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I read recently that TSA has apparently "unofficially" relaxed the rules on carry-on liquids. Does anyone have any recent experience one way or the other?
On the same subject, has anyone besides me ever been told that mascara is a liquid and needed to be in the plastic bag with other liquids?
I read recently that TSA has apparently "unofficially" relaxed the rules on carry-on liquids. Does anyone have any recent experience one way or the other?
On the same subject, has anyone besides me ever been told that mascara is a liquid and needed to be in the plastic bag with other liquids?
If there is not an official ruling, it's totally up to the TSA agent. Some are going to go stricltly by the book and others might let something slide. You can never tell which one you're going to get so it pays to just follow the official guidelines. I never know whether any of my cosmetics are going to be under scrutiny, so I just play it safe and either put them in the quart ziplock or pack them in my checked luggage. It's so much easier to play by the rules than try and squeeze something through, plus it's more considerate to your fellow travelers if you're not holding up the security line.
I read recently that TSA has apparently "unofficially" relaxed the rules on carry-on liquids. Does anyone have any recent experience one way or the other?
I flew last Friday and the woman in line in front of me had to remove and toss out her regular sized bottle of shampoo so I don't think they've relazed everything. I wouldn't pack anything you aren't willing to risk getting tossed.
Last time I flew I had put a bunch of stuff in a ziploc bag and then realised after I'd gone thro Security that there were still cosmetic items in my handbag that either they'd missed or hadn't bothered about. I think it's just safer to assume they're enforcing the rules indefinitely and be prepared.
3-1-1 Gains International Acceptance Countries that are currently harmonized with TSA's rules for carrying liquids through the checkpoint include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The last 3 times I've flown, including to France, I obeyed the rule but did not have my little bag taken out of my backpack. I just kept it at the top, ready for inspection should they ask. They never asked.
I have been on over 20 flights this year and many more last year. I have never, not once, removed my plastic bag from the luggage and I have never removed any liquids from my make up bag. I've never been stopped by security. I see them many times looking at the xray machine, then me, then just letting my bag go through. I guess I don't look like I pose a threat. I've been to countless airports in the US and many other countries, and they are even more relaxed in foreign countries. The security is not as strict as they try to make it out to be.
And I see the Czech Republic mentioned above...I was there in January and when I asked if I need to take my shoes off before proceeding through security, the guy laughed and said, "You Americans do these silly things, we don't make you take your shoes off here." Yup, in the dead of winter, people were walking right through with their boots on. Given how much I fly, I have found that those rules are pointless since I have not once had them enforced. I think the most memorable was when I handed the guy my DL with ticket and he didn't even look at my license, just checked the ticket and let me go through. Literally took one second to go past him, in San Diego. Makes you feel safe, no?
I've been through numerous airports including the large hubs of Alanta, Newark, JFK, LaGuardia over the past few months and I didn't see many pull out the quart bags. They (TSA) seem to use the X-Ray monitor more than anything else. The loop hole in the liquid limit is the allowance of Medicinal liquids in carry-on (perscription or OTC). I carry on a 12oz bottle of Mylanta and a 16oz bottle marked Sterile Water. They dont verify what is actually in the bottles.
Outside of the US (not including Canada) there is no baggy rule, shoe rule, coat rule, etc... What makes their lines long (but much less time) are two things. The first is the Q&A each person gets and that all luggage is scanned before you get to the check in counters. But there are no trays do deal with. Whats really nice is that Business class (& up) get their own lines outside of the US.
I also have heard they were going to loose the rules on liquids, but as of a few weeks ago, the last time I flew, there was still a trash can full of things like shampoo and cologne at the beginning of the scan line. I have several times forgotten to take the quart sized bag out of my purse and they have never said a thing about it.
But don't ever wear something that looks like two piece of clothing when its really just one. I flew a few months ago wearing a sweater looks like its two pieces, a shell underneath and a cardigan over it. Really its just one piece of clothing. The screener say to me, "please take off your sweater" I tell him "I can't. Its all one piece". He repeats the order to take off the sweater. I open the cardigan up to let him see that the top underneath is really attached to the cardigan. He says a third time, "Please take it off" I tell him, "if I take off the cardigan, I'll be standing here in my underwear". Finally he tells me to step to the side, I have to be searched. Then I have to go through the same thing again with the female agent they called over to search me. It never even crossed my mind that morning that what I was wearing was going to be a problem.
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