Is TSA getting lax on the baggie thing?
 

Yesterday at the hotel I buried my baggie at the bottom of my carry-on and forgot about it. I didn't think of it till I was in the middle of the security line. I did a brief search of the top of my bag to try and find it, couldn't, and decided to deal with it after it went through the x-ray. The x-ray screener did not call for a bag check. I thought, "maybe a lucky random occurance".

Flash forward: my plane is delayed for two hours and I decide to go out of airside and have a real meal (this is at DCA). On going through security the same thing happens with a different screener. I don't take the baggie out and they don't say anything.

Is this a trend, I know they can see my baggie items in the x-ray, can they see the baggie? Do they know now it's not worth the time to check if all they will see are the items in a baggie? Is this just a DCA thing?

Doesn't surprise me at all, and as a Lead TSO, doesn't concern me at all. During the first week of the new baggie policy, lots of screeners got a good "look" at what a bag full of 3 oz containers look like. What the paper-pushing weenies at TSA headquarters don't know (because they've never stood in front of an x-ray machine screen) is that it doesn't take long before a screener is able to identify these same baggies in or out of a carry on bag. The official policy remains unchanged, but I am not surprised that there are TSOs who are exercising judgment by reserving bag checks for truly dangerous or actual prohibited items. And I know that some of these same screeners will call an occasional bag check just to keep up the appearances of enforcing the baggie policy.

This is much like the shoe screening policy. By the strict letter of the law, shoes have to be placed inside the x-ray by themselves flat with soles down and with nothing inside the shoes or above/below the shoes. However, many screeners can clear a pair of shoes even with cell phones or jewelry stuffed inside of them or if the shoes are on their sides. (I've had a couple of anal-retentive supervisors who complained about this practice; I promptly put the supervisor on x-ray for a couple sessions; end of complaints.)

I know some in here are going to whine that this is just another inconsistency in TSA procedure. I applaud it as some TSOs having the courage to exercise judgment and discretion.

My prediction is that TSA will unofficially back off strict adherance to the procedure, but without doing it in writing. This will become one of those don't-ask-don't-tell issues (still cracks me up that some passengers who turn in their checked luggage for screening voluntarily tell us that they have a lighter inside <stomping foot twice>).

That's funny because last week I forgot to take my baggie out of my carryon since all it had in it was eyedrops and a lipstick. I was pulled aside and bagged checked and then told NEVER to do that again. Dumb me rolled my eyes at the lady screener and then I got in trouble with her boss for giving her "attitude". Hell, do your job and not waste mine and I think there would be a lot less "attitude" going around.

I think/hope Bart is right about some cases, but it probably also sometimes results from screeners not seeing the baggie/liquids/containers at all. They are pretty small objects after all. Between 8/11 and 9/25 many of us flew multiple times with small travel-size toiletries that were never detected by TSA. Mine were seen once on x-ray, but then they utterly failed to find them on the bag check (and it's not like they were concealed or sewn into the lining). I have no reason to believe the detection rate would be any better now.

Not that I think that is a source of concern. As long as the x-ray screener is good at finding guns, bombs, and large knives, I'm satisified that they are doing their job with carry-on luggage.

I had to travel last weekend (bought the ticket before the new restrictions went into effect). I had one minor hold-up (story below).


My take on it is that it's become so tedious to travel (by airplane, that is) that I'll be avoiding it as much as possible. Remove shoes, remove jacket, pack differently, pull baggie out, hold boarding pass, pick up baggie, repack stuff.....I'm exhausted before I even get on the flight.

Anyway, when I was flying out (TPA), I got to security and was "randomly" selected to go through the air puffing machine. I believe the dude was bored and I happened to make eye contact with him. From now on, I'm keeping my eyes to the ground.

Went through that without a problem. Then I unpacked my baggie and put it in a bin. Because there weren't many bins (this seems to be a problem at every airport), I put the baggie, my shoes, jacket and purse in one bin. When it came out of xray process, the guy on the other end asked if it was mine. He took the stuff and asked me to follow him.

Mind you, I'm holding my boarding pass, backpack and shoes. I asked him if I could put my shoes back on and, in a very annoyed tone, said "Make it quick." I decided I could put the shoes on later. I followed him to a table where he took my jacket off of the baggie (must've slipped onto it when it went through the xray machine) and said, "Oh he must've seen this [points to the baggie]." He handed me my stuff and I was on my way.

I felt like telling him, "Didn't you WANT it out of the backpack?" Duh! It just didn't make sense (but that's the TSA after all) -- you've gotta pull it out of your carry-on and that still prompts them to pull you aside?

On a related note, I decided I wasn't willing to pay $3 or whatever it is for water at the airport. I have an 8 oz. Dasani bottle that I got on a Delta flight once and I usually fill it with water at home when I fly. I need water to take Dramamine prior to any flight. I put the empty bottle in my backpack and it made it through without any problems. I stopped at a water fountain once I'd cleared security and filled it up.

I have taken "contraband" on every flight (probably a dozen) since 8/10 with 100% success, including Europe. I started putting it in ziplock since the new rule but never bothered to take it out.

I don't necessarily disagree with your take on this. Depending on the x-ray system, believe it or not, small bottles, tubes and other similar containers do stand out. Sometimes, it's a matter of not seeing the elephant in the jungle because we've been accustomed for so long to see the elephant but not get wrapped up over it. That elephant soon becomes part of the jungle while we look for the lion instead. Between the two, the lion is more dangerous.

I do not discount the possibility that there are some screeners, much to my chagrin, who wouldn't be able to spot the elephant whether in the jungle or in a barren zoo. Hopefully, the same is not true with the lion.

Bart,

In addition to your animal references in this thread, you made a "giraffe in the fridge" comment in a different thread. When's the safari? ;)

Seriously, though, has anyone in the TSA brass stood at a metal detector/X-Ray machine and watch what the screeners actually do, day-in and day-out? Methinks that a couple of hours at the front line would be a good idea for Uncle Kip and Co. to actually see how nuts their policies can be. Okay, wishful thinking, but it sounds like a good idea...

Mike

How I wish anyone from that Puzzle Palace would spend a day on the floor anonymously and watch what goes on.

I have too. I refuse to comply until the TSA disappears me or I get fined. Its not like I am going to miss my flight after arriving at the airport three hours early.

A question...
 

When I was at MLI, the prissy-prissy lady in front of me apparently had her head in the sand since August and had no idea about the Freedom Bags. She had some unbagged expensive perfume with her. When the TSA told her it needed to be in either a bag or she would have to throw it away. She said "I am not throwing this away!". This went on and on for a couple minutes with the TSA telling her the nearby gift shop had baggies and they would be opening shortly (well before the flight). I finally butted in (to speed things up) and asked the same TSA "Can I put it in my bag, have it screened, then return it to her?". She said that was not acceptable. She finally got car keys from hubby on the other side and took it back to her car.

My reward for trying to be nice? A secondary inspection.

BTW...is it SOP during a secondary to take my wallet to be rescreened (and also out of view)? Good thing I don't carry cash in my wallet and my wife watched my wallet the whole time.

Flying sucks sometimes.

In my experience it does seem to be SOP during retaliatory secondaries, of which you seem to have just had one. Last time a screener did that to me, I complained loudly and bitterly, and he basically had to hold the wallet high in the air (in my line of sight) as he walked it back around to the x-ray.

Was it TSA or the woman passenger who refused to let you put the perfume in your baggie? If TSA, :td: and a complaint is/was warranted. If the woman, well then she really was a pill.

I'm carrying several extra baggies in case someone needs one (actually I've always carried some extra ziplocs as they are useful, but now there are a few more and they're quart instead of sandwich). Wonder if that offer would be refused too.

This is one of the more contentious issues between my supervisors and me. The SOP clearly states that wallets have to be screened by x-ray if they alarm during the HHMD inspection and the passenger had it in a pocket while passing throught the WTMD. I have my screeners physically inspect wallets in full view of the passenger and x-ray only when they are unable to locate the cause of the alarm. Then I have them take it to the x-ray only when the rest of the screening is completed so that the passenger can observe my screener place it in x-ray. This is more for my screener's protection than anything else, but it seems to satisfy most passengers.

Some supervisors insist that we follow the written guidelines to the letter, but so far I haven't been written up for deviating from this specific procedure.

Doesn't the SOP also right now say that a passenger in secondary who did not alarm the WTMD (even an SSSS passenger) does not need to be hand-wanded with the HHMD but just patted down? If so, there's no reason for a passenger who doesn't alarm the WTMD to lose contact with his wallet. (IMO passengers who know they will alarm the WTMD should bury their wallet in a carry-on to avoid the whole situation.)

In my case the screener took the wallet for x-ray even though it had not caused any sort of alarm, WTMD or HHMD. I think, but do not remember for sure, that my wallet will alarm a HHMD if the wand is held extremely close, but that was not an issue here.

This wallet issue is a real bone of contention with me. But the policy you describe sounds totally satisfactory (and also protects the screener against malicious passengers, which almost certainly exist too).

Seems as though what's allowed changes depending on what airport you are inspected in. A surprise??? A week ago I flew COS-MCI, and had one baggie holding small toiletries, and another with three mini-bottles of rum. TSA at COS said both baggies had to be taken out of the carry-on, but did not challenge my having two quart baggies.

Returning from MCI was told in no uncertain terms that only one baggie was allowed, and thus rum and toiletries would have to go in together. That made for a pretty full baggie.

Was also told at COS that "up to 4 oz" containers were allowed, but at MCI was told, no, only "3 oz".