TSA Adjusting Prohibitions/Designated "Ask Bart" Thread
#166
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Lahaina, Hawai'i
Programs: HA Pua. Platinum WP, PR, QF, UA, AA, DL, NW Prince Preferred
Posts: 4,786
Originally Posted by tokyobanker
I have a 13 hour trip to Tokyo on Monday and normally use non-prescription nasal spray on long flights. My understanding is that nasal spray should now be allowed under the revised rules concerning non-prescription medicine and liquids. Is this revision pretty clear or subject to local variation? 

#167
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Houston
Programs: Too much flying; Lots of hotels
Posts: 555
Originally Posted by Points Scrounger
Someone needs to educate the IAH supervisors. The screeners are in error.
Like that did any good - especially since I was already agitated (not yelling or cursing or anything like that, just noting the inconsistencies in each of their statements; but we all know how people with perceived power like to have that happen). Supervisor made it sound like this was a directive from higher up in TSA, hence my earlier query.
#169


Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Near Chicago and Under the MDW and ORD Flight Paths, IL, USA
Programs: UA recovering Premier
Posts: 948
Originally Posted by Big Mo
An ORD spokesman has indicated that disposable foot covers now are available at ORD and MDW checkpoints.
Sorry no link. It was a radio report.
Sorry no link. It was a radio report.
#170
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Under an ORD approach path
Programs: DL PM, MM. Coffee isn't a drug, it's a vitamin.
Posts: 12,935
Originally Posted by Big Mo
An ORD spokesman has indicated that disposable foot covers now are available at ORD and MDW checkpoints.
Maybe Desenex and Dr. Scholls would pay to sponsor this?
#172




Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,386
Originally Posted by Bart
This is purely speculation, but it appears as if there are going to be very few changes to the prohibited items list even after Condition Stupid, er, I mean, Condition Orange is downgraded.
#173
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: west of DFW airport
Programs: AA LT Gold 1.9 MM flying my way to LT PLAT
Posts: 11,074
very honest!
Originally Posted by Bart
This is purely speculation, but it appears as if there are going to be very few changes to the prohibited items list even after Condition Stupid, er, I mean, Condition Orange is downgraded.
It looks like there will continue to be a ban on liquids and gels; if anything, there may probably be limits placed on quantities.
It looks like footwear removal is here to stay, regardless of the 1" standard.
My bet is that enough protests from the airline industry, businesses that rely on air travel and civil liberties groups will pressure TSA to rethink this policy. My disagreement with the birdbrains at Washington who came up with this is over the relationship between threat conditions and threat countermeasures. If there is an increased threat, you increase the threat condition and increase the threat countermeasures. However, once that threat either goes away or is reduced, then you reduce the threat condition and reduce the threat countermeasures. This is basic stuff.
But folks who are paid a whole hell of a lot more than me and are supposedly a whole hell of a lot smarter than me seem to have forgotten this very basic, very fundamental and very simple security principle.
It looks like there will continue to be a ban on liquids and gels; if anything, there may probably be limits placed on quantities.
It looks like footwear removal is here to stay, regardless of the 1" standard.
My bet is that enough protests from the airline industry, businesses that rely on air travel and civil liberties groups will pressure TSA to rethink this policy. My disagreement with the birdbrains at Washington who came up with this is over the relationship between threat conditions and threat countermeasures. If there is an increased threat, you increase the threat condition and increase the threat countermeasures. However, once that threat either goes away or is reduced, then you reduce the threat condition and reduce the threat countermeasures. This is basic stuff.
But folks who are paid a whole hell of a lot more than me and are supposedly a whole hell of a lot smarter than me seem to have forgotten this very basic, very fundamental and very simple security principle.
Many people are getting clever and devious about carrying on needed items (and some not so necessary). My husband's eye doc suggested putting needed eye drops in a pocket and 'forgetting about them'.
Thus we are forced to be devious.
#174

Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 648
I just noticed the following on the TSA website:
This is not a guideline. This is a means to lead to chaos and a total lack of planning. On a recent flight, a security agent dumped $100 worth of my friend's makeup -- wouldn't let her put it in the bag that they made her check (with no option not to check it, even though there was nothing in it). Meanwhile, the woman on the flight next to her was applying lip gloss (clearly prohibitted) the entire time.
Discretion can be useful in certain situations. But discretion also leads to arbitrariness, and this particular prohibition seems arbitrary. Exactly how does this help me plan? How is this generally being handled and what are screeners being told?
Some solid or powdered cosmetics items are permitted past the checkpoint; however, this is left to the discretion of the Security Officer.
Discretion can be useful in certain situations. But discretion also leads to arbitrariness, and this particular prohibition seems arbitrary. Exactly how does this help me plan? How is this generally being handled and what are screeners being told?
#176




Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: ABE/PHL
Programs: CO Pt Infinite (1k life)/ 1MM - NW/DL Silver life/1 MM
Posts: 1,309
Originally Posted by Bart
...we are also allowing it...
<insert banned item name here> is not allowed, period. Regardless of the degree of silliness of the banning of the item, it is nonetheless banned.
Perhaps 'allow' would apply in the fact that maybe a lack of fastidious searching is being done?
#178
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 2,741
Originally Posted by Bart
...It looks like there will continue to be a ban on liquids and gels; if anything, there may probably be limits placed on quantities...
Thanks for all your posts.
I travel next month internationally, and maybe you saw my little tirade in this thread about not being able to bring any moisturizers for my 19 hour time of travel. I realize that many people will think my concerns are insanely trivial, but to me travelling uncomfortably for a leisure trip that is going to set me back quite a bundle of $$ is a serious concern...
I've been hoping that the prohibited items woulds be lessened as time goes by, but your posts give another impression. I am very hopeful though to see what you wrote above..
So my question to you, in your opinion do you think that eventually I would be permitted to bring on board the tiny sample sizes of moisturizer?
If you don't know what I'm referring to... I'll describe the one I have in front of me now. It's from L'Occitane, it's a sealed 2 inch by 2 inch flat packet containing exactly 0.03 oz (1 ml net wt) of eye cream. One single application of a product in a professionally sealed package.
So do you think that there will come a time that I might be permitted to bring this with me? Can you give me any hope?
#179
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,680
Originally Posted by sk3
Hi Bart,
Thanks for all your posts.
I travel next month internationally, and maybe you saw my little tirade in this thread about not being able to bring any moisturizers for my 19 hour time of travel. I realize that many people will think my concerns are insanely trivial, but to me travelling uncomfortably for a leisure trip that is going to set me back quite a bundle of $$ is a serious concern...
I've been hoping that the prohibited items woulds be lessened as time goes by, but your posts give another impression. I am very hopeful though to see what you wrote above..
So my question to you, in your opinion do you think that eventually I would be permitted to bring on board the tiny sample sizes of moisturizer?
If you don't know what I'm referring to... I'll describe the one I have in front of me now. It's from L'Occitane, it's a sealed 2 inch by 2 inch flat packet containing exactly 0.03 oz (1 ml net wt) of eye cream. One single application of a product in a professionally sealed package.
So do you think that there will come a time that I might be permitted to bring this with me? Can you give me any hope?
Thanks for all your posts.
I travel next month internationally, and maybe you saw my little tirade in this thread about not being able to bring any moisturizers for my 19 hour time of travel. I realize that many people will think my concerns are insanely trivial, but to me travelling uncomfortably for a leisure trip that is going to set me back quite a bundle of $$ is a serious concern...
I've been hoping that the prohibited items woulds be lessened as time goes by, but your posts give another impression. I am very hopeful though to see what you wrote above..
So my question to you, in your opinion do you think that eventually I would be permitted to bring on board the tiny sample sizes of moisturizer?
If you don't know what I'm referring to... I'll describe the one I have in front of me now. It's from L'Occitane, it's a sealed 2 inch by 2 inch flat packet containing exactly 0.03 oz (1 ml net wt) of eye cream. One single application of a product in a professionally sealed package.
So do you think that there will come a time that I might be permitted to bring this with me? Can you give me any hope?
#180
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Winter Garden, FL
Programs: Delta DM-3MM United Gold-MM Marriott Lifetime Titanium Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 13,498
Oh, please. Do you really believe that the TSA has any reasonable expectation of finding such a small package of eye cream? Just stick it in your bra or some other place where they don't look. Asking permission to carry something that you know is banned is a fool's errand. Just bring it and don't ask.
Bruce
Bruce

