Comments on: “You have no idea what this tube of toothpaste could do to a plane”

By: Denise

Denise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:39:37 +0000

Hey, I didn’t have to get past my freshman year in high school in Los Angeles before learning that you can cut open a soda can and make a simple shiv out of it!

But wait… soda cans aren’t on the prohibited list. Neither are hard plastic or glass bottles! Oh look! You can buy those all in the secured area!

But my favorite quote from a press conference on the TSA.gov site:
QUESTION: Could a whole bunch of people take liquid explosives in three ounces and then mix them together in something larger on the plane?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HAWLEY: We’ve analyzed a lot of scenarios, including that one, and for a variety of technical reasons that we don’t want to go into, that does not particularly trouble us.

Translation: It is very possible but we frankly have no freaking clue how to prevent it (especially if they include baby formula-carrying women wearing liquid-filled bra inserts), so we aren’t even going to try.

Morons.

By: scir

scir — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:19:49 +0000

well said Continuum

By: Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:19:42 +0000

Chris – the rules are the rules. Follow them. Or, instead, contribute to changing them so we get security and not mindless rules to protect against the last threat. The problem is that no Presidential candidate with any chance of winning would do anything different. So, until we get a candidate who believes in your right to carry large toothpaste tubes in your carryon, my advice: Check luggage.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:51:14 +0000

@Miles: I had the great fortune of flying from Boston to Omaha today. The pre-board guy took nearly a minute to look over my license and match it to my boarding pass. When I got to the actual x-ray machine, TSA kept throwing stuff in front of me to be re-scanned, and bags kept being pushed backward out of the conveyor belt and knocking the bins off the belt that were ready to go in. In all the excitement of trying to keep shuffling forward and keeping my stuff from being knocked to the floor, I forgot to pull my 3-1-1 bag out of my carry-on. I went through, reclaimed my shoes and bag, and NO ONE said a word about my little 3-1-1 bag, which was sitting at the very top of my carry-on, ready to be pulled out for TSA. You would think that since Boston screwed up so royally 7 years ago that someone would have reamed me out, but no . . .

By: MC

MC — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:26:43 +0000

Why were you arguing with the TSA agent when you knew the size rules before you went through security? An experienced traveller like you using an excuse of “it’s the smallest size I could find” just doesn’t fly – literally.

By: Jim J

Jim J — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:58:41 +0000

Only five days to the election. I am hopeful that our next president will not govern using fear and our memories of 9/11 as a way of getting what he wants from congress or from the American people. My belief is that rational procedures will be the rule for the airport security process in 2009.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:43:26 +0000

I got into a fight with a TSA agent in Vegas because they wouldn’t accept my Passport Card….but, thats another story for another day…

I’ve gone through a couple times with misc toiletries scattered in my suitcase (mainly because I really didn’t feel like using a baggie) and they never noticed them,, however, on Monday in Denver I forgot to pull my baggie out, and I got pulled aside and told not to forget it again (and then the TSA agent thanked me for giving her job security haha)

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:43:18 +0000

Complaining here does no good. Why not complain to your elected representative? True, members of Congress are reluctant to question any “security” measure no matter how absurd, since in doing so they risk being branded “soft on terrorism.” (That’s how the Patriot Act and warrantess wiretapping got rubberstamped with barely a whimper.) But if enough of us let our elected representatives know we have doubts about the value of the TSA’s security theatre, maybe they’ll do something to make it less ridiculous and/or more effective. It’s a long shot, to be sure, but it’s the only legitimate avenue we have.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:09:36 +0000

Boston made my mother throw away a jar of jam she bought as a souvenir. Apparently, jam is actually a dangerous gel. Ridiculous.

By: Kevin Morgan

Kevin Morgan — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:05:17 +0000

Here’s another thought. Although toothpaste used to be packaged in tubes containing metal, that’s usually not the case any more. Wear loose fitting clothes with big pockets (cargo pants, maybe?) and stick the tube in there. It’s not going to show up on the metal detector, and chances are slim that they’re going to pat you down – just remember to remove all the metal you DO have (coins, keys, etc.).

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:52:29 +0000

I’m not a frequent flyer, but in the few times I’ve flown this year, I’ve noticed inconsistencies at airports:

Denver will actually GIVE you a bag for your toiletries FOR FREE (I still can’t believe they aren’t charging for it)! But you must take the bag out and give it its own tub. But they will let my 5 year old bring a bottle of water, fully filled through without separating it.

San Antonio will not require you to baggie or separate your toiletries. They don’t care about water either. I honestly don’t think they pay attention to the items in the suitcase, they just push it through for good measure.

Las Vegas however, seems to be hardcore! They not only got on me about a mini water bottle (given out at casinos) for being half filled (which would’ve been less than 3 oz), they also stopped me once for lip gloss. Now, I don’t pack a HUGE container of lip gloss, in fact, its rather petite, but yes, I was called to the side to not touch my bag, watch as some guy pilfers through my things, pulling everything out, to find the lip gloss, check with his supervisor to see if it was ok to bring through, and then have me put everything back.

My impression: the smaller the airport, the more careless they are!

By: Miles

Miles — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:45:06 +0000

Here’s something I noticed lately. A few weeks ago I forget to take my ziploc bag of toiletries out of my carry-on when I went through security. It was early, I was tired and I forgot… and then I remembered and was waiting for the TSA agent at the scanner to pull my bag aside and give me a “gentle” talking to while I look like an idiot, frustrating the rest of the passengers behind.

BUT, it didn’t happen. No one said anything, because no one noticed.

A couple of weeks later, same scenario. I forget and they don’t notice.

I could turn this into a game and see how many flights at how many airports will it take before someone actually realizes it, but I haven’t decided yet.

By: Continuum

Continuum — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:40:19 +0000

The TSA is a giant farce on the American flying public. Take off your shoes, remove all toothpaste, and get treated like a criminal to fly on an overcrowded plane with sullen stewardesses.

For most short hauls, it’s more comfortable and convenient to drive.

The TSA is just another nail in the coffin of the airlines.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:15:04 +0000

@ Jasper
Either get better planes or make less dangerous toothpaste….

By: David M

David M — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:01:56 +0000

I’m all for checking my bags. But I’m not going to pay $15+ to do it, so if checking the first bag isn’t free, I’m carrying everything on.