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Old Mar 1, 2014, 4:40 pm
  #1  
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TSA employee dumps water in the trash can behind security

Going thru MIA and the TSa screener pulls a half empty bottle of water from a screened bag, dumps the water out in a trash can behind her and puts the bottle back in the bag. The bottle was the re-useable kind.

Does this not defeat the purpose of not allowing liquids thru the checkpoint? What if that "liquid" was an explosive and the trashg can exploded?

Just another example of a half assed attempt in the name of security.
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Old Mar 1, 2014, 4:47 pm
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Don't forget to report this employee for a Hazmat violation, in addition to one of millions of common sense violations.

The liquids restrictions are one of the stupidest knee-jerk reactions to a non-threat in the history of mankind. The scumbags in DfT and TSA responsible for instigating and perpetuating this stupidity should be sent to prison and placed on a liquids-restricted diet. Perhaps 8oz water per day...
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Old Mar 1, 2014, 5:33 pm
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Originally Posted by anaggie
Going thru MIA and the TSa screener pulls a half empty bottle of water from a screened bag, dumps the water out in a trash can behind her and puts the bottle back in the bag. The bottle was the re-useable kind.

Does this not defeat the purpose of not allowing liquids thru the checkpoint? What if that "liquid" was an explosive and the trashg can exploded?

Just another example of a half assed attempt in the name of security.
Sad. The TSO obviously recognizes the silliness and was actually trying to use common sense and do the pax a favor. ^ for trying.
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Old Mar 1, 2014, 5:35 pm
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Originally Posted by chollie
Sad. The TSO obviously recognizes the silliness and was actually trying to use common sense and do the pax a favor. ^ for trying.
Common sense would have been ignoring the water all together. @:-)
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Old Mar 1, 2014, 5:41 pm
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Originally Posted by Spiff
Common sense would have been ignoring the water all together. @:-)
True.
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Old Mar 2, 2014, 2:21 am
  #6  
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If he did not offer the passenger the opportunity to drink the water, put it back in his car, or check in the bag, then it was confiscated rather than surrendered, and he violated policy.
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Old Mar 2, 2014, 3:21 am
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Originally Posted by anaggie
Going thru MIA and the TSa screener pulls a half empty bottle of water from a screened bag, dumps the water out in a trash can behind her and puts the bottle back in the bag. The bottle was the re-useable kind.

Does this not defeat the purpose of not allowing liquids thru the checkpoint? What if that "liquid" was an explosive and the trashg can exploded?

Just another example of a half assed attempt in the name of security.
Did it cross your mind to freak out and ask loudly why the heck they are mixing potential explosives in the trash can? If you see something, say something. At least it should make some other pax think twice about just what a farce the liquids ban is.

There are some relatively harmless chemicals (thiols, for example) that smell extremely bad, even at trace concentrations. Or even fish sauce.
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Old Mar 2, 2014, 5:49 am
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great idea. consider fish sauce left outside in the sun for a few days dumped into a container, WITH THE LID OFF !

I was just following your directions.

LOL
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Old Mar 2, 2014, 9:11 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by janetdoe
Did it cross your mind to freak out and ask loudly why the heck they are mixing potential explosives in the trash can? If you see something, say something. At least it should make some other pax think twice about just what a farce the liquids ban is.

There are some relatively harmless chemicals (thiols, for example) that smell extremely bad, even at trace concentrations. Or even fish sauce.
I thought about saying something but at MIA and the <redacted> that it is -- I just went on my way. If I was at DFW or some other airport where it is not total chaos, then I would have bought it up.

Even the passenger whose water was dumped looked incredulous and we discussed it as we were putting our shoes back on. Sadly, no precheck since I was coming in a SSSS'd intl flight.

Last edited by TWA884; Jul 27, 2018 at 10:01 am Reason: FT Rule 16 - Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
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Old Mar 2, 2014, 9:56 am
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Originally Posted by cbn42
If he did not offer the passenger the opportunity to drink the water, put it back in his car, or check in the bag, then it was confiscated rather than surrendered, and he violated policy.
In Europe, I've always been offered the opportunity to drink the water on the spot (which I often do).
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Old Mar 2, 2014, 10:13 am
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In December in Abu Dhabi, I had a bottle of water with me just before security and drank what I could and then went over to the trash can to throw the half full bottle away because I expecting it to be confiscated anyway. A security person came over to me after I threw the half full bottle away and told me that I could have kept it and gone through security with it. Oh well, it was too late then. But last week, I just took my water through security with me in AUH. No questions or comments, no special screening either.

Of course, this was not the second security screening for the US flights. I was flying to Cyprus.

I also did not have to take off my shoes.

Oh, and before someone comments that my experience was not with TSA, I am just posting my experience to show that security theater is rampant in the USA but not in all parts of the world.

Last edited by STBCypriot; Mar 2, 2014 at 10:20 am
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Old Mar 3, 2014, 8:43 am
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Originally Posted by STBCypriot
In December in Abu Dhabi, I had a bottle of water with me just before security and drank what I could and then went over to the trash can to throw the half full bottle away because I expecting it to be confiscated anyway. A security person came over to me after I threw the half full bottle away and told me that I could have kept it and gone through security with it. Oh well, it was too late then. But last week, I just took my water through security with me in AUH. No questions or comments, no special screening either.

Of course, this was not the second security screening for the US flights. I was flying to Cyprus.

I also did not have to take off my shoes.

Oh, and before someone comments that my experience was not with TSA, I am just posting my experience to show that security theater is rampant in the USA but not in all parts of the world.
Bolding mine...
Thank you for doing that. More international travelers should do that more often. It may not help a great deal, but maybe, just maybe, it will get through to a few of the AFS crowd and maybe, just maybe, things might change for the better. </optimism>
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Old Mar 3, 2014, 12:46 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by Spiff
The scumbags in DfT and TSA responsible for instigating and perpetuating this stupidity should be sent to prison and placed on a liquids-restricted diet. Perhaps 8oz water per day...
I disagree. Unlimited water, but only served in containers <100ml.

Mike
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Old Mar 3, 2014, 5:25 pm
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This behavior baffles me too. Last summer after visiting the Sears (yeah I know) Tower during a long layover at ORD I was a couple people away from the podium the three striper who was training a new TDC politely said something along the lines of "Sir you can't take that through the checkpoint." and motioning to the camelbak bottle I had clipped to my backpack. At this point I mentally face palmed since I had specifically sought out a restroom to dump it out in but forgot to after my belt broke. She then said I could dump it in the big trash can between the WTMD and NoS or just drink it. She also pointed out where I could find one of the water fountains nearby that had second spout for filling bottles which I thanked her for as well as not just taking my bottle. Since there was only a few ounces left I just drank it taking just enough time to let the line for the NoS to get a few people deep before strolling over to the WTMD. Now if all the TSA clerks could be as polite and professional as she was things would be a lot better for everyone.
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Old Mar 4, 2014, 10:14 am
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Originally Posted by Spiff
Common sense would have been ignoring the water all together. @:-)
And get fired for not following Washington's silly rule?
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