Those clear plastic bags

[Flock1]

I was on a recent flight transiting through Dusseldorf. As me and my companion approached the security scanner, we took off all the usual things like belt, watch, emptied our pockets, etc etc and because my companion had some small amounts of liquids (all less than 100ml of course) he took the effort of putting these in a clear plastic bag he'd grabbed at the hotel beforehand. He was well prepeared.
What a mistake that turned out to be.
After queuing to take his turn, a security guard looked at his bag and shook his head. "Nein! This bag is not a standard bag. The bag needs to be re-sealable. You cannot come through with that bag."
"What?" my friend blurted, who after all, had gone out of his way to be helpful and fully prepared - more so than the majority of people passing through, me included. "But I haven't got one."
The man shrugged. "You will have to buy one. That machine over there sells them for one Euro."
Angry, my pal had to go to a exchange de bureau (because he had no Euros - we'd just been to Bosnia) change some Sterling into Euro, go into a shop to buy a newspaper so he could get some change, and finally, buy some of the clear plastic bags. 3 of them came in the pack, which was lucky for the another passenger because he had just been told the same thing about his bag.
The ironic thing is, I didn't bother with any bag, just left my toothpaste in my hand luggage. It had passed through Franfurt, Belgrade (x2) Sarajevo (x2) without any hassle at all. In Dusseldorf, however, it was spotted and the man pulled in out. After inspecting it a moment, he passed me through with a smile.
So me, who held up people, got through with ease. My pal, who'd tried to be helpful, got hassle beyond belief. It took him an extra 25 mins to get through. So I know what I'll be doing next time.

[Rush2112]

If only I had a company that sold plastic bag vending machines to airports. Money for old rope!

[Rwy in Sight]

If I were an indecent man I would consider the possibility of some business paying consideralble money to people in authority to design the security measures in order for the business to make a profit. Think about a let's say a cosmetic manufacturers or resealable bag company how much money they can make with the 100 ml rule.

But then I am not an indecent man....

Rwy in Sight

[FlyerFoto]

They were giving them away at Schiphol in July!!!

[MarcJF]

Been through Heathrow twice this week and they give them out there too. Had the pleasure of a 'random' fluid test on Thursday at Heathrow, not too sure what the young lady was hoping for ;-)

[Roxburgh]

At Newcastle the other week, I saw that the vending machine for what you might term "DfT approved" resealable plastic bags was conveniently located airside of the security screening point. Genius!:)

[Blues&twos]

Tons of freebie ultra-secure plastic resealable bags at Stansted too.

Anyone know why they need to be a particular type?
:confused:

[DuncanF]

Anyone know why they need to be a particular type?
They don't ... as far as I am aware. Or at least if they do then the rules are "interpreted" differently at various airports!

I went LHR/NCE/LHR the other day and waved a clear plastic pencil case with my liquids at the security guys. No problems.

Of more interest (to me) ... why resealable? I mean once the security guys have inspected and resealed, I'm probably just strong enough to rip open a plastic bag should I so desire.

Duncan

[FlyerFoto]

I just use whatever we have in at home - doesn't seem to matter if it has Tesco or Sainsburys printed on it!

Of course, every passenger could do this, if only they put a little bit of thought into things - mind you, the ones that don't are probably the same ones that get the last minute train to get to the airport and then blame the airline for the missed flight!!!

[BaronChotzinoff]

IME they look for strange shapes they don't recognise and get all intrigued - curiosity never killed the cat in their case. Eg I have often been searched for my bike pump, once they found the rubber solution in my puncture repair kit as a result and glibly confiscated it, while I have often brought tubes of oil, grease, and other 'terrorist material' back which they never noticed. So as someone else says above, just pack it out discreetly if it's in a normal container.

[tezzer]

I have to confess to "trying it on" with the security at a UK airport recently, just to see what the effect would be. I had a transit through DXB, arriving just after midnight, and leaving at 09.30.

Pre-booking myself into the airport hotel, but having booked my bags through to KUL, I put in my laptop bag, one of Emirates own (unopened) amenity bags. Ususal stuff, toothbrsh / paste, razor / shaving foam etc. etc. I thought that IF it got through, it would be handy to have on my stopover.

Sure enough, it got picked out at the x-ray machine, and I had to put all of the fluids / gels etc into a free plastic bag, rather than the Emirates zipped bag.

Felt much safer =on that flight, knowing the fluids were safely in a plastic re-sealable bag !

[Newforest]

"IME they look for strange shapes they don't recognise and get all intrigued - curiosity never killed the cat in their case."
I always carry a fishing scale to check baggage weight and none of the checkers can fathom out what that coiled spring is on the screen, they have to check it!

[Phileas Fogg]

Thanks for the info where to buy cheap plastic bags, apparently they're £2.50each in UK.

I've had my experiences of DUS security, they expected me to put my wallet through, with contents intact, the machine. When I removed the money they told me that wasn't allowed thus I offered them that we count the money at the start of the process, they provide a receipt, and then we count the money again at the end of the process.

They said 'you're joking', I said 'you're the ones that are f*cking joking mate', never had the problem in FRA or MUC, only DUS!

[Leezyjet]

I've had my experiences of DUS security, they expected me to put my wallet through, with contents intact, the machine. When I removed the money they told me that wasn't allowed thus I offered them that we count the money at the start of the process, they provide a receipt, and then we count the money again at the end of the process.

They said 'you're joking', I said 'you're the ones that are f*cking joking mate', never had the problem in FRA or MUC, only DUS!

What's the big deal ?. You really think someone is hiding inside the machine waiting to steal the money ?. At every airport search point I have ever been through, the tray is in sight at all times except when it is inside the machine, and it's hardly going to get stolen in there is it !!.

And people wonder why they get a hard time at security.

:rolleyes:

[J-Man]

Ahh so thats why the belt stops when your bag is inside and takes ages to move! so the little security guy has enough time to rummage through them all. I get it, cheeky b*stards!

[10secondsurvey]

The whole process is a pigging waste of time, and is dumb beyond belief. Let's face it, you have to have your liquids in a sealed plastic bag, then go through security, and then you can buy four litres (or more) of highly flammable liquid in really heavy glass bottles.

It is absurd, and has nothing to do with security, and LOTS to do with money from airside retail outlets.

"you must use this teeny little re-sealable (approved) clear plastic bag, with bottles less than 100 ml"

Moronic decisions made by morons, and carried out by people on power trips, who like to shout a lot and make the life of the travelling public a lving hell.

It's a friggin joke. Period.

[Flapping_Madly]

Don't be too quick to take the pi$$ out of the poster saying money can go missing on the way through screening.

No-one in their right mind would leave money exposed or accessible as it passes through the machinery at Alicante. Too many nasty stories in the local papers.

But you still see blokes take their wad out of a back trouser pocket (how sensible is that place for money in Spain) and put it loose in the tray. They have no idea how much they put in or how much they get out. Ignorance is bliss. Trouble arises when you DO know how much you had. Try proving it later though.

Far better to learn from other peoples' lessons.

[MarcJF]

True say. Once through security you can buy a whole manner of things ranging from bottles to er screwdrivers! Bought a pair of sunnys at Heathrow not so long ago that came with their own little screwdriver - nice little weapon that. So now i go to the cockpit door, which i can access as it has a code, if i have a hostage (maybe the pilot when he's popped out for the loo)what's going to happen? No idea - BUt if we think we have security we are far far far from reality.

:ugh::ugh:

[radeng]

While if you have 150mL bottles of Furosemide (a prescription diuretic), there's no problems at LHR, ABZ, or LYS. Even though the bottles are open and partially used. Or 150mL of insulin, admittedly in 30 ml capsules. With lots of nasty sharp needles. But the dipsht*s at FRA took a 4BA spanner off me. Was I going to run round dismantling the f***ing aircraft with it?

[ThreadBaron]

A radical engineer might.;)

[Donkey497]

Not with a 4BA spanner, it's all gone metric.....

[radeng]

Donkey,
BA is actually a metric thread! It was originally called the Thrury thread, and originated in Switzerland for horological purposes. It only got defined in imperial terms in the 1951 British Standard. It's also the only logical thread, where the pitch is always 0.8 of the pitch of the next lowest number, and it's a very strong thread because for horological purposes, they got down to 27BA and very close to the tensile limits of the steel. That's why it's 47.5 degree pitch angle. You might guess I LIKE the BA threads!! None of this more modern weak ISO metric rubbish!!
ThreadBaron
radical engineer? Nah, engineers are always pretty conservative (with a small c)
I'm proud to say that I'm a radio engineer! Although these days, engineering as a profession is getting to be more of a hobby for someone of independent means rather than a way of making a reasonable living. Maybe it's a good job I'm shortly going to partially retire and work part time.
Sorry about the thread creep!

[Donkey497]

RadEng, Here's more thread creep......

Try picking up a new BA socket set, they're a bit thin on the ground in comparison to Metric or the increasingly less common Imperial A/F. Alas, all of the older more quirky, but useful are falling under the wheels of the ISO or UNC juggernauts.


Donkey497
C.Eng. M.I.Mech.E.

[radeng]

Donkey,

Model Engineering suppliers are the best source

[Donkey497]

Sshhh!!!!

Your giving away secrets. Keep on like this and everyone will know our secret sources........