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UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

bbc.co.uk

161–170 of 252 posts

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#161
post #94

I flew yesterday and in the plane realized I had some water from my daughter in the backpack. It was scanned and missed of course. And why wouldn't they miss it, it's a waste of time anyway. But at least they harassed a 3-year old to stand in a certain way to get scanned and fail at it. Unrelated, but I've come to believe it's a form of social welfare. So much policing for nothing, not just airports, wars on drugs et…

Its a jobs program for the unemployable. That and political pork. The TSA is a complete failure at every level and is laughably bad at everything but draining money from the taxpayer and stepping on citizens rights. We should go back to metal detectors staffed by airport provided staff and scan checked bags for bombs (which is something that actually kind of works).

> Its a jobs program for the unemployable. That and political pork.

This.

A simple look at the profiles of known attackers would reveal it's completely futile to screen literal 0-risk travelers.

Getting people to fear and believe that "everyone could be a menace" is a slippery slope and a slap at the core of our legal system (innocent until proven otherwise).

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#162

I flew yesterday and in the plane realized I had some water from my daughter in the backpack. It was scanned and missed of course. And why wouldn't they miss it, it's a waste of time anyway. But at least they harassed a 3-year old to stand in a certain way to get scanned and fail at it. Unrelated, but I've come to believe it's a form of social welfare. So much policing for nothing, not just airports, wars on drugs et…

I had to throw away my nice Leatherman Micra (because of the tiny blade) at an airport because I forgot it was in my carry on, only to sit at a restaurant next to the gate and be given a full size serrated steak knife with my meal...

The same thing happened to me with my Leatherman Micra. I have come to the conclusion that most airport security measures are props designed to make us believe that we are safer.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#163

In Berlin at BER I had someone from security straight up tell me that water being sold at a premium after security, with a profit for the airport shops that pay hefty rents, is the only reason for keeping up the 100ml liquids rule. That was a heated discussion point for a while, since the airport had to stop people from drinking tap water inside because of an e.coli infestation in the water system of the airport. We'…

"In Berlin at BER I had someone from security straight up tell me that water being sold at a premium after security, with a profit for the airport shops that pay hefty rents, is the only reason for keeping up the 100ml liquids rule."

This logic kind of falls apart when you think about it for a minute and:

1. Most airports have water fountains

2. Food and snacks are allowed through security. If it's all a conspiracy to make a few $$$, why aren't snacks banned under similar pretences

3. Many airports are now scrapping the rules with new machines

4. It would imply some sort of agreement between the stores and the security operations at thousands of airport worldwide - all individual agreements or a mass agreement, quite the scheme!

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#164
post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, but to their defense, there have not been 9/11 attacks or anything remotely similar since 9/11... so either it was all fake anyways or the security theater also deters potential low IQ attackers?

I am also not aware, in the history of aviation, of a terrorist attack that was stopped at an airport security check.

Here's one : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindawi_affair

Though it was the airline's own additional airport security check rather than the security checkpoint.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#165
post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“We can't breathe in business class. Somebody's got mace or something.” “Nobody knows who stabbed who, and we can't even get up to business class right now 'cause nobody can breathe.” - Betty Ong, Flight 11 Not necessarily explosive, but tactical chemical attacks have been a known capability for a while, and part of anti-terrorist training long before 2001. Something truly sophisticated from a superpower state would…

>"We can't breathe in business class. Somebody's got mace or something.” 100ml of mace would be enough though, right? So why the limit? Also why is liquid a special category? That doesn't make sense either.

I once lost a 3/4 full normal-size tube of toothpaste because of one of these limits.

Made me wonder how paste-like something has to not count as a liquid to them. Playdough?

How closely do they look at deodorant? Some stick-form ones are more liquid than toothpaste is.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#166
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The term you're looking for is security theatre

Security theatre is a different thing. That’s when you perform a pointless ritual to convey the feeling of security. People coming up with onerous new rules and restriction just to remind you who’s in charge is something else.

> That’s when you perform a pointless ritual to convey the feeling of security.

That's exactly what going through the security checkpoint at the airport is. A pointless ritual to convey the feeling of security.

Yes, arbitrary liquid thresholds and similar rules are more about giving airport security tools to remind travelers "who is charge", but it's all part of security theater at a more meta level.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#167
post #114

The Helsinki airport eliminated the liquid rule last year. It also applies to electronics, they can stay in the bag. And of course shoes stay on (European airports never did this particular bit of post-9/11 security theatre). After experiencing how easy it can be, traveling from the US feels like a special hell with the multi-stage papers checks and endless lines and shoeless security dances.

I have found that Airports equipped with the better Smiths hi-scan machine, laptops can stay in the bag. Screeners also seem to let a lot more through. I travel with a ton of cameras and equipment and when I see a modern Smiths machine, my bag makes it through much easier.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be a sample size of one and whatnot, but as a European, the best security experience I've had has been in the US (LAX), by far. In my neck of the woods, I have to take out basically everything from my carry-on. Laptop, camera, lenses, you name it, they want it out. Phone, keys, ditto. They usually ask for the belt to come out, too, and sometimes even the shoes. And this is even for internal flights. LAX, by co…

at Munich airport, at one of terminals they have new devices. You have to leave everything inside. Laptop, water etc. You just have to remove items from your pockets, belt. So much faster. My worst experience was in UK, multiple times, at Manchester airport. So much drama there.

It's been chaotic at Manchester Airport ever since they re-opened after COVID. I'm pretty sure I read there's a lack of staff and they're struggling to hire enough new people.

The last few times I've been I bought fast pass to skip the ridiculous queues at security.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#169

I flew yesterday and in the plane realized I had some water from my daughter in the backpack. It was scanned and missed of course. And why wouldn't they miss it, it's a waste of time anyway. But at least they harassed a 3-year old to stand in a certain way to get scanned and fail at it. Unrelated, but I've come to believe it's a form of social welfare. So much policing for nothing, not just airports, wars on drugs et…

I had to throw away my nice Leatherman Micra (because of the tiny blade) at an airport because I forgot it was in my carry on, only to sit at a restaurant next to the gate and be given a full size serrated steak knife with my meal...

Lucky, last time I had a nice steak dinner at an airport they would only give me a butter knife.

Re: UK airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new scanners

#170
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The liquid bomb threat really is the thing that conspiracy theorists would love: it's a totally made up possible threat by the Big State that hasn't been seen in the wild Incorrect. Betwee 2006 and 2010, seven people were convicted in the uk for conspiring to attack passenger airplanes with liquid explosives (acetone peroxide according to wikipedia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_transatlantic_aircraft_pl...

Still not "in the wild"; they were arrested in the planning stages, and there is no evidence that at any point they successfully produced TATP let alone getting any of their components through security or whether it would have worked on a plane. That was one group, thirteen years ago, and since then everyone is limited to 100ml? Forever?

Anyway, you’re allowed 10 times 100mL, in separate containers. You can easily blow up an airplane with a liter of the right liquid…
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