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One in four travelers smuggle liquids through TSA checkpoints
A new survey from Skyscanner suggests that as many as one in four travelers smuggle liquids past security - both accidentally and on purpose.Of the 1,000 poll respondents, 42% agree that current rulings are too restrictive and one in five complaining that airports tend to enforce rules differently. Only 2% believed the legislation did not go far enough.
About 4% of respondents admitted that they have purposely smuggled liquids through security – and got away with it.
We've certainly noticed airport security becoming more lax with the 3-1-1 rulings, particularly when the creams and liquids are within travel-sized containers in carry-on or gate checked luggage. Still, it probably isn't a good idea to try to smuggle in liquids that are in flagrant disregard of the rules. Anything that makes travel more difficult for you and your fellow patrons likely isn't a great idea.
Filed under: Airports, News, Travel Security
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
davide463 Nov 1st 2011 4:17PM
Pity your brother wasn't caught and slammed in prison for a few years. Who in their right mind carries live amunition onto a plane full of people.
Haroldc Melton Nov 6th 2011 1:49AM
The TSA is a big waste, dogs can replace the exray machines for detecting expolsives. There is no consistancy from one TSA employee to another, nor airport to airports. Most TSA employees lack common sense, which is not a requirment for the job, nor a personality. For the MANY BILLIONS of dollars that have been spent in trying to make the US airport queaky, they have only caught todate only about two persons who would have been a threat to a flight. Now they want to offer a new program called "checkpoint" to special passengers to by-pass screening, but airport and airline employees who work on and around the aircrafts are not eligible for this privilage when traveling.
Hall Nov 1st 2011 2:54PM
If you don't like the rules take a train.
BANMAN Nov 1st 2011 5:59PM
YOU MUST BE A TSA AGENT ? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE THAT MENTALITY
Ronald Sarson Nov 2nd 2011 12:49AM
You should take a train to go overseas.
denozo Nov 1st 2011 2:59PM
they are just doing their jobs.i bet they are happy to have one.
Mike Nov 1st 2011 3:11PM
Two weeks ago I inadvertently left my liquids baggie in my carry-on while flying out of MDT. No problem. Never detected. I've never tried to conceal anything large like a bottle of water. I do pack an empty water bottle in my carry-on & fill it at a water fountain after security so I don't have to pay $2.50 for a bottle of water.
julie Nov 1st 2011 3:29PM
water is free on the plane dumb dumb
donalee Nov 1st 2011 4:53PM
You are lucky the water got through. We had to give up our water we got after we passed security, and that was years ago before they got so up tight.
John Nov 1st 2011 3:36PM
Think twice about doing this on purpose. My wife forgot about a small liquid in her purse when clearing security. They ended up making her take each and every individual item out of her carry on's and purse. A large women's purse can apparently have 1000's of items in it.
I cleared security with almost an hour to spare, but we almost didn't make the flight since they took almost the full hour looking at each and every thing she had with her. It was an honest mistake, but there's not accounting for that.
Houston, we have a problem Nov 1st 2011 3:12PM
While in Houston, I asked a TSA employee where the nearest bathroom was. He said he needed to see a boarding pass. I said I wasn't getting on the plane, and he once again asked me to provide a boarding pass. I sarcasitically said, "now you need a boarding pass to sit on a toilet..?" He replied, "if you don't give me a boarding pass you're going to be arrested. I just walked away and found the bathroom on my own.
Beebee Nov 1st 2011 10:29PM
The TSA is a colassal waste of tax money, especially when most of the
agents can barely speak English. We should arm the flight attendants and
flight crew and forget screening passengers. I was standing in line at an
airport when this fat slob of a TSA agent started screaming at the top of
her lungs that someone had left a bag on the conveyor belt and she wanted
to know who. It was obvious the woman had about a sixth grade education,
and she should have been fired for being rude and unprofessional. Talk about
giving gov't jobs to idiots. Unfortunately, she will probably be there forever.
Brian Nov 1st 2011 3:37PM
The funniest story I saw was a lady in Denver who was complaing that they took her $30.00 16 oz. bottle of shampoo. They confiscated the one she took with her going to Denver so she bought another in Denver and was mad because they took that one also. I guess she was a very slow learner
Don Nov 1st 2011 3:46PM
How morbidly ironic is it that so many of the TSA staff looking at your US
passport were born in a foreign country. I think that only those born, raised,
and schooled in America should be allowed in this type of security position
davide463 Nov 1st 2011 4:17PM
Leave the TSA alone. What do you WANT them to do? Let any liquid be carried, let anyone carry knives and guns on board. The rules are simple and these guys enforce them. Learn them and abide by them or don't fly. How much more simple can this get.
davide463 Nov 1st 2011 4:23PM
Maybe choose only American born and American schooled Muslims to staff the TSA. That should improve things.
donalee Nov 1st 2011 4:55PM
What do you do with liquid medications you may need during the flight?
Jude Nov 4th 2011 10:14PM
I have had cancer 2 x's...saliva gland & oral..I DO NOT have saliva glands..I MUST have water at ALL TIMES..if not, my mouth/throat closes, tissue sticks & when opened, I bleed profusely..I have 10 pgs of med p-wk from 8 Drs with emerg #'s to call them 24/7 stating I literally will die in a matter of time w/o water. Some TSA agts could care less. They chuckle, don't believe me, roll their eyes, refuse to look at my p-work, stating no water for me. I am there 3-4 hrs early..because of confrontation..I have learned to chalk this up to ignorance..
Marco Nov 1st 2011 5:07PM
TSA is absurdly incorrect in their entire approach. Why does a small knife which normally is poart of a nail clipper set or a small collapsible scissors or sewing scissors be detained and most are put in the TSA representatives pockets for later decision on where it goes for destruction or kept.
Another fact they fail to realize that a plain old pen, any pen or pencil is more a of a weapon than the presviously mentioned articles.
moosebear Nov 4th 2011 10:11AM
It is hard to find a toothpaste tube that is less than 4 oz without buying kids' toothpaste. I don't want to buy the .5 or .75 oz tubes since they aren't enough for my average trip.