again at this point my brother is scared I'm laughing and the TSA woman is looking concerned. Then her supervisor comes over, asks what's going on and the TSA woman explains that my brother is failing the test. The supervisor than explains that the machine is BROKEN and has been all WEEK! they let us on the plane... got to love the TSA.

 

[LdyApxr]

Coming through Orange County airport in LA a couple years ago, my teenage son alerted and the TSA people were very nice and just asked if they could wand him, which I agreed to. No idea what it was but he was cleared and we were on our way. Have never had any issues with TSA even with my husband and his CPap machine. He brings it as a carry-on since if they ever misplaced our luggage or a flight change issue, he knows he can still sleep soundly. LOL