IndependentTraveler.com Offers Advice and Cautionary Tales
Pennington, NJ-- June 3, 2011 -- IndependentTraveler.com® (http://www.independenttraveler.com), a travel planning site that has been offering practical travel advice for more than twenty years, provides a complete guide to airport security rules that addresses commonly asked questions and helps travelers to interpret TSA guidelines.  However, not everyone follows the rules.

In a new article, “What Not to Do at the Airport,” IndependentTraveler.com features a round-up of the most extreme cases of bad behavior and ill judgment at airports around the world. From bungled smuggling attempts to security breaches by well-meaning romantics, the entertaining article contains more than twenty thoughtless or ill-conceived travel tales. The full article "What Not to Do at the Airport "(http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=1275&category=1) can be found on IndependentTraveler.com -- but travelers can take away three key tips:

1.    Don’t fool around at security.

Security personnel are obliged to take all threats seriously -- it's your safety at stake, after all. Obey signs, pay attention to instructions and don't make jokes when going through security.

Rule Breaker: Haisong Jiang dodged a security checkpoint for a few more goodbye smooches with his girlfriend, causing a security breach that led to Newark Liberty International Airport being closed briefly in 2010. Police nabbed him a few days later, thanks to surveillance footage.

2.    Don’t over-drink at the airport bar.

Killing time in the airport bar is fine, as long as you know when to stop. You will not be allowed to board a flight if airline staff believes you are intoxicated.

Rule Breaker: A 64-year-old man changing planes at Nuremberg Airport put frat boys to shame in 2007 when he downed an entire liter of vodka after being told he’d have to throw it away or pay to check it. While he didn’t make the flight, he did get a personal tour of the local hospital, where he spent a few days recovering from alcohol poisoning.

3.    Don’t assume souvenirs get a free pass.

You might know to think twice about packing a samurai sword in your carry-on, but beware of seemingly harmless items, like foodstuffs and plants. Bringing meat, fish, dairy products, fruit, plants and livestock across international borders is strictly controlled.

Rule Breaker: A Thai woman flying from Bangkok...