Originally Posted by studentff
I think/hope Bart is right about some cases, but it probably also sometimes results from screeners not seeing the baggie/liquids/containers at all. They are pretty small objects after all. Between 8/11 and 9/25 many of us flew multiple times with small travel-size toiletries that were never detected by TSA. Mine were seen once on x-ray, but then they utterly failed to find them on the bag check (and it's not like they were concealed or sewn into the lining). I have no reason to believe the detection rate would be any better now.
Not that I think that is a source of concern. As long as the x-ray screener is good at finding guns, bombs, and large knives, I'm satisified that they are doing their job with carry-on luggage.
I don't necessarily disagree with your take on this. Depending on the x-ray system, believe it or not, small bottles, tubes and other similar containers do stand out. Sometimes, it's a matter of not seeing the elephant in the jungle because we've been accustomed for so long to see the elephant but not get wrapped up over it. That elephant soon becomes part of the jungle while we look for the lion instead. Between the two, the lion is more dangerous.
I do not discount the possibility that there are some screeners, much to my chagrin, who wouldn't be able to spot the elephant whether in the jungle or in a barren zoo. Hopefully, the same is not true with the lion.