Changes in SOP regarding currency
 

A little birdie whispered in my ear that the SOP has changed for large sums of currency. The new Directive is OD-400-54-6 "Discovery of Currency During the Screening Process" Effective October 29, 2009.

As I understand it the new directive instructs TSOs NOT to question large amounts of cash. I have filed a FOIA request, I suggest each of you do the same.

Are there any TSOs willing to confirm the new directive?

Interesting -- even before the Bierfelt lawsuit settlement. This is an admission of guilt by the TSA, although I'm sure they will spin it otherwise.

Time for a test run?

Switch it up a bit and take 10K RMB or 200K Yen in small bills? :p

If I had $4700 to spare, I would take that in a metal box.

Lets just ask Bob.

Make it really easy ... just get Korean Won. With 1000 and 10000 incremements, it should have a screener licking his chops! :D

I already did, but please feel free to ask again. It seems like the TSA responds better to a flood than a trickle.

Done!

Speaking of changes in the SOP:

Something I meant to say last week or so when it happened. But, as no doubt most of you have read on the TSA Blog already by Bob - liquids that have been frozen into solid ice are no problem through the checkpoint, though it gets a little bit more scientific* than simply saying "ice is a solid, not a liquid."

As he also mentioned, it has to be completely solid ice. Partial mixtures of ice and liquid, or a slush, are still prohibited.

( * - something about the freezing point of liquid explosives being prohibitively low, on the grade of requiring liquid nitrogen. I didn't pay too much attention to the science part of it; just sucked up the meat and potatoes and went on my way. )

As for this particular topic, sorry: I can neither confirm nor deny it at the time.

I didn't even want to read the responses about that. How exactly will ice running through X-ray at "room" temperature be completely dry unless it got yanked from a freezer in the last 60 seconds or so?

Back on topic - I'm very curious about this. I've had just shy of $6K in foreign currency on me once (and only once, and no I won't explain why). TSO didn't realize it was of such a high value in foreign bills (or did and knew it was less than $10K), so no trouble at all.

Dean, why does TSA bother to pretend there's any scientific basis to its nonsensical liquids policies? Wouldn't it be easier for you all to come out and admit you're making it all up as you go along?

emphasis mine: i dunno, and maybe it's me with 30+ years of regulatory banking, compliance and bank secrecy act experience but could it be that the tsa was in violation of the law to begin with? ;)

I'd guess it is a sure bet most TSA folks have never seen much foreign currency or have any idea what it is worth. I generally travel with a packet of currency in about 10 currencies:

GBP, EUR, CHF, CZK, AED, JPY, AUS, plus some oddball ones depending on where I am going. The packet is probably about $5K worth, but they'd have no idea. Most of my trips are multi-month long journeys with several "bases" where I stop for a few weeks... often in places with no ATMs.

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Sorry Dean, but I do pay attention to the Science. I have been informed that the TSA is worried about peroxides. Concentrated H2O2 freezes at about -15 C, which is perfectly attainable in a common freezer (typically goes to -20 C). Sure, the imaginary terrorist would have to carry the bottle in some kind of way not to let it melt partially, but either using dry ice up to the checkpoint (not hard to get) or simply throwing the melted part away would do the trick.

I have a feeling this rule was created as a post-Britney cover-up...

Dean, does "NP" stand for "NOT permitted" or "NOW permitted" or "NON-Prohibited" or something else?

Bob says (direct quote): In other words, according to Bob, it really is just as simple as "ice is a solid, not a liquid."

I think this is pretty amazing considering that, pre-Britney, the consistent story has been "no ice, of course not, it'll melt and then it's a liquid, throw it away." But one celebrity gets photographed with a Big Gulp and Bob lies like crazy.

Note that the website, as of this moment, still says ice or frozen gels are allowed only for chilling medication or baby food. Which leads to the question: was Britney's drink medication? Or baby food?

It's just more evidence of the flimsy "science" behind the rules. And that they apply to regular people, not celebrities or politicians.
Now there's two words you don't often see in the same sentence. :D

Seriously, thanks for the real science contribution to the topic. I agree with your conclusion.