Weight, volume, and TSA

Old Jan 19, 2009, 2:11 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Quit making me do math!

It makes my hair hurt.

LOL
oneofthosepeopleyouloveto hate is offline  
Old Jan 19, 2009, 6:00 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by IslandBased
the US shares its regard for the metric system with a few of its favorite countries, ie Liberia and Burma
While Liberia may not have officially adopted the metric system, virtually everything there is handled on a metric basis.
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Old Mar 24, 2018, 11:36 am
  #18  
 
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FAA & Toiletry Company Conspiracy on Volume vs Weight?

Consider the example of a bottle of Paul Mitchell Spray Wax (hairspray). This lightweight aerosol has the following volume and weight specifications: 125ml, 89g / net weight 2.8oz.

At 2.8oz, this is clearly under the 3.4oz weight limit and clears TSA screening easily at any U.S. airport, at only 82% of the limit. However, I've had it confiscated at Heathrow and Toronto because they focus on the volume being 125ml, which is 25% over the 100ml limit.

When the liquid is water, there is no problem, because 1ml (volume) = 1g (weight) = 0.0353oz (weight). So 3.4oz of water = 96.4g = 96.4ml and all tests are passed.

But not all liquids have the same density and different volume are required to accommodate the same weight across products, and vice versa.

U.S. manufacturers determine product sizes for toiletries in part based on carry on rules. The F​​AA needs to switch to the volume rule (or get the rest of the world to use the weight rule), so that toiletry manufacturers can make a size that will clear security for both directions on an international trip.

Then again, maybe this is a toiletry industry conspiracy happy to see our $20 hairspray taken so we are forced to buy more prematurely.
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Old Mar 24, 2018, 4:47 pm
  #19  
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Hate to bust your bubble but TSA rules specify volume not weight for LGA's. TSA screeners on the other hand fail to grasp the difference.
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Old Mar 24, 2018, 4:54 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Originally Posted by MisterNice
I would love to hear the TSA definition of a gel.

MisterNice
I believe TSA considers anything "spreadable" to be a gel: peanut butter, jam, preserves, face cream, toothpaste......
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