~Traveling With Liquids~

Headed to the beach, well don’t forget to either buy or take some sunscreen. Trying to make sure that you are taking enough sunscreen or shampoo to last you through your week long vacation can be difficult to predict. If you are trying to pack your luggage and you aren’t sure how to pack liquids (shampoo, sunscreen, etc.) you aren’t alone. It can be complicated to try and understand what is allowed or what’s not now a days. Transportation Security Administration’s Website can be difficult to comprehend.

“Starting Sept. 26, 2006 - Air travelers may now carry liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on bag when going through security checkpoints.
With certain exceptions for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, baby formula and breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, the following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols you want to carry through a security checkpoint.

1. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.

2. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.

3. Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.”


I keep on rereading this and I can’t get a clear idea of what it means I can take. It can be really hard to try and pack every liquid that you will need for a weeklong vacation into a three-ounce container and trying to make sure that you follow the proper procedures. Then you have to be sure that you don’t pack that Ziploc bag at the bottom of the suitcase, otherwise you will be digging around your carry on while people behind you are trying to wait patiently while looking at their watches. I don’t know how people can deal with that sort of pressure, I would be so nervous that I wouldn’t get through security or that they would stop me and search everything.

It seems a bit extreme at times, and I know they only want what's best for us, but I am not carrying a bomb in my fingernail polish bottle, so don't pat me down. If that happened I could miss my flight, get split up from my family, or be incarcerated and totally be screwed. I would have to just play it safe and not take any liquids if at all possible. I can’t stand the idea of ruining my or my family’s vacation just because I didn’t pack my shampoo bottles correctly. It may be a bit more expensive, but I would much rather be safe than sorry. If anyone has a more clear idea on how this system works, I am more than willing to hear your suggestions.