Newsstand - BOY BLAMES AIR SECURITY SCREENRES

Reported by AP:
Boy Blames Air Security Orders
Sat Apr 6, 2:43 PM ET
ASPEN, Colo. - A 14-year-old boy believes he got sick because airport security personnel made him take a drink from a bottle of untreated stream water he wanted to carry on an airplane so he could take it to school.
Elliot Gosko told the Aspen Daily News that he suspects he was infected by Giardia, a microorganism sometimes found in untreated water, but that tests aren't complete.
He said he became nauseous and missed two days of school last week after returning home to Pennsylvania from a visit to Aspen. The newspaper didn't give his hometown.
Security measures added since Sept. 11 require that passengers drink from liquids they are taking on an aircraft to prove the liquids are not dangerous, said Mike Fergus, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites).
However, Paul Turk, spokesman for the federal Transportation Security Administration, said airport security screeners can simply inquire about the contents of drink containers. He said there is no requirement that travelers drink from unsealed containers as proof of safety.

This is patently false. Everyone knows you can't catch Giardia from Aspen streams. Mono maybe, the clap definately, but not Giardia.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I believe anything said about some screeners I met.
They like to sniff my light brown Italian shoes more than the USDA beagles likes to sniff kosher salami.
Still, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Is it really an FAA reg that you have to drink from any liquids you're taking on a plane? What about toiletries?

I suspect it's not a real FAA reg (instead, it's an ad-hoc "FAA reg" invented on the spot in order to bully people), and I also suspect that hordes of personal injury attorneys are in touch with the boy's parents -- and that it'll take several big lawsuits of this type to stop "security screeners'" abuses of power.

My experience has been that if you have a beverage that you're carrying on your person (not putting through x-ray) they either tell you that you have to ditch it or they tell you to take a sip. I've never seen anybody have to drink from something in their bags, although it's not clear from the article if that's what happened.

This implies that either the xray is capable of detecting whatever fearsome liquid they're seeking, or that this is another "feel safe" rule.

cnk

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Is it really an FAA reg that you have to drink from any liquids you're taking on a plane?</font>

I've flown 23 segments this year, 4 on UA, the rest on AS & HP (from LAX & LGB). On all segs I've carried a 16oz. bottle of water in my carryon (either sealed or already open).

I've gotten 3 'secondary screenings' at the gate and have never been asked to open, drink or throw away the water. In one case the screener said "smart idea, you take your own water with you."

Under the heading of consistenty/inconsistency, at the C and D gates at LAS, you CANNOT take an opened beverage through with you. Many times I've heard the itinerary checkers advise passengers, with the response "But I need my morning coffee."

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Nevada1K:
Under the heading of consistenty/inconsistency, at the C and D gates at LAS, you CANNOT take an opened beverage through with you.</font>

These are probably the airports that take in significant revenue from concession stands near the gates. Kinda like how you're not supposed to bring your own food into a movie theatre.

<deleted>

As long as we're not PROFILING anyone, because you know that's what's important!!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by artiem:
As long as we're not PROFILING anyone, because you know that's what's important!!</font>

Not racially profiling is very important.



[This message has been edited by Buster CT1K (edited 04-07-2002).]

Even before 9/11 I would somtimes be asked to drink out of a drink I would carry through security, this is nothing new.

Moving this to the "News" board, as it doesn't relate specifically to UA.

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Nevada1K:
Under the heading of consistenty/inconsistency, at the C and D gates at LAS, you CANNOT take an opened beverage through with you. Many times I've heard the itinerary checkers advise passengers, with the response "But I need my morning coffee."</font>

Inconsistent stuff like this (BS "security" procedures hiding behind made up FAA regulations) which we all know are done for other reasons such as protecting the airport concessionaires only leads to more cynicism and anger towards the security morons.

So I cannot bring an opened beverage container such as bottled water or cola past security, but I can bring an unopened beverage container which I can then open one second after I pass through security? This obviously is not meant to protect the flying public against crazed terrorists, but to protect the overpriced coffee shops.