Plastic Bag?

[RachelEllen]

Ok, silly question time.

I know the new regulations about liquids allowed on planes. To quote the TSA website:

"Travelers may now carry through security checkpoints travel-size toiletries (3 ounces or less) that fit comfortably in ONE, QUART-SIZE, clear plastic, zip-top bag."

However, does anyone know if you have to bring the bag? I know it sounds silly, but as I read that, if I just want to bring through one or two 3 ounce bottles, there would be no need for the actual bag. As they would obviously fit. But I'm reading stories about people being forced to throw away their items if they don't have them physicially in said bag.

Anyone have any first hand experience? Is this going to be a case of some agents enforcing a nonexistant rule (ala mandatory shoes off)? Or is it just poorly written on the site? Should I go out and get bags? I'm flying in 2 days, so I'd like to know. (I will have to go the grocery store after work if this is the case.)

 

[Paticake]

Why take the chance. You don't want anything to hold you up at security.

 

[goofy4tink]

I believe they say they want them in the plastic bag.This way anything that was banned and is now approved, can be seen in one spot, rather than rattling around in your carryon. Be on the safe side and just buy some of the quart sized baggies and you won't have to worry about it.

 

[RachelEllen]

Ugh, can I vent and say this is idiotic? If that's the rule, that's what they should say on the official site. If I can't go to the official site for rules, how can I get them? No, it's not the end of the world, but I'll have been at work 36 hours by this evening and I have to get up early to fly tomarrow. An extra hour to go to the grocery store is a true pain in the neck.

(Please, no one tell me it's worth it to be safer. I'm the politest person in the world about actual rules. But if I actualy go to the TSA site, I want to get accurate information.)

 

[goofy4tink]

According to the TSA site, you have to take the plastic bag out of your carryon so the TSA agents can see it clearly. So, yes, your things should be in the baggie.
I can't understand what the big deal is. Does it make us any safer? I don't know, but that's the rule, plain and simple. Up until the rules changed everyone was moaning and groaning about not being able to take toothpaste, or mouthwash , or their makeup on the plane. The TSA has amended their rules, so now most people are happy.

I'm not sure why you are saying you can't get accurate information on the official TSA site. I think they are pretty clear about what they want us to do.

 

[RachelEllen]

According to the TSA site, you have to take the plastic bag out of your carryon so the TSA agents can see it clearly. So, yes, your things should be in the baggie.
I can't understand what the big deal is. Does it make us any safer? I don't know, but that's the rule, plain and simple. Up until the rules changed everyone was moaning and groaning about not being able to take toothpaste, or mouthwash , or their makeup on the plane. The TSA has amended their rules, so now most people are happy.

Honestly, I'm just cranky because I'm tired and now I have to go buy plastic bags.

However, seriously, I'm not one to complain about silly rules (and I do consider this one silly) or hoops to jump through or to go on about my 'right to fly.' In this case, I did read the site differently, and I don't think their rule is well stated. It's annoying to try to do this right, go to the TSA site, read their explanation, and still not have it well explained.

(and reading on flyertalk, it sounds like people are not only having stuff confiscated for not having it in bags, some people are not allowed bags that are too small, zip lock rather than zip top bags, or items poured into travel containers. It doesn't sound like I'm at all along interpreting 'must be able to fit in a quart ziplock' and very different than 'must be presented at checkpoint in quart ziplock')

 

[goofy4tink]

In any case....have a terrific trip!!!

 

[ducklite]

An extra hour to go to the grocery store is a true pain in the neck.

You don't live in the middle of no where. Stop at whatever store is on the way home, grab the bags, pay in the express line and go home. I'd say it's maybe 10 minutes, including a mile or two detour on the way.

I'm not seeing what the big deal is, this was announced several days ago, you knew you were going on the trip, why didn't you just deal with it over the weekend?

Anne

 

[CarolA]

Ok, silly question time.

I know the new regulations about liquids allowed on planes. To quote the TSA website:

"Travelers may now carry through security checkpoints travel-size toiletries (3 ounces or less) that fit comfortably in ONE, QUART-SIZE, clear plastic, zip-top bag."

However, does anyone know if you have to bring the bag? I know it sounds silly, but as I read that, if I just want to bring through one or two 3 ounce bottles, there would be no need for the actual bag. As they would obviously fit. But I'm reading stories about people being forced to throw away their items if they don't have them physicially in said bag.

Anyone have any first hand experience? Is this going to be a case of some agents enforcing a nonexistant rule (ala mandatory shoes off)? Or is it just poorly written on the site? Should I go out and get bags? I'm flying in 2 days, so I'd like to know. (I will have to go the grocery store after work if this is the case.)

Yes you have to bring the bag and it MUST be a quart size. THere have been reports of people with only a travel size tube of toothpaste having to throw the toothpaste out because it's "not in the quart bag" (Apparently the BAG has magical qualities) Figure you will get the TSA agent on a power trip and plan accordingly.

The offical site CLEARLY shows how you have to pack your liquids... Not sure what the OP is seeing there, but for the TSA it is VERY clear. It has videos, pictures etc.....

(And yes this is STUPID, but don't tell the TSA that. As you will see on flyertalk feedom of speech does NOT exist to the TSA.... )

 

[ducklite]

Yes you have to bring the bag and it MUST be a quart size. THere have been reports of people with only a travel size tube of toothpaste having to throw the toothpaste out because it's "not in the quart bag" (Apparently the BAG has magical qualities) Figure you will get the TSA agent on a power trip and plan accordingly.

The offical site CLEARLY shows how you have to pack your liquids... Not sure what the OP is seeing there, but for the TSA it is VERY clear. It has videos, pictures etc.....

(And yes this is STUPID, but don't tell the TSA that. As you will see on flyertalk feedom of speech does NOT exist to the TSA.... )

The TSA is the biggest waste of tax dollars ever. They hired incompetent morons who had to get jobs to get off welfare and now have to add and/or change arbitrary and ineffective rules every few days to make it look like they are doing something to "protect our safety" in order to keep their paychecks. Take the money and spend it on intelligence (an oxymoron in itself when speaking of government beauracracy)--it would be much better spent.

Of course the politicians will now spend millions on a congressional inquiry into the activity of a certain former congressman from Florida--when it's pretty obvious he's a scumbag and some of his cronies covered for him. But they need to do it to get the press during this campaign season. What a racket. That money could better be spent educating kids, feeding the hungry, providing for medical care for poor people, researching a cure for cancer, tracking down terror cells, or any number of other things that really matter to the citizens.

It's positively pathetic.

Anne

 

[RachelEllen]

Yes you have to bring the bag and it MUST be a quart size. THere have been reports of people with only a travel size tube of toothpaste having to throw the toothpaste out because it's "not in the quart bag" (Apparently the BAG has magical qualities) Figure you will get the TSA agent on a power trip and plan accordingly.

The offical site CLEARLY shows how you have to pack your liquids... Not sure what the OP is seeing there, but for the TSA it is VERY clear. It has videos, pictures etc.....

(And yes this is STUPID, but don't tell the TSA that. As you will see on flyertalk feedom of speech does NOT exist to the TSA.... )

Thank you. Yes, it's nice to vent here, because I'm not going to do anything but smile at the security checkpoint. I check most everything, but I like to carry a small toothpaste on to brush my teeth on a long flight. I think I will revert to my strategy last month of just prepasting the travel toothbruth and checking the paste.

ALthough I wonder if there would be any smiles at all from TSA folks at the single travel toothpaste safely contained in its own ziptop.

 

[Lewisc]

You can buy the bag at almost any mini-mart or drug store. You probably pass one on your way home.

It makes the screening process more efficient. None of us like long lines, this is a reasonable rule.

One of the FL airports, Daytona?, is trying to be customer friendly. They have zip lock bags they give out and even pay to ship items home that can't be carried on the plane.

 

[LisaS]

It makes the screening process more efficient. None of us like long lines, this is a reasonable rule.

When the changes were announced, I figured that that was the reason for insisting that the items be in a bag. It's much quicker for the passenger to pull out one bag from their carry-on and hand it to the TSA agent than for the passenger to dig through the bag, pull out every bottle and tube, hand everything to the screener, then hold up the line again while they repack everything back into their carryon.

To the OP: I haven't looked at the TSA website but I can say based on the TSA's news conference the day the changes were announced that it's clear that your items must be packed in one quart-size bag.

 

[CarolA]

You can buy the bag at almost any mini-mart or drug store. You probably pass one on your way home.

It makes the screening process more efficient. None of us like long lines, this is a reasonable rule.

One of the FL airports, Daytona?, is trying to be customer friendly. They have zip lock bags they give out and even pay to ship items home that can't be carried on the plane.

Reasonable???
If you have ONE item it MUST be in the QUART size ziplock, the sandwich or snack sizes are NOT acceptable and your "dangerous" item will be thrown in a trash can.
If you put other items in other ziplock baggies in New Orleans you are VIOLOATING the rules. Ziplocks can ONLY be used for 3 oz liquids.
If you put a NON liquid item like your solid deoderant in the ziplock you will be yelled at by the TSA agent for violating the rules

Reasonable??

(And let's not mention WHY these "Dangerous" items are disposed of by placing them IN a trash can in the security area? Would a terrorist not want to blow up the TSA or is the TSA magically protected by "magic" trash cans.)

 

[CPT Tripss]

The plastic in the bag has properties (magical) that renders any potential explosive harmless, Plus, plastic is made from petroleum hydrocarbons and that's where the money in DC is

 

[Lewisc]

The items are "potentially" dangerous if they aren't what the label says, if multiple passengers are bringing in items and if they're mixed.

Putting even one item in a clear ziplock bag makes it easier to just pull the bag out of carryon to be checked. People complain about security lines, this is a reasonable way to help the line move. The passenger who has toothpaste forgets to also take out the mouthwash bottle. The passenger that's taken the time to go through their bag in advance has already separated the items.

It would be nice if airports could give out plastic bags for those passengers that forgot. A poster, Ducklite?, speculated that luggage companies would soon come up with the appropriate sized clear bags with a zipper.

Reasonable???
If you have ONE item it MUST be in the QUART size ziplock, the sandwich or snack sizes are NOT acceptable and your "dangerous" item will be thrown in a trash can.
If you put other items in other ziplock baggies in New Orleans you are VIOLOATING the rules. Ziplocks can ONLY be used for 3 oz liquids.
If you put a NON liquid item like your solid deoderant in the ziplock you will be yelled at by the TSA agent for violating the rules

Reasonable??

(And let's not mention WHY these "Dangerous" items are disposed of by placing them IN a trash can in the security area? Would a terrorist not want to blow up the TSA or is the TSA magically protected by "magic" trash cans.)

 

[CarolA]

The items are "potentially" dangerous if they aren't what the label says, if multiple passengers are bringing in items and if they're mixed.

Putting even one item in a clear ziplock bag makes it easier to just pull the bag out of carryon to be checked. People complain about security lines, this is a reasonable way to help the line move. The passenger who has toothpaste forgets to also take out the mouthwash bottle. The passenger that's taken the time to go through their bag in advance has already separated the items.

It would be nice if airports could give out plastic bags for those passengers that forgot. A poster, Ducklite?, speculated that luggage companies would soon come up with the appropriate sized clear bags with a zipper.

So why can't my ONE tube of toothpaste go in the snack size bag???
It's in a ziplock, its SMALLER then the maximum allowed by the TSA?

(My assumption is that Harry Potter has placed a "magical" spell on all the quart size bags in the US!)

 

[Lewisc]

So why can't my ONE tube of toothpaste go in the snack size bag???
It's in a ziplock, its SMALLER then the maximum allowed by the TSA?

(My assumption is that Harry Potter has placed a "magical" spell on all the quart size bags in the US!)

Actually the TSA website says quart size or less. I don't think the TSA wants to start debating if 2 or 3 sandwich bags are equivalent to a quart bag. One smaller bag complies. Is it that hard to just use a quart bag? We complain when the security lines get long, we can do our part and seperate items as requested.

http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/bag_poster.pdf

This seems like an efficient way to relax the restrictions in way that accommodates the needs of passengers. The quart bag limits the total quantity and makes it easy to seperately screen the items.

 

[CarolA]

Actually the TSA website says quart size or less. I don't think the TSA wants to start debating if 2 or 3 sandwich bags are equivalent to a quart bag. One smaller bag complies. Is it that hard to just use a quart bag?

http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/bag_poster.pdf

This seems like an efficient way to relax the restrictions in way that accommodates the needs of passengers. The quart bag limits the total quantity and makes it easy to seperately screen the items.

Well the Website might say quart size or less, but the actual agents ONLY accept quart sizes....

It's not that hard, but would it be that hard for the TSA agent to realize that ONE snack size is SMALLER then ONE quart? The TSA has forgotten what thier mission is. It is not harrassment of innocent travelers.... (And if they are NOT smart enough to figure that out....then HOW do you think they can EVER find anything unless the terrorist shows it to them?)

 

[disneyldwjr]

Ugh, can I vent and say this is idiotic? If that's the rule, that's what they should say on the official site. If I can't go to the official site for rules, how can I get them? No, it's not the end of the world, but I'll have been at work 36 hours by this evening and I have to get up early to fly tomarrow. An extra hour to go to the grocery store is a true pain in the neck.

(Please, no one tell me it's worth it to be safer. I'm the politest person in the world about actual rules. But if I actualy go to the TSA site, I want to get accurate information.)

Rachel, it does state that on the site. And, yes, you can vent and say it is idiotic, but, it does save time for everyone if they don't have to paw through your stuff and everything is in one place.

Here is what I found on the TSA site. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm

Travelers Can Bring Three Ounce Containers Of Toiletries
Items Must Be In A One-Quart, Clear, Plastic, Zip-Top Bag
TNo Restrictions For Medicines, But You Must Declare You Have The Items