These people reached that point LONG LONG ago. Maybe, since you were departing STL and THEN RETURNING, he realized that you would need the baggie a few days from now, and was actually trying to HELP YOU OUT. Is that so difficult to comprehend? I guess so, for some of you folks.

Perhaps it got lost in the 3 pages of posts, but a few posts above, as the original OP I gave the TSA guy his props -- ^ ^ -- for being helpful in this situation.

Hmmm, guess someone forgot to tell the WITCH at SNA about the appeasement mode... her bellowed announcement was something along the lines of "If it isn't in the bag, it won't fly, regardless of size."

I think the thing I find most irritating about the liquids issue isn't the size and bag restrictions... it's the damn yelling for the entire 20 minutes I'm standing in line.

Oh... and as to the OP's point... Like others here, I don't see the problem. He handled it decently and gave her a bag for her (presumed) return flight. (which I now see has been acknowledged by the OP)

The point was that the baggie made the liquid "safe" when placed in the bag, but unsafe out of the bag.

Further, they were "pharmaceutical" items and therefore, allegedly according to TSA regs, did not need to go into the bag in the first place.

I'm sorry that I missed the part about them being "phamaceutical" items and your right, they do not need to be in a baggie, but when the xray image is seen on the screen, the screener has no way of knowing they are "pharmaceutical" items, much less in a baggie or not. That is why the bag was checked. The screener was wrong to say they should be in a baggie, but it is possible that because of thier size it didn't much matter to him and suggested they be placed in the baggie to save time in the future. I believe that reply #18 by "gof" pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one. I don't believe that screener ever stated or implied that the items were now "clear" or "safe" now that they were in the bag. I think he just went ahead and placed them in the bag as an educational example of how the whole baggie thing works and better prepare the lady for her future travels. I do the same thing at my checkpoint at PHL whenever I give out a baggie. Even though your right that those particular items do not need to be in a baggie, I think it would be very prudent to just place them in one to cut down on the hassles and delays when transiting the checkpoint.

So next time you'll be able to follow the rules properly?.. Seems fairly obvious...

This entire thing is amazing.

For a couple of months I have been using a clear, sturdy plastic pouch (from a gillette fusion razor) to contain all my toiletries. Yes, I know, it is not exactly what TSA requires but it passed security with not even a second glance about 20 times before this Wednesday at PHX.

"DO YOU HAVE LOTIONS IN THERE? YOU HAVE TO PUT THEM IN THIS" screamed a tsa person. He handed me a big baggie. I just put the entire pouch into the baggie and passed security without any further question. Completely ridiculous procedure.

Sounds like the same baggie boy I ran into last Sat (who was waving around baggies that were definately NOT Kip Kuart sized, either)

wonder if he is the same shoe nazi that i had to have a confrontation with years ago.

Thursday I was flying out of Terminal 4 at PHX. I forgot to put my lip balm in my purse and left it in my pants pocket. Unfortunately, it is Carmex and the cap is metal. So, I set off the metal detector. When I checked my pocket, I found it and the TSA agent at the detector told me to put it into one of the small round bins and put it thru the xray. I did that. Since the rest of my stuff had gone thru before that, I was almost repacked when the carmex came thru. The person at the xray asked, who owns this carmex? I said that I did and she stated that all liquids must be in a baggie. I told her that it was not liquid, it was a balm and lipsticks and chapsticks are specifically ok. She argued with me and told me that I would have to put it in a baggie!!!

I did not have a baggie and did not feel like getting back in line and unpacking and packing and taking off my shoes for a stupid baggie, so I told her to keep the "fxxxing" carmex. I then complained to the supervisor who told me that the Greyhound was an option.

I was furious by this time, so I called the toll free number at the TSA and filed a complaint. The person that took the complaint was actually reasonable and could not believe that they acted like that.

I requested the $2.00 for my property and an apology for the bus comment.

I am not holding my breath...

I received some education in the forum after having an "oversized medical liquid" confiscated:
- the size of the containers and purpose of the baggie is to limit quantity to less than 500mL (1/2 litre aka half-quart) because that is under the dangerous amount of liquid gel. We yanks determined this...according to the EU news release - medical liquids have to be separate--i.e., NOT in the baggie--AND they must be declared to a TSO before being screened
- even though legal medical liquids, you may need a print-out of the TSA web page, prescription, letter from your doctor, etc., depending on the knowledge and mood of the screener and/or supervisor
- failure to comply/appease can result in any number of random outcomes

Anyone want to start an airside liquid pharmacy business? @:-)

*read the whole news release http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleases...guiLanguage=en (there was a previous thread on it)

So you argued with someone in authority and now are mad that they followed the rules?

How often does that work for you?

Maybe an "Oh, I didn't realize I needed to bag this" would've sufficed.

I believe (s)he's mad because they did NOT follow the rules. A fine distinction, I grant you.

Maybe I'm missing something...but since the x-ray can't deetect the difference between explosives and a regular tube of lip balm anyway, what was the point of putting it through now that the screener had already seen it???
Also, regardless of how nice some of the TSA workers on the phone are...don't ever expect a call back or any sort of acknowledgement. I'm still waiting on a complaint I filed in the middle of August...

Here's what I think is at the root of the problem ...

Some wise person in the TSA probably said something like, "You know. A while back John Cleese did some excellent educational videos on effective customer service and organizational effectiveness. We should watch some of those and see what we can incorporate into our processes."

Unfortunately, it's abundantly clear the TSA elders mistakenly took their cues from Cleese's Monty Python videos instead of his industrial traing videos.