timezone_trooper

I travel every week for work, and in an effort to avoid eating at the same fast food places all the time, I pack a lunch. I usually take a bunch of chicken breasts, some frozen vegetables, microwaveable rice and the little snack-sized cottage cheese containers (4 oz size). I typically fly out of PIT and never have a problem with any of my items. I did have the standard "ice is not a liquid" argument, but the frozen veggies do well enough to keep my food cold, and I can always load up on "secure" ice once I'm airside.

Today I flew out of CMH and was expecting a pretty standard screening - maybe they'll peek inside and see what I've got but nothing is a liquid, there's no ice, so there should be no problem.

TSO on the x-ray asks me if the lunch pail was mine and I answer yes and then he asks if there's just food in there and again, I say yes. He then opens it up and says "Well you're NOT going to be happy." His tone was really quite rude, however I tried to maintain some sense of civility and he inspected and shook up my cottage cheese snacks. He then says, "You can't take the cottage cheese." To which I promptly respond in a somewhat annoyed tone, "Why not? It's not a liquid and I take it with me every week without any problems. I don't see what the issue is."

Here's the kicker - he responds somewhat astonished, "Every week?! Not at THIS airport." At this point I've pretty much run of out patience and I curtly responded, "What airport I take it through is entirely irrelevant. The are standards for what can and cannot be taken aboard an aircraft and this does not violate any of the published standards. I'd like to speak to someone in charge."

We meander over to the end of the lanes to some kind of TSA station where another TSO inspects and shakes the hell out of my cottage cheese and then looks at me, and in a tone like she was giving me a reprieve from a death sentence, says "I'll allow it." You'll allow what, exactly? Me to take something that isn't contraband and/or dangerous? Out of the goodness of your heart? Gee, thanks. It really wasn't a big deal and I guarantee it would have been less of a process had I been nicer, but no one wants to deal with attitude at 5am.

to TSOs who are rude and to idiotic liquid policies that are somehow now extended to non liquids at will.

oldpenny16

I hate it when the TSA folk act like they are doing you a huge favor. It is insane!

I've been carrying cottage cheese for months with no problems at all.

I am also driving more and flying less. Much less.

We Will Never Forget

You complain about attitude, yet it's the first thing you give?

If the guy was really being a jerk, he could have taken it to prove a point. (Cottage cheese, yogurt and hummus are items I've seen removed at checkpoints)

We all know that there are tons of inconsistencies in the system.

timezone_trooper

Oh I waited to see how ridiculous it was going to get, and considering it went from zero to him being a jackass in a few sentences, I waited long enough.

And - he could have taken it to "prove a point?" What point, exactly? That the rules are applied at one's discretion?

pacer142

To be fair, the restrictions apply to liquids, pastes and gels; if it was just liquids then toothpaste wouldn't have to go in the baggie. Some cottage cheese is pretty soft and would certainly fit the "paste" category in my view. Yoghurt is clearly one or other of the above, so I'm surprised if any of that is getting let through.

whirledtraveler

You missed a golden opportunity. You should have said "Yes, every week, at this airport, and this is the first time you've found it. So much for this joke you call security."

We Will Never Forget

To prove the point he could take it, using discretion. The rule is pretty vague and I've seen these items taken before.

At 5 in the morning, I'm not in the best mood either, but you have to cut them some slack. They work for some of the worst managers in the Government.

PHLflying

what's up with CMH? based on my experience and other posters here in other threads ,they seem pretty extreme.

timezone_trooper

I don't know - this is the first time I've flown out of there since 1997. I'm hoping that I don't have to do it very often.

gfunkdave

Well, you know, hummus is Middle Eastern in origin. Must be dangerous.

gobluetwo

CMH is a PITA. i think it's a "big city wannabe" mentality. we almost always have issues with baby's applesauce, juice, etc there, but never ATL, ORD, SFO...

laguardiaguy

As much as I like to give screeners the benefit of the doubt for incoherant rules, and incomplete training, you just admitted to doing retaliatory confiscation.

Bro' you just proved many posters points.

ColumbiaPete

Well THAT explains it - everyone knows Hummus goes with Pita...

laguardiaguy

I'm not sure about a big city wannabe mentality, but I take it as a given the smaller the airport, the longer and more nitpicking the security screening

Superguy

Like retaliatory secondary screenings, there's no such thing as retaliatory confiscation. Only continuous confiscations.