Engagement Smuggling

July 11, 2007 6:24 AM

Life is wonderful! There's no doubt in my mind that we're both ready (to say yes, at least). We're traveling to Las Vegas for a week’s vacation at the end of July, staying at a fancy-pants hotel, and will be taking a day trip out to the Grand Canyon – where I plan to ask her a certain question. I’ve got the appropriate ring (I hope) picked out, and I’ll have it in my possession 4-5 days before we leave. We’re flying down to Vegas, which is exactly the trouble.

We’ll both have a small carry-on bag for the flight, and we’ll be checking a total of one garment bag and one largish duffel bag. Though the flight is non-stop, the potential perils of lost luggage and sticky-fingered security folk have made me very reluctant to secret the ring away in the checked bags – but the security line (which we’ll be going through at the same time), forces me to either place it in the dish along with my wallet/keys/phone/change/etc or leave it in my carry-on bag. The carry-on bag seems problematic. Although I don’t think I look suspicious, something in my bag always does – for this trip I’ll have a laptop and a DSLR camera + lenses and a book in my carry-on. I really don’t want a security worker to hold up the box and open it.

Green-Answer-Machine: How do I get this ring to Vegas with me, without losing it in checked bags or having my surprise busted wide-open at the security point? The ring’s metallic component is white gold, if that makes a difference.

(And no, we aren’t likely at all to get married while we’re there, but thanks for asking!)

posted by anonymous to travel & transportation (39 comments total)

Have it FedExed to the hotel and stored in their safe until you arrive?
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:27 AM on July 11, 2007

Unless the ring is stainless steel with some sort of knife attachment, I don't think you're going to have much of a problem. If it is traditional platinum ring with diamonds, it won't set off the alarm, at least my wedding band never does, and neither does my wife's engagement ring. Your pocket should be good.
posted by milarepa at 6:27 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Keep it on your person, but not in a box. I and a multitude of other women wear rings through security every day. Ditch the box as the hinge may be what sets off an alarm.
posted by FlamingBore at 6:29 AM on July 11, 2007

Maybe take the ring to somewhere local that has a metal detector and give it a test beforehand?
posted by backwards guitar at 6:30 AM on July 11, 2007

Two options.

1) Drum up some last minute excuse to get out of the security line (going to the bathroom should work). So that you'll actually be scanned at a different time then her. This should remove any chance that she sees the ring, even if the security gaurd holds it up and loudly asks "Is this an engagement ring." Actually, considering how they hustle you along when you are being scanned wearing difficult to remove shoes and standing behind her may be enough. She's not going to be allowed to loiter and wait for you to get your act together.

2) Just keep it in a pocket like milarepa and FlamingBore suggest. You should be able to get a new box at any of the dozens of jewelry stores in Vegas.
posted by oddman at 6:36 AM on July 11, 2007

You could always split up and go through different security lines. That way, if you and your carry on have additional scrutiny, she wouldn't see it.

You could get in a different line, and if questioned post-security, claim that you were waived there by a TSA person.

(This has actually happened to me, forcing my spouse and me to go through different lines, so it isn't a totally unlikely story.)
posted by Sheppagus at 6:38 AM on July 11, 2007

Mail the fancy box to the hotel. They will hold it for you. Make sure you put a note in asking the clerk to be discreet when you check in. No "Oh, btw Mr. Anonymous, here's that jewelry box you shipped ahead." You can always sneak off at some point and pick it up at the front desk after you've checked in.

Don't send the ring ahead via mail. It's too valuable. Just secure it in you pocket or somewhere on your body and take it through the metal detector.

Oh, and congrats.
posted by MCTDavid at 6:41 AM on July 11, 2007

Keep it in your carry-on. The ring will be very easily identified by the person viewing the contents of your bag as it is x-rayed. If they do decide to search your bag more intensely, they try to just move things around and look in pockets. Even if they decide to swab it down to check for chemical markers, they try to handle your possessions as little and as quickly as possible. You could tuck the ring into your camera case, for example. I would not tuck it in with your toiletries because they're making people pull those out of the carry-on. If you roll your socks, tuck it into a sock.
posted by onhazier at 6:48 AM on July 11, 2007

Put it on your keychain. You never lose your keys, and she'll never pay them any attention. Put the box in with your checked luggage.
posted by poppo at 6:48 AM on July 11, 2007 [3 favorites]

Hide it in your toiletry bag, under the cap of your solid deodorant stick, which you'll carry on with you. Stick the empty ring box inside a balled pair of socks in your checked bag. Even if TSA pulls you aside and roots through your luggage, and even if they open your toiletry kit, they won't open your deodorant.
posted by mdonley at 6:51 AM on July 11, 2007

(And the solid deodorant stick wouldn't count as a liquid, so you could leave it un-ziploced inside the toiletry kit.)
posted by mdonley at 6:53 AM on July 11, 2007

Wrap it in a hankerchief, and put a post-it note on it that says "I AM AN ENGAGEMENT RING PLEASE BE DISCREET!" and put it in your pocket for the duration of the security line. Use the men's room after to get it back into your carryon/bookbag/laptopbag/whatever.

If you get hit by security about the contents of your pockets, show them the note first. If you can do it, have the goofy expression of a guy who is totally in love - and see what happens from there.

At worst, be prepared to drop to a knee and ask her right in the airport.
posted by FritoKAL at 6:53 AM on July 11, 2007

Slip one of those rubber key color coding makers over it (both to conceal and protect from scratches) and put it on your key ring. Put the keys in your carry on bag.
posted by yohko at 7:14 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Stop overthinking it and go have fun! That's my best advice.

Put the box at the bottom of your bag and carry on as normal. If they open your bag, it's HIGHLY unlikely that they'll open up the box.
posted by Merdryn at 7:18 AM on July 11, 2007

do not go crazy about hiding the ring in your luggage. if you do, and they notice that you are trying to hide something or that you are nervous while they root through your luggage, that is going to set all sorts of flags and you're gonna be strip searched or worse.

go by a finger puppet key chain and slip the ring inside it. then put the finger puppet on your key chain. when your fiancee asks about it, just say a friend at work gave it to you and you thought it was funny. put keys in bag like yohko said. viola! you is done.
posted by Stynxno at 7:26 AM on July 11, 2007

put a post-it note on it that says "I AM AN ENGAGEMENT RING PLEASE BE DISCREET!" ...If you get hit by security about the contents of your pockets, show them the note first. If you can do it, have the goofy expression of a guy who is totally in love - and see what happens from there.

I don't think it's safe to assume that TSA is going to give anyone special treatment for something like an engagement ring. Fortunately, it is safe to assume that they're not all that interested in you or your ring, long as you don't make a fuss over it.

I would not ship the ring ahead under any circumstances. No matter which carrier, none of them have such exceptional service that I would trust them not to lose or misroute such an important package.

I would not check it -- sticky fingers aren't such a risk but lost luggage certainly is, and either way the stress isn't worth it.

I agree with carrying it on, and either just leaving it in the ring box in your bag, or getting through security via a modified pocket/bathroom scenario like FritoKAL suggested. I'd ditch the post-it part though -- asking the TSA guys to be discreet about something seems like a bigger flag than doing nothing at all.

And, queue up so your GF goes through security before you. If she's through the line already, she'll be paying attention to collecting her things, putting her shoes back on, etc -- everything but you. Whereas if she's behind you, she's got nothing to do but wait and watch every little part of the process.

Have fun! Hope she says yes! :)
posted by pineapple at 7:30 AM on July 11, 2007

Wherever you decide to obscure the ring, I really like FritoKAL's idea of having a note in your pocket that says "I've got an engagement ring hidden [wherever], please be discreet." Then you can pull this out and hand/show it to any guard if a search becomes imminent.
posted by vytae at 7:30 AM on July 11, 2007

I second the fedex/ups to the hotel before hand and call to let them know it's coming.
posted by uncballzer at 7:34 AM on July 11, 2007

Whatever you do, please don't ship the ring (or even the ring box) to the hotel ahead of time. My sister in law was married in Vegas this spring; the family shipped a number of items for the wedding ahead to the Monte Carlo Hotel (at the hotel's suggestion). They were sent Fedex to the hotel, and we know who at the hotel signed for them. When we arrived four days later the items were not found, never turned up, and the hotel seemed ... unconcerned ... that they'd lost our belongings. Ah well.

As to the ring. Put it inside something inconspicuous (maybe roll it up inside a pair of socks), and put it in your carry-on, at the bottom. You'll be fine.
posted by anastasiav at 7:46 AM on July 11, 2007

I agree with those who suggest putting the ring in a pocket or carry-on, and also agree that shipping it is a bad idea.

Consider devising a "Plan B" proposal to use in the (unlikely) event your cover is blown at security. It would actually be very romantic and cool to just kneel down and bust out a public proposal in the spot, with tons of people around watching, at a security checkpoint, on your way to a weeklong vacation to celebrate your engagement. It might not be postcard-perfect, but it would be a heck of a story to tell throughout the rest of your marriage.
posted by brain_drain at 8:33 AM on July 11, 2007

Instead of all this kerfuffle, just propose now and (assuming she says "yes") then she can wear the engagement ring on your trip.
posted by Carol Anne at 8:48 AM on July 11, 2007

Get the ring insured before you go anywhere! Get in a different line than her. Tuck it in a pocket, you should be fine. And definitely do not ship it.
posted by jerseygirl at 8:51 AM on July 11, 2007

Jeeze, you guys are overcomplicating this for nothing.

I had the same conundrum when going from Montreal to New York where I proposed to my loved one in Central Park. The solution was simple. I kept the ring in it's box and put it in my carry-on bag. I clearly labeled the box with a tag that said "Secret wedding ring, be discrete when addressing this item". I also had a plan that in a worst case scenario, if the person at the counter failed to be discreet, that I'd propose right then and there. But it never came to that... the bag went through the detector, with tons of other bags full of makeup and jewelry, and it was a non issue.

Congrats and good luck.
posted by Null Pointer and the Exceptions at 8:57 AM on July 11, 2007

I wouldn't go overboard. I can only imagine that seeing a round metal object in the cap of a tube of deodorant on the X-Ray would set off a million red flags.

Second the "Plan B" idea of proposing in the security line if they call you on the ring. It's doubly cool because it'll probably irritate the security workers who just almost-ruined things except that you had a backup plan, and entertain the people in line.

I can't imagine that they'd pay the ring much attention. Keeping a note about it is probably not a bad idea, though. (Unless she goes through your bag, and then the big "THIS IS AN ENGAGEMENT RING" is sort of a dead give-away that it's an engagement ring.)
posted by fogster at 10:01 AM on July 11, 2007

I would put it in an labeled envelope in the carry-on. That way, it is scanned and recognized before they open your bag. In my experience, they usually freeze the screen showing your bag's contents and then use that as a guide to looking through the bag. If they do open your bag and look at the envelope, I think you have a good chance they'll be appropriately discreet.

I certainly don't think you need to worry about this method resulting in theft or loss of the ring.

Putting it on your keyring for a short while is a good idea too.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:27 AM on July 11, 2007

Swallow it before leaving for the airport or for less hassle in retrieving it just put it in your camera bag. It'll show up clearly on the xray for the screener in the latter case.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 10:31 AM on July 11, 2007

I have worn a gold wedding ring through security about a million times. Do most people really take off their wedding rings to go through the metal detector? It has never gotten set off for me. Just leave it in your pocket!
posted by emyd at 10:37 AM on July 11, 2007

I smuggled my fiancee's engagement ring from Portland, OR to Italy in the tiny little cloth purse the jewelry store gave to me. I too was worried about security busting me.

I just kept the tiny little zip up purse in a zip up pocket in my jacket, placed the jacket on the conveyor belt and no problems. Cross-country and cross-atlantic.
posted by mnology at 10:42 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've always had security people specifically ask me to leave jewelry on when going through the metal detectors, and I have some very large rings and pendants inherited from my mother. I assume they don't want to be responsible for theft if someone grabs a handful of stuff from the tray.

I certainly don't trust the people going through my carry-on bags not to filch something small and valuable like a jewelry box, even if I'm watching them (especially since if it does show up on a scanner, they'll know exactly where in my bag it is), so I don't tend to put jewelry in my bags.

All this to say... put the ring in your pocket, don't take it out when you go through the metal detector. At that point, if it does cause a problem, at least you'll be standing face to face with a person wanding you, away from your girlfriend and other passengers, which is probably the best scenario for explaining what's going on without your girlfriend hearing you.
posted by occhiblu at 10:48 AM on July 11, 2007

If the ring does come out accidentally, and she sees it, take it from the security guard and propose to her right then and there. Try to brush the whole thing off like you're super-suave and wanted to surprise her.
posted by !Jim at 11:01 AM on July 11, 2007

"Secret wedding ring, be discrete when addressing this item"

If you want security to think 'oh, how sweet, they are getting engaged', labeling it as a secret wedding ring gives entirely the wrong impression. You could even wind up with a screener who feels that they should try to wave that note around where your GF can see it. The term you want to use is engagement ring.
posted by yohko at 11:38 AM on July 11, 2007

I think just leave the ring on your person and walk through the detector. My own college signet has more metal than your average engagement band and it has never tripped the detector. (I leave it on because it's sometimes hard for me to take it off in the middle of the day, especially if I've been flying.)
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:06 PM on July 11, 2007

I think you have enough here but I recently did this like so....


I got a small cloth pouch and 2 safety pins. Safety pinned the ring and the pouch to my backpack for the trip through the medal detector.

Immediately ran to the bathroom after clearing security and moved the pinned ring from my backpack to my pants pocket.

Eventually stuck it in the hotel safe.
posted by bitdamaged at 3:34 PM on July 11, 2007

I think mnology has the best idea. Wear a jacket, secure it inside a pocket with a safety pin or a few stitches. I always wear a jacket or coat when I fly, and my pockets are usually full of all manner of clutter. Never seen them going through my pockets.
posted by Martin E. at 3:39 PM on July 11, 2007

Pin it in a pocket, if they ask you to empty your pockets, slide the ring diamond-side-down, onto your pinky. Then put it back in your pocket ASAP.
posted by Four Flavors at 3:52 PM on July 11, 2007

Be sure you pin it to something larger, like your pants or the camera bag. If it's loose in something, you are much more likely to lose it.
Anybody who wears a ring should always have with them a safety pin (keychain is good for this), just in case your finger swells or you break a hand or something, and have to find a safe place to put it.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 4:14 PM on July 11, 2007

Don't throw it in with your keys unprotected; diamonds are brittle.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:01 AM on July 12, 2007

First off, Congratulations! My now-husband proposed in the exact same way - we flew out to Vegas, spent a few days there and then drove to the Grand Canyon, where he proposed on the canyon rim. He just put the ring in it's little box in his pocket and went through the metal detectors with no issues. I never take off my engagement ring or wedding ring when going through and it never sets anything off.

Just as an FYI, the drive from Vegas to the GC is way too long for a day trip. Do plan on spending at least one night there. It's incredible, and you won't regret doing so.
posted by discokitty at 5:25 AM on July 12, 2007

*its little box. Grammar not so good in morning. Bah.
posted by discokitty at 5:26 AM on July 12, 2007