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I Don't Feel Secure Traveling - Part 2

Last September the TSA "adjusted" the ban on traveling with liquids, gels, and aerosols as stated on their web site...

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

Specifically they said...

1. Air travelers may now carry liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on bag when going through security checkpoints.

With certain exceptions for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, baby formula and breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, the following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols you want to carry through a security checkpoint.

All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.

I get the needing to limit amounts of liquids, gels etc. because someone might mix up explosive chemicals but the size of the container regardless of the amount included makes no sense at all. I could bring ten three ounce containers for a total of 30 ounces but I can't bring one ounce in it's all that's left of a four ounce container.

Let me tell you how strictly they enforce this - I had a hair gel container that had enough gel for two or three days but the original amount contained was four ounces so TSA in Austin confiscated the deadly and highly dangerous hair gel!! I did not feel safer just more unkempt for the rest of the trip! :-)

2. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.

Okay sometimes I can be oppositional and defiant so I tested this one. I bought a clear ziplock travel container from the Container Store http://www.containerstore.com/ that measured eight and a half inches by eleven inches for my traveling gels etc. In Austin, they accepted it and in Frankfurt, Germany they accepted it. Dresden Germany accepted it. In San Jose the TSA guy said that it was not an appropriate container so he got a quart sized zip lock and moved all my stuff to it and then handed it to me! Were the gels etc. dangerous in the clear plastic bag but not in the quart sized bag??

I tried again in Austin and get this - the TSA agent put the clear container down and showed me how big a quart sized bag would be - when he placed his hands he said, "see this wouldn't all fit in a quart bag so you'll need to throw something away." I took a small travel sized toothpaste tube out and was allowed to continue through the line!! This time the bag was okay but the toothpaste being in there made the whole lot dangerous??

Finally...

3. Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.

In Toronto, I forgot and left my Flonase allergy spray in my suitcase in the Dopp kit. The agent examined my plastic bag and said it was all okay but the X-Ray agent said, "looks like Flonase in the suitcase." I confirmed that it was indeed Flonase so an agent in rubber gloves opened my suitcase, dug out the offending nasel spray and put it in my zip lock bag which I then put back into the suitcase and zipped it all up. I felt so much more secure knowing that the Flonase was now in the ziplock and not allowed to stir up the razor, q-tips, and other stuff in the dopp kit!!
Again - lots of cargo comes in without so much as a look and is boarded in the bay of the plane but I am more secure HOW???
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