I discovered an easy way to be nice to strangers on my way back from California. You know that new rule they came up with, where you have to stuff any toiletries you want to carry on into a quart-sized ziploc bag? Well, I discovered the night before I left that I didn't have any quart-sized plastic bags. The only liquids I really had to carry on were prescription meds, so it was all good anyway. But other people in line were having to throw stuff away, because really, who pays attention to the ever-changing rules of the TSA? It was just so pathetic - here it was, 5:00 in the morning, and this poor tired-looking woman was on her knees in front of the table, digging through her and her wheelchair-bound mom's luggage trying to find all their liquids while the TSA lady was telling them, it's been on the internet for weeks, everybody knows about it, blah blah blah.
So while I was out there, I bought a box o' super-cheap quart-sized bags. This meant I could carry on my lotion and whatnot, but here's the good-karma part: I stuffed a bunch of extra bags in my laptop bag and gave them to strangers with unbagged toiletries in the security line. They were ridiculously grateful. Unfortunately, not one of them turned out to be a dying billionaire with an inheritance to give out - none even offered to buy me drinks - but at least I saved a few panicky women from having to throw out their makeup.
4 comments:
OMG, I HATE that rule! I have just started a bit of travelling (those of you who know what I do can interpret that correctly as a good thing), and I had to check my luggage yesterday because I couldn't fit all of my liquids in one quart-sized bag (two, yes, one, absolutely not). It's a good thing I checked the rules before I left for the airport so I didn't try to carry on.
It's probably wrong on some level...but I find this bit hi-lar-ious
To ensure the health and welfare...there are no limits on the amounts of the following...:
* Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as...bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids...
...if these items are in containers larger than three ounces, please perform the following:
1. Separate these items from...your quart-size and zip-top bag.
2. Declare you have the items to one of our Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
3. Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening.
"Hi there, Sir! The TSA website says I'm supposed to declare my WonderBra for your inspection. Would you like me to remove it or would you like to inspect it..in place?"
I, for one, feel much safer now that TSA is protecting me through means of completely arbitrary pronouncements like this one. Do you think they're getting kickbacks from Ziplock?
I noticed that the TSA website does carefully avoid using the ziploc brand name. But not so the individual screeners. Fair enough, because who would stand around yelling about "quart-sized, zip-top, plastic bags"?
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