exbayern

Interesting that you ask that chollie.

I asked the same thing a few years ago on a leisure travel board which said that all US airports should offer free baggies, and was slammed for being anti-American. I just pointed out that someone was paying for the cost.

I have no issue with what they practice at MUC: the screener checks to see if they have a spare baggie lying around, suggest the passenger ask around if anyone else has a spare, and failing that the passenger is sent to the baggie vending machine.

Of course, sending a passenger 'to the end of the line' is a different thing there than in the US because wait times are rarely more than 5 minutes even on a bad day, and usually the screener just lets the passenger come back after they have found a baggie. And the baggie use is really only enforced if the passenger has multiple items scattered around, which is rare these days unless they are an infrequent traveller.

And then of course the most significant difference: there is no screaming, no shouting, no berating of passengers, and no punishment.

jco613

3-1-1 is so stupid. That's why I opt out of it. Put your liquids in your checked bag. So much easier!

TheRoadie

Checking bags is so stupid. That's why I opt out of it.

My time is worth something, and waiting for checked bags is not a good return on the investment.

Just in case you didn't think of that reason folks might want to insist TSA follow its own rules and not make stuff up.

chollie

I have seen a screener threaten a pax who offered a spare baggie to someone who didn't have a 'resealable' baggie (and got all her stuff confiscated because of it).

In MUC, I completely forgot a water bottle in the outside (clearly visible) pocket of my rucksack. This has, I'm embarrassed to admit, happened before. As usual, the screener held it up and asked me if I'd like to drink it right there. ^

Yes, I've posted here before. I know our TSA folks go on junkets to Europe and the UK from time-to-time to 'advise' those poor, clueless folk on security matters. I wonder why they never notice short lines (less of a terrorist target), fewer security people and no one standing around doing nothing.

No shouting, no BLASTING giant TV screens, no BLARING taped loops (even past security) reminding already-screened pax about 3-1-1 - all purchased at special bloated taxpayer rates, I'm sure.

Once upon a time, PHX bought baggies for pax. They were drawstring baggies clearly labelled something like 'Courtesy of PHX TSA'. Those same baggies provided by PHX were denied at ORD. They were drawstring, not ziploc. I wonder what TSA honcho had a buddy with a warehouse full of little drawstring baggies worth a few pennies apiece? Baggies that could be stamped with the TSA logo and probably sold to PHX for $$ each. Who at TSA signed off on the purchase of baggies that did not fit TSA's own criteria?

InkUnderNails

Just yesterday, a twenty something woman was stopped at the entrance to the xray tunnel in my line (of course). They had obviously asked her if she had any liquids. Boy, did she. They started pulling out lotions, shampoo, sunblock, conditioner, you name it, all in huge containers. They told her she could either go back and check the bag, or surrender the stuff. I could not actually hear this, but the hand gestures and the look on her face told the whole story. They were looking at watches like there was not enough time and the whole while, there are 8-10 of us waiting for this drama to play out.

So she decides to try and check and grabs her bag and stuff and move away from the xray entrance.

It gets better.

About three people ahead of me in line is her companion. She tells her what is happening and the companion then opens her bag and begins to transfer all of her liquids and lotions and bottles of stuff to the first bag so they will just have to check one. Well everything does not fit so they have to transfer clothes and shoes and stuff to make room for all of the liquids. All of this in line with people waiting.

To their credit, they apologized to those in line and seemed genuinely embarrassed. It's better than the obliviousness I usually see at the AP.

Yes, some people still do not know.

goalie

Bolding mine: and a major to the TSO on this one but I can report that there are also good ones out there-or at least one at PBI where a pax who spoke French and very little English was about to have her goodies taken because she had no freedom baggie and the TSO (who didn't speak French) was unable to explain the process to the pax. Where I always carry two spare freedom baggies with me, I asked the TSO if I could explain the "situation" to the pax in French and offer her one of my extra baggies. The TSO said yes and was extremely grateful and the pax was very happy

exbayern

I suspect that the TSO in chollie's story felt that she was 'interfering with the screening process'. I've noticed that when passengers try and interact with non-related passengers. (Of course, I also relish the times when I can have a lively discussion at the checkpoint in French or in German with unrelated fellow furriners about the idiocy of travel in America and how superior the experience is in 'rest of world' compared to the TSA experience, and nobody stops us from interacting)

chollie

I'm sure this scenario (perhaps not quite as extreme) gets played out around the country every day.

Paying vendors bloated prices for big-screen TV messages, signs and BLARING taped loops, all overlaid with multiple TSOs barking all the time - it isn't working, is it?

After over a decade, you'd think TSA might get a clue and try a different, possibly more effective approach.

No, instead TSA just keeps doing more of the same, even though it isn't working. Like talking louder to a deaf person - yeah, that really works.

chollie

Yes, that is what happened. Classic DY...T and accusations of 'interfering with the screening process'.

I remember it so distinctly, because a few days later I was flying out of ITO. The lady in front of me had a single small bottle of lotion. That's it. But no baggie. I had spare baggies, but I wanted to make my flight, so I watched her 'surrender' her lotion and did nothing.

exbayern

If they weren't so arrogant, perhaps they could travel to furrin lands and observe how it is done there.

I'm not surprised that people are clueless about the liquid rules in the US. I read almost every week posts here and elsewhere which begin with 'I know that I can't bring any food through the checkpoint....' People think that for a domestic US flight they cannot bring anything; no granola bars, no bagel, no whole apple, etc.

Part of it is ignorance, but a large part is the conflicting messages given by TSA on their website, in airports, from screeners, etc as well as the lack of a clear, concise message. Again, in furrin lands where there are a variety of languages spoken, things seem to work quite well.

chollie

Except...TSA routinely sends its employees on over-priced, taxpayer-funded junkets to other countries to 'advise' them on how to do security the 'right' (American) way. Perhaps because they're travelling on official business, they get escorted past security completely. It's clear they have no interest in how you 'furrin' folks do things; they are only there to party on the taxpayer's dollar and to sell other countries security equipment that benefits the bank accounts of TSA folks.

The approach to food was really ridiculous for quite a while after the LGA ban was instituted. Some TSOs were also much more blatant at the time about setting aside confiscated items (food) for personal use. Pies, cream cheese bagels, tiny containers of salad dressing, pizza (the tomato sauce) - just a few of the things that were routinely confiscated. Pies are still risky; cakes too, because of the frosting (most notably, the gourmet cupcakes that were confiscated last year because they had too much frosting). Baby food and milk (allowable) have been challenged because a TSO decides the parents are carrying too much for the length of the flight. Early days, even things like tomatoes, grapes and oranges could get confiscated.

Small wonder that folks err on the side of caution. I do too.

(And I wonder what our non-US friends think of TSOs wandering around testing beverages clearly purchased after the checkpoint?)

I take sandwiches from a fantastic local barbecue place to give to friend I visit. I always ask for the barbecue sauce on the side so the sandwiches don't get soggy while I'm travelling. Now I have to check a bag with the sauce (not the sandwiches - don't want to 'tempt' a baggage examiner).

MikeFly

Passed through BOS an hour ago, AA gates and the barking was in full force about everything needed to be in a Freedom baggie and out by itself. The barker also had a handful to distribute. He also barked that it was our fault the line was moving so slowly!

Someone gave us a gift of maple syrup which I dutifully put in a bag in order to offer something up. Items in roll aboard and brief case (LGA's) never noticed!

As a side note the TDC asked two clearly under 12 year olds ahead of me in line for their age and names.

mikeef

Probably trying to get a date.

Seriously, the TDC should not have been addressing the kids.

Mike

jco613

what did the barker say to those that did not take out a baggie because they did not have liquids in their bag.

Caradoc

Perhaps the "T"DC's interests were other than "professional."