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TSA rules on liquids
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 09:39:58 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: "Steven M. Bellovin" <smb () cs columbia edu> Date: October 31, 2006 8:00:10 AM EST To: dave () farber net Subject: TSA rules on liquids For IP, if you wish. Today's Wall Street Journal has an article on the liquid carry-on rules promulgated by TSA. Much of it is familiar to readers of this list,including the screeners who don't really understand the rules. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned much before is that they're really concerned
about containers, not just liquids: To travelers, some of the regulations are bewildering. You can buy a filled water bottle at an airport shop inside security, for example, but you can't carry your own empty water bottle through security and fill it at a water fountain inside security. Mr. Hawley says there's a classified security reason for that related to the characteristics of liquid explosives. In addition, X-ray machines can detect containers, just not what's inside. So getting all containers out of carry-on bags speeds up security screening. "As stupid as we may look, we didn't miss that one," Mr. Hawley said. ... Mr. Hawley said there is method in the madness of requiring everything to be in a bag and strictly limiting the size of containers, not the volume of liquid or gel. Containers larger than three ounces could pose a threat -- a place to mix enough liquid explosives to create a bomb. "It's not the ounces. It's the container we're after," he said.Oh yes -- Continental and Southwest have quart-sized bags at their ticket
counters; just ask. --Steven M. Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- TSA rules on liquids David Farber (Oct 31)