Traveling these days is a lot more difficult than is used to be. Although planes are faster than ever, passengers cannot just jump out Toronto taxis straight onto the plane. Luggage inspections, pat downs, and airport security measures often take several extra hours. To make sure you get through airport security as quickly as possible, make sure your baggage will pass inspection at first glance. Here are some tips on how to pack for a quick ride through security.

First of all, there are some items that are completely banned from airplanes and airports and will cause no end of troubles and delays if they are found in your luggage. So when you're at the Junction, shopping for your trip home, don't buy any explosives, pressurized containers, flammable items, chemicals, biological material, and magnets. This includes all of the obvious culprits as well as common items such as lighters, camp stoves, peroxide, speakers, matches, weed killers, paintball gun canisters, and spray paint.

You should also be careful about anything that may look like a prohibited item during the initial x-ray inspection. Pop bottles found on a Toronto beach can look like gas cylinders at the right angle. Any cylindrical object can look like an aerosol can, and certain types of candles can look like dynamite. If anything of this nature turns up, your bag may be pulled off the belt and subjected to a time consuming hand inspection.

In addition, there are many items that are allowed on planes, but only in your checked baggage. They can cause delays, especially if you have not mentioned to the security screens that your baggage contains these items. Tricky items of this nature includes tools, such as those used to fix dollhouse lights, any form of firearm from hunting rifle to paintball gun to replica firearm, knives, and sports equipment such as golf clubs or hockey sticks.

Your luggage may be inspected by hand if there is anything potentially dangerous inside it, if it weighs too much, or even if you are randomly selected for screening. If this happens, try not to be too impatient with the screener, as this will cause additional delays by arousing their suspicions. If you're worried about your fragile Michael Godard prints, you can unwrap them yourself for the screener to protect them from hasty, clumsy hands. If you are asked questions about anything in your bags, answer them calmly without making jokes.