TSA ? - 3 oz of product in a 4 oz container?

[CPT Tripss]

The baggie must come out of the carry on. Some TSA stations require it to be in one of the small round bins, others just that it be the only thing in a bin and others just want it in a bin. Remind him to look at what others are doing.

 

[salmoneous]

To answer your question limiting quantities to a 3 oz container and further limiting the number of bottle to what will comfortably fit in a quart bag helps security by speeding the screening process.

If you've watched screening process in practice, you'll see this is exactly the opposite of what is going on.

TSA agents trying to verify whether that small container that easily fits in a quart ziplock bag is 3oz, or 3.5 oz, or - gasp - 4oz - is the single biggest thing slowing down the screening process. No only is it slowing down the process, the big problem is that TSA agents checking the exact size of that tube of toothpaste *aren't* searching for real threats.

 

[bicker]

I believe Lewis was comparing the current screening process to the alternative process that would be necessary to individually validate the contents of every container.

As I said earlier, folks are upset because they want to be trusted instead of screened. Sorry, that's not going to happen.

 

[salmoneous]

As I said earlier, folks are upset because they want to be trusted instead of screened.

You may have said it earlier, but that doesn't make it true. In general, I find it much better if people stick to saying what they believe, and let other people state for themselves what they believe.

We do want to be screened for things that are dangerous. We don't want to waste time with things that aren't. We want the TSA agents to focus on things that are a threat. When they spend time on things that aren't a threat, they aren't spending time on thing that are. Is that so hard to understand?

 

[NotUrsula]

(clap) (clap) (clap)

Egg-sactly.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Well I spoke too soon when I posted last week about my TSA experiences. I flew out on Monday from CHS (Charleston, SC) and had 2 hair care items in 3.4 ounce containers. I had flown with these items last week with no problems. These items were confiscated and my bag was then taken for additional screening. I was more than a little ticked.

The TSA agent asked if I wanted to check my bag for these 2 items and I said no way because I was flying to an awards show and couldnt risk the airline losing my bag.

On the return home yesterday out of BNA (Nashville) the TSA lines were amazingly short and I didnt see anyone being questioned about the contents of their quart sized baggies. The TSA agent did say that they wanted the baggie in its own bin though - first time I have been asked to do that.

 

[Lucy2005]

I have to look at the TSA info more closely but what do I do with an asthma inhaler and a labeled vial with a homeopathic remedy inside (both for asthma)?
Do I put them in a separate bag from my 3 oz. bottle of saline and show it to the people there or do I just leave them in my carry on? Also, can I have a non labeled mixed bottle of advil/tylenol or do I need to buy small individual bottles with labels on them?
Lucy

 

[bicker]

We do want to be screened for things that are dangerous.

What travelers get screened for is up to them, not you.

We don't want to waste time with things that aren't. We want the TSA agents to focus on things that are a threat. When they spend time on things that aren't a threat, they aren't spending time on thing that are.

I find it much better if people stick to saying what they believe, and let the TSA determine what is and isn't a threat.

Is that so hard to understand?

As I indicated earlier, I understand exactly why many travelers don't like their screening.

 

[salmoneous]

As I indicated earlier, I understand exactly why many travelers don't like their screening.

I'm off to lunch in a few minutes - could you put those magic mind-reading skills to work and help me figure out what I want to eat?

Thanks,
Sal

 

[CarolA]

As I indicated earlier, I understand exactly why many travelers don't like their screening.

Could that be because we don't like be treated like criminals?

Could that be because the screeners are consistently INCONSISTENT?

Could that be because at least SOME of the TSA screeners are rude and abusive?

 

[CPT Tripss]

As I indicated earlier, I understand exactly why many travelers don't like their screening.

Or maybe it could be because it's pretty sick to have the onus on citizen's to avoid annoying our governemnt when it's a right to not be unduly harassed by government ?

 

[Michael623]

I have an idea, just stay home.

 

[CarolA]

I have an idea, just stay home.

Unfortunately for the airline industry a lot of business travelers are! In my case, I have chosen to drive much more often then I used to. Dealing with the hassle I get at the ATL airport is just not worth the effort.

 

[agnes!]

Well I spoke too soon when I posted last week about my TSA experiences. I flew out on Monday from CHS (Charleston, SC) and had 2 hair care items in 3.4 ounce containers. I had flown with these items last week with no problems. These items were confiscated and my bag was then taken for additional screening. I was more than a little ticked.

The TSA agent asked if I wanted to check my bag for these 2 items and I said no way because I was flying to an awards show and couldnt risk the airline losing my bag.

On the return home yesterday out of BNA (Nashville) the TSA lines were amazingly short and I didnt see anyone being questioned about the contents of their quart sized baggies. The TSA agent did say that they wanted the baggie in its own bin though - first time I have been asked to do that.

I have a favorite bottle for my hairspray - I refill the small bottle from a large/cheaper size. I've had this spray-pump for *years* - it's aluminum and travels well. I didn't bring it in my carry-on this past weekend when I was travelling for a wedding because I realized it didn't have an "ounces"/size labeling. Luckily my mom had her small bottle of labeled hair spray.
(Hmmmm, off to do some Disney-shopping...ahhh that'll be a pick-me-up!)

Also, since the latest TSA rules-change, every time I have flown out of Reagan National or Washington/Dulles and on the return trip I have...
*placed the Quart ziplocs (with 3 oz. liquids inside) in a bin for the X-Ray machine
*taken off my shoes(both in DC and in MCO for the return), placed in X-Ray bins
*seen TSA agents visually check the sizes of the bottles in the baggie (I especially remember this at Dulles.)

I was also air-screened
*in the "puffer" machines(Dulles). EVERY passenger was air-sampled.
*my Ziploc/baggie "sampled"(at MCO!) - EVERY passenger had that done this past weekend
*Reagan National did NOT have *every* passenger air-sampled, they only had one air-puffer machine in place this past Friday, they also did not seem to air-sample all Ziploc baggies

By the way, my 85 year old mother had her entire carry-on extensively searched. This basically happens every time she flies, she thinks it actually has something to do with how her carry-on looks in the X-Ray machine.

agnes!

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm thinking I know of a good gift for your 85-yo mother -- a new carryon bag!

 

[bicker]

Could that be because we don't like be treated like criminals?

Precisely my point. People want to be trusted. That's just not going to happen.

 

[bicker]

Or maybe it could be because it's pretty sick to have the onus on citizen's to avoid annoying our governemnt when it's a right to not be unduly harassed by government ?

You could hope for that to be it, but the reality is we are the government. We put the people in power who make these decisions. If we really though it was important to change what they were doing, we could make it happen.

 

[bicker]

I have an idea, just stay home.

Absolutely. The whining and gnashing of teeth is pitiful. Live with it, or tell it to your Congressperson. Stop saying nasty things about TSA just because they aren't doing what you want them to do.

 

[safetymom]

I just went through security here at MCO. I can't believe the attitude of the TSA agents in my lane.

The person in front of me had a gallon size bag. He didn't understand it needed to be a quart size bag. Instead of the agents explaining they made fun of him. Then proceeded to talk among themselves that next you will see people trying to bring a large Hefty bag through security.

Then the lady behind me they ridiculed for not having her items in a quart size bag.

I know they must get tired of telling people but a little customer service would be nice.
Yes it is the responsibility of the traveler to know the regulations but no need to be rude.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have heard so many reports of rude and insensitive power-hungry TSA agents that I feel compelled to post my experience. I was going through secruity at MCO on Oct 26, about 11:30ish. I had one very large item in my carryon...none of the quart sized stuff since I was going home. Well, that item was my dd's leftover birthday cake. It was about 10" in diameter and about 8" tall. They had packed it up, all nice and secure in a box at the GF Cafe the day before. That box was about the only thing that fit in my carryon!!! So, I get in the line, remove my shoes, send my shoes/jacket through in one bin. Everyone else in my party has gone before me, since I just know there is going to be a holdup due to my carryon. I figured if they were ahead of me they could grab my purse, shoes etc and get them off the conveyour belt. As I passed through the 'archway' thingie, I see my carryon, going back and forth, on the belt. It would come out, then go back inside the machine. This happened about 5 times. The TSA agent called someone from the next line over to look at it with him. Pretty soon there were three of them, standing there, sending my bag back and forth into and the out of the machine. Finally, one agent asked me if I had a wheel of cheese in my bag!!! You should have seen the faces on those poor people that were behind me in the line!!! I explained that it was my dd's birthday cake and I could open the box if need be. Oh no, that wasn't necessary they told me. They all had great attitudes, thought the whole thing was pretty funny. Never a rude word...even from those behind me. It was almost as if the 'magic' had followed me from WDW.
So, there are some even keeled TSA agents out there. They're not all power crazed tyrants!!!