I have been travelling in the US for over a year with a 4.2oz tube of toothpaste (not gel) in my carryon (not in the the 1 quart bag) with no problem. The other morning my bag got pulled off the xray line for toothpaste detected on the machine. The tube clearly state "paste" not "gel" but I was told that it was not allowed. Further more the TSA agent told me that "anything in a squeezeable container greater than 3oz was a no no!"

When did this new rule arrive. The web, the placards in the airport, etc, all prohibit liquids, gels, and aerosols, not pastes! There are some countries that specifically state "No Pastes" right on their signs but I have never seen this in the US.