Before the increased security at the airport check in points, passengers on flights out of the U.S. were told to arrive 2 hours before their flight. Now, however, they are told to come 3 hours before their scheduled flight departs. This change is due to the longer and more thorough check-in used with passengers about to board an international flight.

The security personnel, who must conduct the check in for outbound international flights, need to watch of two different things. They look for evidence that a passenger might be boarding with some sort of weapon, and they also check for signs that the passenger might be carrying contraband.

What sort of items would be classed as "contraband?"

What sort of items would it be illegal to take out of the U.S.?

A contraband item would be something that had been obtained through illegitimate means, such as stolen property, or a disc with confidential information. Those would be the sorts of things that the men and women at an airport check in would be watching for.

Sometimes the older immigrants, who fly out of the U.S. in order to return to the land of their birth, carry with them a great deal of luggage. They can pose a real challenge to the men and women at an airport check in. Their bags are not only large; they are also stuffed with all sorts of food and clothing. The men and women at the airport check in must sort through all of the items in those heavy suitcases.

Sometimes they might suspect an item of being contraband, when in fact it is not. For example, one woman who had packed some dried vegetables was called aside and accused of carrying marijuana. Fortunately, her son identified the dried material, and the woman then passed safely through the airport check in.