- 2 hours ago
- #ssss
- #boardingpassissues
- #airport
- #traveltips
The dreaded SSSS on a boarding pass means you are going to get some secondary screening and will have your bag looked at and have to talk to the security personal a bit longer, but it usually just random so do not be freaked out unless you did do something wrong. This is for flights and boarding passes flying around the world.
#ssss #boardingpassissues #airport
Copyright Mark Wolters 2026
Find more at www.woltersworld.com
We may receive a small commission on any sales that are generated from links in the video or the description.
#traveltips
#ssss #boardingpassissues #airport
Copyright Mark Wolters 2026
Find more at www.woltersworld.com
We may receive a small commission on any sales that are generated from links in the video or the description.
#traveltips
Category
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TravelTranscript
00:00Hey there, fellow travelers, dang it, I got the dreaded S-S-S-S on my boarding pass.
00:08Oh, you don't know what that is?
00:10Oh, that S-S-S-S, that means congratulations, you've been selected for secondary security
00:16screening selection, i.e. you get to go through security a bit more rigorously than
00:24the normal passengers.
00:25But here's the thing, why does this happen?
00:27I haven't done anything wrong.
00:28Why am I getting selected out?
00:30Why did Liam, who was like 10, get pulled out?
00:33Well, I want to give you some of the more common reasons why people get a little extra TSA or
00:39security checks at the airport.
00:41And you can learn these things so you can make it smoother for you going through the airport
00:45so you have a better chance of not getting the dreaded S-S-S-S on your boarding pass.
00:51But I want to tell you this one, sadly, most likely, probably the reason why that you actually
00:56get the dreaded S-S-S-S on there is random selection.
01:01Yes, they do do random selection on the airlines.
01:05They do it when you're booking planes.
01:06Just like, hey, you've just got- you've been randomly selected for this.
01:09You go through the security, you've been randomly selected.
01:12Sorry, pal.
01:13It does happen.
01:14I mean, I've been randomly selected.
01:15Jocelyn's been randomly selected.
01:19Liam has been- Liam, he was 10.
01:21Caleb, when he was like five.
01:22We've all been extra selected.
01:24And that's one of those things.
01:25Just realize sometimes it happens.
01:27So don't get upset with it.
01:29Realize it does happen.
01:30Unless you have a really tight connection, you should be okay.
01:33But just know, they do that.
01:35Randomly, it's just the way it is.
01:36So don't beat down if you got that S-S-S on there.
01:39If you haven't done anything wrong, most of the time it's just random selection.
01:42But I will say, if you want to try to eliminate the random selection to make it less likely,
01:48sign up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
01:52Those kind of things, you're in the database, you have a better chance of not getting selected.
01:55However, I haven't said that, I do have TSA PreCheck and so does Jocelyn and we've both
02:00been selected for the dreaded S-S-S-S.
02:02So realize randomness happens and that's probably what's going to happen to you.
02:07However, there are some other things you might do that might make it more likely that you
02:11will be selected.
02:12And one thing I want to tell you is weird travel habits.
02:16You know, when you're booking a one-way ticket someplace with no return or you're paying
02:21with cash for a flight or you're making a lot of last minute changes to your flight to
02:25do things, what that does, it kind of signals the algorithms that are out there,
02:29the, the security people are like, wait, wait, what's going on here?
02:32That's one of those kind of red flags to say, take a look at this, okay, to try to
02:36help avoid this situation of the weird buying habits and travel habits.
02:40One, buy with a credit card, you know, get a round trip ticket if you can or have a
02:44continuing on ticket, something that shows you have more travel coming, get the TSA
02:48PreCheck or the Global Entry.
02:49Like these things can help it more, be less likely you're going to get.
02:52I mean, it still could happen, but weird travel habits.
02:55They're like, hey, wait, why aren't you doing this one-way ticket?
02:57What's going on here?
02:58Because sometimes it's not a security.
03:00Sometimes it might be a border control asking you, whoa, whoa, whoa.
03:03Why don't you have a flight leaving the Cayman Islands?
03:05What's going on here?
03:06Okay.
03:07So do be aware of that.
03:08All right.
03:09Now, another thing that kind of sucks, it's tough to kind of deal with is sometimes your name
03:14is on the no-fly list or your name's on some registry, which sucks because there might be a
03:19Mark Walters that's really, really super nice that likes to help people travel the world,
03:22but then there may be the evil Mark Walters that's trying to take over the world.
03:27That one is on a no-fly list.
03:28That one is that, hey, we got to check this person out, and because if your name matches
03:33their name, sorry, you might have extra checks, okay?
03:36Now, to help with that, again, you'll notice the theme here, TSA PreCheck, uh, Global Entry,
03:41doing those things to register yourself, that can help you get off the list.
03:45But also, there's this thing called DHS Trip, or Department of Homeland Security
03:50Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, and you can contact them and be like,
03:53hey, why am I on this list?
03:55Can you help me get off this list?
03:56And they can help you get off of it?
03:58If you're the trying to help save the world, make people travel better,
04:01Mark Walters, not the evil take over the world, Mark Walters, all right?
04:05Now, the next thing that- it might not get you the SSSS kind of stamp on your boarding pass,
04:10but it might get you pulled out of security, is if you packed poorly.
04:14When I say packed poorly, it's how you pack, what you pack, what you bring with you.
04:18For example, liquid in three ounces, in a one-quart bag, and you get one per person,
04:24so the 3-1-1 rule, you have to have that all in there.
04:27If it's not, if it's all around your bag, probably a good chance you're going to get pulled out,
04:31because like, wait, what are all these liquids, what's going on here?
04:33And it might just be for them to kind of clarify what you do have,
04:36but having all those liquids around, not together, and too big of sizes,
04:40they're going to get you.
04:41They're going to pull out your bag, and they're going to make you throw away
04:42that sunblock that's too big, that bug spray that's too big, those things.
04:46And- and for my American friends, remember, peanut butter is technically a liquid
04:50because it does not hold its form, okay?
04:53If it holds its form by itself, it's not a liquid.
04:55So your stick deodorant, your- your- your bar shampoo, that's a solid.
05:00However, your gels and your creams, those are liquids, okay?
05:04Another thing I want to tell you is if you have really dense stuff,
05:07like if you pack things together and they can't see through it,
05:10that acts to be troublesome.
05:11Like if you have gift- you have birthday presents, Christmas presents,
05:14and they're wrapped up, gifts, that may make it more difficult,
05:17so they might pull it out.
05:18Also, if you stack a lot of electronics on top of each other,
05:21they can't tell what everything is.
05:23That's one of the reasons why they have you take out the laptop and put it on the side.
05:27So if you have multiple devices, maybe spread them out in your luggage.
05:30Yeah, if you're carry on, have it spread out there, just be aware of that,
05:33because yeah, a lot of electronics can set it off.
05:35Or food, some things you're not allowed to take into other countries,
05:39or certain types of food, like meat products, fruit, cheeses,
05:43those ones certainly will probably get a dog sniffing.
05:47When that dog starts sniffing you, guess what?
05:49They're like, please come with us, sir.
05:51We want to check your luggage.
05:52And then if you pack cash, like you bring too much cash,
05:55that's going to set things off.
05:57And that leads us into number five, and that is suspicious activity.
06:01Why do you have $20,000 in cash with you?
06:04What is with these gold bars?
06:06I mean, that's going to set things off.
06:08But also, when you look at suspicious activity,
06:10you want to think about how you are acting.
06:12If you're being all nervous and fidgeting,
06:14you're not making eye contact with the TSA agents.
06:17You know, you're like, where's my bag?
06:18You're like, looking for your bag.
06:20And you might just be late or running behind,
06:22but they're seeing that they're seeing a nervous traveler.
06:24Why are you nervous?
06:25That's suspicious.
06:26We're probably going to call you out.
06:28I know for myself, I was flying back,
06:30and I was flying into Chicago,
06:31and then I had to, you know, internationally get your bags,
06:33recheck them, then get to your next flight.
06:36I didn't have a lot of time because it was delayed.
06:38And I'm freaking out trying to get my bag,
06:39trying to get my bag,
06:40because I know if I don't get my flight,
06:41I have to sleep at O'Hare.
06:43And of course, I'm, you know, 22, 23 years old,
06:45freaking out, where's my bag?
06:46Get my bag.
06:48TSA comes up, border check comes up,
06:50like, hey, sir, you look a little nervous.
06:52Why don't you calm down?
06:52Let's look through your bag.
06:54So I lost 30 minutes there, missed my flight.
06:56Oh, and if I just would have stayed calm,
06:58I would have been fine.
06:58So remember, don't get nervous.
07:00Don't freak out.
07:01The TSA, the bus, the border people,
07:03they're there to help.
07:04They want you to get in the country safely,
07:06just be relaxed, go through it, you'll be okay.
07:08And that kind of suspicious activity
07:10leads into number six,
07:12and that is when your past catches up with you.
07:16Look, they're going to look at your passport
07:17and see where you went.
07:18And if they see you went to some high risk zones,
07:21okay, you were in war zones or sketchy places
07:23or things that your countries,
07:25that your country doesn't like,
07:26they might stop and ask you more questions,
07:28do more searching, do that SSSS,
07:31you know, the secondary search,
07:32fun times, they might be doing that.
07:35So do be aware of that.
07:36And if you know you've gone to some crazy places,
07:38right, know that they're going to ask you questions.
07:40Because for example, if you have a passport
07:42from a country that people don't like very much
07:45in the country you're going to,
07:46they might stop you, they might ask you.
07:49So make sure you have your stories together,
07:51have your documents together.
07:53Here's where I'm staying.
07:54Here's where I'm going.
07:54Here's my money I have.
07:56Oh, why was I in Israel?
07:57Why was I in Syria?
07:58Why was I in Korea?
08:00Why was I in Mexico?
08:02Explain why you're there.
08:03Because they might be like,
08:03hey, what were you doing there for so long?
08:05For example, I did my master's abroad.
08:07And when I came back,
08:09the TSA people were like,
08:10so you've been gone for like two years.
08:13Well, what's up with that?
08:14Oh, I was doing my master's in economics,
08:16the manager of science.
08:16It's like, oh, so explain to me the Keynesian theory of economics.
08:20Like literally,
08:20ask me the Keynesian theory of economics.
08:22Tell me who Adam Smith is.
08:23I'm like, oh, okay.
08:24And I had to answer those things.
08:26So do be aware of that,
08:27because they're looking at those things and seeing,
08:29hey, is there any kind of weird things that happen?
08:32So for example,
08:33if you have a temporary visa,
08:35okay, or you have a temporary passport,
08:37like, hey, what happened to your other passport?
08:38They're probably gonna ask,
08:39what happened?
08:40You know, and it could be,
08:41oh, I lost it.
08:41But some people lose their passports,
08:43so other countries don't know where they went.
08:45So do be aware that those things,
08:48yeah, I mean, that's gonna get you.
08:49They're gonna catch those things.
08:50And honestly,
08:51if you got in trouble traveling before,
08:54they're probably gonna ask you questions,
08:56because you will be on that list I talked about,
08:58because, hey, this is a problematic traveler.
09:00We wanna make sure they're okay.
09:01All right.
09:02Now, here's the thing.
09:03I don't want anybody having to get
09:04the secondary security screening selection,
09:07that SSSS on their boarding pass,
09:09but it is part of life.
09:11And realize most of the time,
09:12it's just random selection how it happens.
09:14But know that there's some things you can do
09:15to kind of make it less likely it happens.
09:17But if it does,
09:18just be calm.
09:19Don't freak out.
09:20They're just gonna check your bags
09:21and check your stuff.
09:22You should be fine with that.
09:24All right.
09:24So just know it does happen.
09:26It's not always fun.
09:27It does slow you down,
09:28but it's to help us travel better and safer.
09:30So what are some other reasons
09:31you've been pulled out of security lines?
09:34Let us know in the comments below,
09:35because sometimes it's for a good thing.
09:36Like when Liam was a baby,
09:37we got pulled out of the line in Rome.
09:40And they're like,
09:41bimbo baby.
09:42And like these two ladies came
09:43and Liam was a baby.
09:43They brought us through security
09:45all around everything.
09:46No, no,
09:46I will hold the baby.
09:47And they took the baby through.
09:49It's actually worked out
09:50really well that way.
09:51Oh, also parents,
09:52do know that they will check
09:53your baby's carriage
09:55and all their,
09:55you know,
09:56car seats and stuff.
09:57So make sure you dump out
09:59the Fruit Loops and the Cheerios
10:00before you get there.
10:01Because yeah,
10:02it gets embarrassing
10:03at security checkpoints.
10:04Anyway,
10:05I wish you all the best
10:06to say bye from here
10:06in the Cayman Islands.
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