Metal Detectors

[JetGirl]

Last night was sort of a "girls night out" and one of the places we went had metal detectors at the door and a lobby full of security guard-ish looking folks watching over them. After just sailing right through, we walked a bit farther away and my cousin looked at me with raised eyebrows and whispered "Do you think the metal detectors weren't turned on?"
I'm not really sure...

Question: How MUCH metal makes them go off?
I had my CDP, a Kershaw, a magnetic money clip, a flashlight, tons of change in my coat pocket and keys.

 

[Rymo]

It sounds like it was for looks, just like a dummy camera

 

[Tester]

It sounds like it was for looks, just like a dummy camera

Makes me wonder how often that happens.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Question: How MUCH metal makes them go off?

Not much if they are properly calibrated. It sounds like the ones you walked through were either broken or not powered up.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Question: How MUCH metal makes them go off?

Depends on how they are calibrated. They can have different settings.

When they calibrate them, I have seen them use a dummy gun slightly smaller than a Lorcin .25 and they will walk through with the dummy on different places and at different angles.

The bailiffs here in Tippecanoe County showed me how to walk though in your duty gear. I always chuckle at the thought that it is possible to walk through in your gun belt with magazines, handcuffs and keys and not set it off.

 

[MCgrease08]

The bailiffs here in Tippecanoe County showed me how to walk though in your duty gear. I always chuckle at the thought that it is possible to walk through in your gun belt with magazines, handcuffs and keys and not set it off.

They must carry Glocks. Everybody knows those plastic guns are undetectable.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

No, ZIGs. You just move as if you are in slow motion.

My jaw hit the floor when Denny showed me how to do it. He had his Sam Brown on with all the accountrement. I'll see if I can find a photo of their uniforms.

Here's a photo of Chuck Molter (used to be head bailiff and Battle Ground Marshal) escorting someone, but you can see on the gear on his waist.

 

[actaeon277]

Depends on how they are calibrated. They can have different settings.

When they calibrate them, I have seen them use a dummy gun slightly smaller than a Lorcin .25 and they will walk through with the dummy on different places and at different angles.

The bailiffs here in Tippecanoe County showed me how to walk though in your duty gear. I always chuckle at the thought that it is possible to walk through in your gun belt with magazines, handcuffs and keys and not set it off.

This.
there are various calibration adjustments.
If too sensitive, too many false positives and it gets ignored.
But, it is also affected by the body of the person, and how it's carried.

 

[JetGirl]

Huh. Interesting. I didn't go through quickly... I wonder if that had something to do with it.
I just figured it was turned off.

 

[rhino]

In the "old days," it also depended on the height where the metal was carried. I have a friend who used to test security at Laguardia back in the early 1990s. He was a little over 6 ft tall and could go through their security checks with anything he wanted as long as it fit under his cowboy hat.

 

[Sylvain]

Last time I went through one in the UK my steel toe shoes set it off (empty pockets, no belt, no keys).

 

[Bunnykid68]

Sure it was a metal detector and not a security tag detector?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Last time I went through one in the UK my steel toe shoes set it off (empty pockets, no belt, no keys).

Pffft, Europeans and their Doc Martens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfMy1V7Ma8E

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Interesting. Do they have an "upper limit" on the calibration? Assuming if you come in with too much, you've got to be LEO/bailiff/etc?

Depends on how they are calibrated. They can have different settings.

When they calibrate them, I have seen them use a dummy gun slightly smaller than a Lorcin .25 and they will walk through with the dummy on different places and at different angles.

The bailiffs here in Tippecanoe County showed me how to walk though in your duty gear. I always chuckle at the thought that it is possible to walk through in your gun belt with magazines, handcuffs and keys and not set it off.

No, ZIGs. You just move as if you are in slow motion.

My jaw hit the floor when Denny showed me how to do it. He had his Sam Brown on with all the accountrement. I'll see if I can find a photo of their uniforms.

Here's a photo of Chuck Molter (used to be head bailiff and Battle Ground Marshal) escorting someone, but you can see on the gear on his waist.

 

[actaeon277]

Interesting. Do they have an "upper limit" on the calibration? Assuming if you come in with too much, you've got to be LEO/bailiff/etc?

It's been a while. But, they have a piece of metal specific for the job. A person walks through. Adjust. Repeat.

 

[radar8756]

Last time I went through one in the UK my steel toe shoes set it off (empty pockets, no belt, no keys).

I had this happen at Lake County Courthouse (paying speeding ticket) ... emptied pockets into plastic tray ... Ran the Hand Wand over and just beeped at my Shoes

 

[JetGirl]

Sure it was a metal detector and not a security tag detector?

Not sure.... In appearance, what's different?

 

[KittySlayer]

Maybe you set it off but they didn't notice or care. If you were going into "P's" you probably needed to be carrying.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Why would they have security tag detectors at a bar/restaurant? (I'm assuming that's where you went, JG).

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

At work we use a handheld Garrett Metal Detector wand when searching claimants before their hearing. Rebar in the floor sets it off when it gets closer than 12". Sometimes keys set it off and sometimes they don't. Finnicky little doohickey and I have no faith in it.