Just got this email from the Port of Seattle:

"Clear Cups Don't Clear Security
Got a yearning for a Frappuccino® or an iced chai? If you're planning to go through the security checkpoint, ask your barista to serve it up in a paper or Styrofoam cup or wait to you're in the gate area to purchase your beverage. Clear plastic cups are not allowed through security. Drinks in solid plastic, metal or glass are allowed if they are in spill-proof containers that can be placed on the x-ray conveyer"

Clear plastic cups? Does anyone know what this is about?

I've discovered that it's just better not to ask anymore. It saves lots of headaches, never mind ludicrous explanations. I was chatting with some folks that worked for Continental, and we were discussing how the metal knives that couldn't cut butter are banned, but the forks are fine. They were afraid to bring that up to the TSA, since they thought that, rather than reinstating metal knives, the TSA might ban metal forks, instead.

Mike

Since this is not about mileage per se, I'm going to move it to our "Travel Safety/Security" forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...e=5&LastLogin=

Calling Spiff!

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Craig6z
Buzz & United Moderator

You can't walk through with them. We've never been told why, just told not to let you. I've got a few ideas why you can' but not willing to get myself into possible trouble.

As for going through the xray, million dollar piece of equipment, and we don't exaclty want a drink tipping over and messing up the equipment while its inside.

[This message has been edited by screenerx (edited 10-20-2003).]

Doesn't the TSA realize that this sort of thing undermines public confidence?
Inconsistent, bizarre regulations with secret rationales are NEVER going to go over well.

I remember when plastic cups were specifically permitted, but styrofoam was banned.

It seems like it all changes every day, so the lines are bound to be longer; it's almost impossible to prepare as a passenger if there is a shoe fetish one day, a cup obsession at the next airport, and cell phones at the other terminal.

What a bunch of goons!! Better check all airplanes for clear plastic cups hidden in the lav compartments.....

Huh?

So I'm supposed to put my ISO800 film in a clear-plastic bag to make it easier to screen, but I'm not allowed to bring my tea in a clear plastic cup?

What if I put my film in a clear plastic cup?

Is this a (relatively unknown) new national policy, or is this a Seattle-only inconsistency?

Is this a restriction on drinks carried in the walk-through, or are empty clear-plastic cups in my carry-on now disallowed? What about empty/full plastic bottles?

I never had anything against the policy of x-raying all drinks as long as it was consistent, but if it's disallowed in carry-on, this is a new level of TSA policy stupidity.

(If you take away my water bottle and make be buy the overpriced one in the terminal, I will say screw the flight, complain loudly, exhibit "security rage," call for the LEO myself, and demand to be arrested. The stupidity of doing that is beyond my comphrension and I don't want to live in an American that is that idiotic. That's as stupid as (or stupider than) making the woman drink her own breast milk.)

Whoa big fellah….slow down. Ripped from the TSA website:

Food and Beverage Policy

Spilled food and beverages can damage security equipment and other passengers' belongings. Consequently, there are restrictions on what you can bring with you to the checkpoint.

Food

All food must go through the X-ray machine. Do NOT bring food to the security checkpoint unless it is wrapped or in a container. Unpeeled natural foods like fruit are okay, but half-eaten fruits must be wrapped.

Beverages

You may carry beverages and other liquids in a paper or polystyrene container, (such as Styrofoam), through the metal detector. All other liquid containers, including aluminum, glass, and plastic, must go through the X-ray machine.

Liquid containers sent through the X-ray machine must be in either sealed or seal-able/spill-proof containers. Examples of permitted containers include: screw-top bottles or cups, baby bottles with nipples, and plastic containers with snap-on lids.

Note: You should consume or dispose of any food or beverage that does not meet these requirements before entering the checkpoint.

Linky: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=55

You got all wound up over nothing.

Maybe TSA did a search and saw nitrocellouse can be clear (they did not read further and saw it could be colored too). I quit carrying cups through security months ago. Nowdays coffee, tea, booze etc can easily be bought after the security hassle and with the common 20-40 minute line delays, the liquid becomes room temperature too soon.

MisterNice

....early morning dup....

[This message has been edited by MisterNice (edited 10-21-2003).]

Original post quoted an e-mail from Port of Seattle

that implied clear plastic cups were not allowed either in the walk-through or in carry-on. I can easily see a TSA-type misinterpreting the above words to disallow clear plastic containers in carry-on, even though that's probably not what the text was intended to mean.

The TSA rules quoted from the website are much more clear, and in this case, make decent sense, but we all know how consistent TSA is when it comes to using the excuse of "local policy."

I doubt an x-ray can detect whether a cup is made of plastic or plastique anyway if there's no detonation wires attached, so it's kind of silly. What are they going to do, individually ETD all plastic in carry-ons?

The reason is because flammable liquids will not eat through plastic cups. Flammable liquids will eat through styrofoam and the wax that seals plastic cups, hence the allowance to bring them through the walkthrough. Open containers are NOT allowed through the x-ray due to possible spillage. Unopened cans of soda, beer, or whatever drink you happen to have are allowed as they are unopened. Of course this comes from my official TSA training materials, which like my Flash Gordon decoder ring is chock full of interesting material now that I have gotten around to reading through it.

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Don't take life too seriously, afterall, you won't get out alive.

So, if you want to carry flammable liquids through security, make sure you coat the inside of your paper or styrofoam container with a material that does not react with organic solvents.

Or just remember to carry your flammable liquids in closed containers in your carry-on bag.

Reminder to terrorists: Don't carry your flammable liquids in clear plastic cups thru the WMD.

What clowns.

Even better--just use wine bottles. I've gone through security with 11 (that's right, eleven) bottles of wine in my carry-on. It's perfectly allowed (there's no FAA or TSA restriction on volume of low-alcohol content bottles carried on board, like wine and beer), and nobody batted an eye.

All the bad guy has to do is replace the wine with the flammable liquid of choice, use a cheap corking machine to recork, and carry aboard. For bonus points, bad guy uses flammable liquid in bottles plus cotton clothes in bag to make molotov cocktails. Bad guy gets super bonus points for using broken bottles as bladed weapon which is much more effective than any puny box cutter , pocket knife, or knitting-needle-of-death.

Such examples are exactly why security screening should be restricted to eliminating obvious threats and weapons, like guns, large knives/swords, actual explosives, explosive detonators, obvious caustic/hazardous chemicals, etc. It will always be possible to construct extremely effective improvised weapons unless the pax, flight crew, aircraft interior, and gate areas are stripped completely naked.

Mankind has been constructing improvised weapons from his environment for hundreds of thousands of years; it's an innate skill that will not go away.