Liquids in clear bags! Question.

[zerotohero]

I have a question about the clear plastic bag rule on liquids, for one I think its a joke for flight crew like most of us here, but I play by the rules set by our crazy government and the JAA

But my question is this, My liquids all under 100ml in clear bottles (small shampoo etc) and in a semi soft clear plastic bag/case, they were taken out and placed into another clear plastic bag by UK staff security

My question is why? what does that plastic bag offer that mine does not to make it safe and legal? I really really cant see any point to this exercise at all apart from to hold me up for a pointless reason.

answers on a postcard! lol

[redsnail]

Ah. Because your nice and sensible robust plastic bag wasn't an approved flimsy easy to break but resealable bag.

That's why.

[Capt Claret]

Mrs C flew out of Nadi in Jan this year with her fluids in a resealable bag. She was told when processing through security that her zip-lock bag was the wrong size and that she'd have to buy a regulation sized bag from "the stall over there".

The new bag was only single digit mm different in size to the original bag and cost F$1.

[Capetonian]

My understanding of the rule was that containers over 100 ml are not allowed, even if empty.

Recently I inadvertently went through security at LTN with a 1 litre aluminium drinking flask in my bag, they took it out and handed it back to me. Does anyone know if this is correct or not ... anyway they were pleasant about it, which is a first for LTN!

[zerotohero]

I think that has to be 100% wrong as all staff in the UK when I was based there used to take empty litre or 2 litre bottles and fill them up in the crew room before flight, I think if is has a small amount of liquid in it you cant take it through, but empty for sure is fine.

Why the hell all this is just an issue for us in the UK is beyond me, flying in Italy I can walk through with bottles of wine under each arm smiling singing a song and then go to work! to land airside in the UK!

Its just plain silly

[RYR738_driver]

Containers over 100ml are allowed as we fill up our water bottles in the crew room airside. On occasions, there has been water left in and nothing said which defeats the whole purpose of the silly rules anyway!

Does anyone know how the likes of WHsmith and Boots get their liquids through, as it seems they go through a standard scanner

At EDI, the standardisation seems poor at staff security. On one occasion, a 'nice' security man said that he will 'let this one go' when deciding whether to let me take my pre packaged rice pudding through. 2 things wrong there. 1, it is labelled in grams and therefore not considered liquid so shouldn't be an issue and 2, if he used his judgement to let it through, what else could I have had in there!

[Denti]

You mean during on duty travel? There is a general exemption for flight crew on duty from all that 100ml and clear bag nonsense in the european regulation about that stuff. I always take normal size containers, leave them in the bags and that is fine anywhere in europe. But then, i don't have to endure the UK situation. Seems they are extra keen on that there.

[AircraftOperations]

I picked up a leaflet down under which says something along the lines of:

Any container over 100ml should be empty (except prescription medication and some baby products).

The bag needs to be airtight and have a zip lock so it can be attached to a vapour test machine nozzle if security want to spot check the contents.

The litre capacity bag ensures that no more than a litre's worth of liquids/gels/creams can be taken by a passenger (in theory it's 1 bag per passenger).

One of my regular airports seem to be strict sometimes, and more lenient on other occasions. Seems to depend on the individual and also whether the authorities/undercover testers are on their backs.

[dwshimoda]

Zerotohero...

Aircraft Operations has the answer to your question:

The bag needs to be airtight and have a zip lock so it can be attached to a vapour test machine nozzle if security want to spot check the contents.

From your pics, your bag cannot be airtight as it only has press stud fasteners. I only found this out the other week when security rejected the bag I was transporting my Red Bull shot and small anti-perspirant in was rejected - it was so old the zip lock had broken. I couldn't work the problem out, and when I asked was told exactly what AO said about the need for it to be sealable.

Amazing but true.

[zerotohero]

Ill accept that as an answer, still think its dumb rules but at least there is some logic behind it there.

ill be back next week with my next moan! lol

[Peter47]

As SLF I sometimes take the lid off a water bottle before going through security and put it in my pocket. Is it still a water container?

I also carry a spare transparent bag plastic bag handed out for free at LHR security. If that is rejected by another airport & they force you to buy another then you know that it is a money grabbing exercise.

[750XL]

As said, the bag needs to be 'air tight' so an air sample can be taken by security.

For the airside retail outlets, they just simply go through the xray or through a similar process as air cargo.

[supraspinatus]

Are the zip-lock bags exactly 1 litre?
In that case it's impossible to fit the 10x100ml containers, unless the containers are volumeless.
I hope the EU remove the stupid liquid-ban soon.
On the other hand I've actually heard that some of the airports in northern Europe is getting liquid scanners. Maybe there's hope.

Another thing: Where I work we have bird-control-personnel which carries a shotgun and pyrotechnics and they seem to be passing through the apron checkpoint to access the CSRA. Which actually give them free access to the terminal with firearms.

[wiggy]

the bag needs to be 'air tight' so an air sample can be taken by security.

On occasions when going airside in the UK I've had liquids removed from the plastic bag and subject to extra screening but I've never ever seen an air sample taken. Anybody else actually seen this done ex-UK?

[call100]

Originally Posted by supraspinatus

Are the zip-lock bags exactly 1 litre?
In that case it's impossible to fit the 10x100ml containers, unless the containers are volumeless.
I hope the EU remove the stupid liquid-ban soon.
On the other hand I've actually heard that some of the airports in northern Europe is getting liquid scanners. Maybe there's hope.

Another thing: Where I work we have bird-control-personnel which carries a shotgun and pyrotechnics and they seem to be passing through the apron checkpoint to access the CSRA. Which actually give them free access to the terminal with firearms.

Correct, but they are searched to make sure they have no drinks or anything else dangerous first.

[Capetonian]

An oaf of a security 'official' at a UK airport repeatedly told me that I could not take this in my hand luggage as it was 'over 100 ml', and he wanted to confiscate it. He told me at least three times 'it looks like more than 100ml to me' even after I'd shown him where it stated 100ml. When I told him he could repeat this as many times as he wanted, he was still wrong, he adopted a bullying and threatening approach. The supervisor whom I called over put him in his place, but where do they get these people from?

[blueplume]

where do they get these people from?

They're generally fairly thick, can't do much else, think a poorly fitting G4S uniform is smart muppets who probably would be on the dole if they didn't do "security" work. I have been told while in my pilot's uniform with bars on shoulder and stripes on sleeve that "you might take over the airplane". I hope to do so as this what I get paid for.

[The African Dude]

6am at security, I put a 50ml bottle of hand sanitiser (which I sometimes forget in flight case and isn't picked up) through the machine. Didn't have a clear plastic bag. On the other end, security says "it's not in a clear bag so I have to throw it away." So I asked security bod to get hold of a bag for me - they duly do so - bring bottle to me in said bag and hand it over, at which point I remove it from the bag and put it back in my flight case. Security bod says have a nice flight and I am left thinking... what on earth was the point in that?

[Piltdown Man]

Don't worry about security...

This one takes some believing. A Police Officer passing through the security NCL managed to set of the metal detector in the arch. I asked him later what set the sensor off. He wasn't certain. He wasn't sure if it was his extendable metal baton, his 9mm Glock pistol or the machine gun, the handcuffs or his belt buckle. But we both agreed that it was probably the metal clip on his pass holder. But, because he set off the alarm, he had to be patted down, whilst wearing his stab jacket... just to make sure that he wasn't carrying any prohibited items.

Just remember that the muppets guarding the entrance don't know their arses from their elbows, are probably unemployable in any other industry and you pay near enough £20 (via various means) for the privilege. Do they make a difference? Yes, a little, if only to make the great unwashed and uneducated travelling public feel happy that "someone is doing something." At Teesside, security together with adept local management have made the airport virtually 100% safe. Soon it will be totally safe, forever. Hurrah for Security!

[Mungo Man]

Its all very frustrating as crew. I seem to be a favourite for getting my liquids tested at my home base. The other day after taking a sample of my most expensive liquid (its always that one they pick - special handcream for my skin condition) I threw it back in my flight bag only to be sternly told it has to go back into the clear plastic bag. Trying but failing to hide my surprise I popped it in my tatty old plastic bag (they charge £1 for new ones) and threw it in my flight bag. Then they said the bag must be sealed before I leave security!! I couldn't believe it! I couldn't seal it because its was too tatty so they struggled with it for some time and eventually succeeded. What a farce. As soon as I walked out of security I emptied the contents into my flightbag.

So they had scanned my liquids, taken a sample and all was good, but to be really safe it had to be resealed in a plastic bag!