WillCAD

According to the news story I saw on ABC, the alert didn't just mention toothpaste, it also mentioned face wash and skin lotion.

That's why the TSA ban is on all liquids, gels, and aerosols over 3.4oz. And why it extends to anything "gel-like" which "conforms to the shape of the container". Which explains why a cupcake in a jar is prohibited, while a cupcake in a paper cup is not, since the frosting of the jared pastry conforms to the shape of the container and MIGHT be explosives.

Somewhere in this mess, however, they completely forgot that they also have means at their disposal to determine whether the substance in the jar is plastic explosive dyed pink to look like frosting, or is just frosting - it's called ETD swabs. And while ETD's accuracy is carpy, to say the least (mostly due to inept operators causing rampant cross-contamination), it's still a tool available to them that they don't bother using much except to cause punitive delays.

The idea of any TSO using critical thinking to actually determine whether something IS or IS NOT an explosive, rather than just using their "discretion" to ban anything that MIGHT be an explosive, is completely foreign to the agency.

Let's see how the Russians handle this threat, not just at the airport, but all over the Olympic village and in the city of Sochi.

They won't even try. They'll just force you to voluntarily surrender it.

Exterous

Great - thanks to you we won't be able to take sunscreen either. You know the NSA is monitoring this thread don't you?

spd476

I'm sure the TSA will say that their "research lab" has concluded that the amount of material in a 3.4 oz or less tube of toothpaste is not dangerous. They won't mention that people could carry several tubes in their baggie or several people could combine their tubes later.

Either that or they will limit people to one tube of toothpaste and completely ignore that dangerous materials can be packed in other containers.

Spiff

A TSA "research lab" consists of expensive, exotic monkeys being housed in a very expensive, posh facility throwing their own feces at each other.

FXWizard

You will be asked to rub some on exposed skin, after which you will be subjected to a sniff test...as long as you aren't minty fresh, you'll be good to go*.



*Unless they've come out with coconut or banana-flavoured toothpaste...

FredAnderssen

Thanks for that. I just sprayed my soda all over the screen. ^

N965VJ

Rep. King, you are no longer allowed to wear big boy pants.

Spiff

Peter King is a panty-waisted little coward. Chicken Little shows heroic courage compared to little Peety Peepants.

Xyzzy

From the CNN link above:What about a shampoo bottle that I've written "Toothpaste" on. Is that kay? What idiocy.

Spiff

TSA and other agencies pretending to provide security should be required to demonstrate that a specific object is a credible threat before they can steal, er confiscate, er require a passenger voluntarily surrender that specific object.

txrus

^

The caveat to Rep. King's statement is the fact that no one has provided him w/an all expense paid trip to Sochi. However, should that happen he would, of course, brave this very serious threat in order to support the athletes blah, blah, blah

txrus

You've got it backwards-you need to write shampoo on your toothpaste tube & then it will be ok

Xyzzy

So if I write "Shamp" on my toothpaste and "Toothpaste" on my shamp which can I bring on bard?!

DeafBlonde

Both. But you will be washing your hair with toothpaste and brushing your teeth with shampoo...or is it the other way around??

susiesan

So TSA is going to scan all checked bags for tubes or creme containers, pull the bag, open it, take out all the tubes of toothpaste, cosmetics, sunscreen, etc., close the bag and send it on it's way? They'll be inspecting every single checked bag then as everyone checks toiletries and cosmetics. How long will that take?