I hate the TSA policy on liquids and gels! Hate it!
Dec 3, 2006, 7:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 10
I hate the TSA policy on liquids and gels! Hate it!
But not because it's inconvenient. I think it's a symptom of rot in the heart of the TSA and that it's making the whole screening system less effective. So I had an idea. Check this out: http://makeamericasafer.blogspot.com/
I've already had some interesting discussions about it on Screener's Central: http://www.tsa-screeners.com/start/i...&p=10773#10773 and a google group:http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...79ffe254?hl=en
I think there are some people on this forum who would deliver one of these letters. Are there? What do you all think? Is the policy as bad as I think it is? Here, by the way, is the text of the letter I'm going to start handing to screeners (and invite anyone else who wishes to do the same):
[Date]
Dear TSA Screener,
You know as well as I do that the restrictions on liquids and gels and the arbitrary insistence on plastic bags aren't making America any safer. The threat that these restrictions are meant to address was not credible to begin with, and enforcing them is a waste of your time and energy, time and energy that could be better spent on more pressing threats. I know that you are just doing your job, and your job is important. It is important to us that you do it well! Doing your job well should entail telling your bosses when their policies are failing. If you are good at your job and you care about real airport security, please pass this letter on to your supervisor.
Dear TSA Supervisor,
I know that most of these letters will not reach you, but I also know that some of them will, and that of all the people who work under you, the one you can trust the most is the one who delivered it.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
I've already had some interesting discussions about it on Screener's Central: http://www.tsa-screeners.com/start/i...&p=10773#10773 and a google group:http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...79ffe254?hl=en
I think there are some people on this forum who would deliver one of these letters. Are there? What do you all think? Is the policy as bad as I think it is? Here, by the way, is the text of the letter I'm going to start handing to screeners (and invite anyone else who wishes to do the same):
[Date]
Dear TSA Screener,
You know as well as I do that the restrictions on liquids and gels and the arbitrary insistence on plastic bags aren't making America any safer. The threat that these restrictions are meant to address was not credible to begin with, and enforcing them is a waste of your time and energy, time and energy that could be better spent on more pressing threats. I know that you are just doing your job, and your job is important. It is important to us that you do it well! Doing your job well should entail telling your bosses when their policies are failing. If you are good at your job and you care about real airport security, please pass this letter on to your supervisor.
Dear TSA Supervisor,
I know that most of these letters will not reach you, but I also know that some of them will, and that of all the people who work under you, the one you can trust the most is the one who delivered it.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
Last edited by sjforman; Dec 3, 2006 at 10:37 am Reason: Adding the text of the letter and some more description.
Dec 4, 2006, 12:27 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,716
It seems that your gripe is with the plastic bags. Think it through. Without insisting on people putting things in them, what will they do? They will pull out their toiletry kit and send that through seperately. That will require manual screening for each one as the TSA agent won't be able to see inside. Were people then to pull out their toiletries, you'd have people wasting time and slowing things down in the line. You also have many people who will travel with an insane amount of personal grooming products. They would slow things down even more.
Sure what the TSA did was arbitrary, but the rule has to be drawn somewhere if they want to limit what you have on board. When going through customs, you're allowed 200 cigarettes. Why 200? Why is 201 such trouble. When you draw the line on an amount of anything, somewhere, somehow, it becomes arbitrary. What they tried to do was find a balance between limiting the size of single containers with wanting to allow travel sized toiletries. With the current limits, you can bring many hair products, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
Using a clear plastic bag means that the screeners can quickly see in the bag. It also limits the overall amount of toiletries you can bring with you.
The only disruption to a frequent traveller is that you have to pull one more thing out of your rollerboard before getting on board. That's it. For all of the whining you hear about it, that's it. For people who check bags, they don't have to worry about it at all.
"All the regulations do is punish people who follow rules. The terrorists will always find a way."
No, the rules make it harder and that's a good thing. By your rationale, we should allow explosives to be brought on board by anyone getting on a plane. Do you really think that will make anything safer?
Sure what the TSA did was arbitrary, but the rule has to be drawn somewhere if they want to limit what you have on board. When going through customs, you're allowed 200 cigarettes. Why 200? Why is 201 such trouble. When you draw the line on an amount of anything, somewhere, somehow, it becomes arbitrary. What they tried to do was find a balance between limiting the size of single containers with wanting to allow travel sized toiletries. With the current limits, you can bring many hair products, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
Using a clear plastic bag means that the screeners can quickly see in the bag. It also limits the overall amount of toiletries you can bring with you.
The only disruption to a frequent traveller is that you have to pull one more thing out of your rollerboard before getting on board. That's it. For all of the whining you hear about it, that's it. For people who check bags, they don't have to worry about it at all.
"All the regulations do is punish people who follow rules. The terrorists will always find a way."
No, the rules make it harder and that's a good thing. By your rationale, we should allow explosives to be brought on board by anyone getting on a plane. Do you really think that will make anything safer?
Dec 4, 2006, 12:45 am
#5
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
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Posts: 57,952
The drones at the checkpoint do not need to see any liquids in a plastic bag because liquids are not a credible threat to aircraft.
Dec 4, 2006, 12:59 am
#6
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,927
I don't know if the TSA likes this policy or not, but stopping it would cause more problems than it solves.
The whole thing started in England, not America. In fact, England had gone far beyond this in restricting hand luggage.
The US and Europe put these restrictions into effect and England agreed to them.
Now, let's say that the TSA were to cancel this policy. What would the result be?
Separate security lines would have to be set up for any flights going to Europe. More than that, they would have to be done airside because someone getting onto a domestic flight might have more than the permitted amounts (or give them to a friend who is flying overseas).
This would mean that overseas passengers would have to go through security twice -- once to get airside and once to get on his plane.
The whole thing started in England, not America. In fact, England had gone far beyond this in restricting hand luggage.
The US and Europe put these restrictions into effect and England agreed to them.
Now, let's say that the TSA were to cancel this policy. What would the result be?
Separate security lines would have to be set up for any flights going to Europe. More than that, they would have to be done airside because someone getting onto a domestic flight might have more than the permitted amounts (or give them to a friend who is flying overseas).
This would mean that overseas passengers would have to go through security twice -- once to get airside and once to get on his plane.
Dec 4, 2006, 6:47 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: BWI
Programs: AA PLT and that's that!
Posts: 8,349
Separate security lines would have to be set up for any flights going to Europe. More than that, they would have to be done airside because someone getting onto a domestic flight might have more than the permitted amounts (or give them to a friend who is flying overseas).
This would mean that overseas passengers would have to go through security twice -- once to get airside and once to get on his plane.
This would mean that overseas passengers would have to go through security twice -- once to get airside and once to get on his plane.
Dec 4, 2006, 8:58 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
What's really beginning to bug me is TSA _not_ enforcing the rules. When I've whittled down to get everything in one baggie, and the person in front of me sails through with three baggies, it irritates me. If these rules are necessary, enforce them. If they're not, drop them.
Dec 4, 2006, 8:41 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 10
It seems that your gripe is with the plastic bags. Think it through. Without insisting on people putting things in them, what will they do? They will pull out their toiletry kit and send that through seperately. That will require manual screening for each one as the TSA agent won't be able to see inside. Were people then to pull out their toiletries, you'd have people wasting time and slowing things down in the line. You also have many people who will travel with an insane amount of personal grooming products. They would slow things down even more.
Sure what the TSA did was arbitrary, but the rule has to be drawn somewhere if they want to limit what you have on board. When going through customs, you're allowed 200 cigarettes. Why 200? Why is 201 such trouble. When you draw the line on an amount of anything, somewhere, somehow, it becomes arbitrary. What they tried to do was find a balance between limiting the size of single containers with wanting to allow travel sized toiletries. With the current limits, you can bring many hair products, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
Using a clear plastic bag means that the screeners can quickly see in the bag. It also limits the overall amount of toiletries you can bring with you.
Sure what the TSA did was arbitrary, but the rule has to be drawn somewhere if they want to limit what you have on board. When going through customs, you're allowed 200 cigarettes. Why 200? Why is 201 such trouble. When you draw the line on an amount of anything, somewhere, somehow, it becomes arbitrary. What they tried to do was find a balance between limiting the size of single containers with wanting to allow travel sized toiletries. With the current limits, you can bring many hair products, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
Using a clear plastic bag means that the screeners can quickly see in the bag. It also limits the overall amount of toiletries you can bring with you.
The only disruption to a frequent traveller is that you have to pull one more thing out of your rollerboard before getting on board. That's it. For all of the whining you hear about it, that's it. For people who check bags, they don't have to worry about it at all.
No, the rules make it harder and that's a good thing. By your rationale, we should allow explosives to be brought on board by anyone getting on a plane. Do you really think that will make anything safer?
Dec 4, 2006, 8:48 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 10
What's really beginning to bug me is TSA _not_ enforcing the rules. When I've whittled down to get everything in one baggie, and the person in front of me sails through with three baggies, it irritates me. If these rules are necessary, enforce them. If they're not, drop them.
Dec 4, 2006, 9:00 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: 99654
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,450
they are already being ignored... I've never had to part with my bottle of
water in last couple of weeks. but they made someone throw away a
bottle of shampoo that was little over 4oz and a bottle of aftershave that
was about 4 oz, but let me sail through with a 1 liter bottle of water with
almost 500ml still left in it... go figure!
nobody bothers to read my freedom bag either....
Dec 4, 2006, 9:15 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 10
Care to try one of the letters? I'm curious to see what happens but I don't have any travel planned in the near future! If you let me know how it goes I'll put the story up on http://makeamericasafer.blogspot.com/. Here's a link to an easily printable copy: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dq8ts2b_4gpd4jz.
Dec 4, 2006, 9:41 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: He who dies with the most miles wins!!
Programs: WorldPerks Demoted again to SE, DL 3.1MM Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 11,674
But not because it's inconvenient. I think it's a symptom of rot in the heart of the TSA and that it's making the whole screening system less effective. So I had an idea. Check this out: http://makeamericasafer.blogspot.com/
I've already had some interesting discussions about it on Screener's Central: http://www.tsa-screeners.com/start/i...&p=10773#10773 and a google group:http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...79ffe254?hl=en
I think there are some people on this forum who would deliver one of these letters. Are there? What do you all think? Is the policy as bad as I think it is? Here, by the way, is the text of the letter I'm going to start handing to screeners (and invite anyone else who wishes to do the same):
[Date]
Dear TSA Screener,
You know as well as I do that the restrictions on liquids and gels and the arbitrary insistence on plastic bags aren't making America any safer. The threat that these restrictions are meant to address was not credible to begin with, and enforcing them is a waste of your time and energy, time and energy that could be better spent on more pressing threats. I know that you are just doing your job, and your job is important. It is important to us that you do it well! Doing your job well should entail telling your bosses when their policies are failing. If you are good at your job and you care about real airport security, please pass this letter on to your supervisor.
Dear TSA Supervisor,
I know that most of these letters will not reach you, but I also know that some of them will, and that of all the people who work under you, the one you can trust the most is the one who delivered it.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
I've already had some interesting discussions about it on Screener's Central: http://www.tsa-screeners.com/start/i...&p=10773#10773 and a google group:http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...79ffe254?hl=en
I think there are some people on this forum who would deliver one of these letters. Are there? What do you all think? Is the policy as bad as I think it is? Here, by the way, is the text of the letter I'm going to start handing to screeners (and invite anyone else who wishes to do the same):
[Date]
Dear TSA Screener,
You know as well as I do that the restrictions on liquids and gels and the arbitrary insistence on plastic bags aren't making America any safer. The threat that these restrictions are meant to address was not credible to begin with, and enforcing them is a waste of your time and energy, time and energy that could be better spent on more pressing threats. I know that you are just doing your job, and your job is important. It is important to us that you do it well! Doing your job well should entail telling your bosses when their policies are failing. If you are good at your job and you care about real airport security, please pass this letter on to your supervisor.
Dear TSA Supervisor,
I know that most of these letters will not reach you, but I also know that some of them will, and that of all the people who work under you, the one you can trust the most is the one who delivered it.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
Dec 4, 2006, 9:46 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 10