Reasoning behind airport security rules

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Just wondering, why is it 100ml max for carry on liquids?

Is it because it is deemed that nothing in that small a quantity could do damage, as opposed to say standard 250ml shower gel bottles?

Also why the specific rules about the size of the see through bag you put it in? Understand why it has to be see-through but why does it matter about whether you use a medium or large freezer bag if the amount you can put in it is the same anyway? And if it's considered safe as long as an item is capped at 100ml, why do they limit how many bottles your are allowed to take in total?

And why does a tablet have to come out of your bag and go in the tray separately but your phone doesn't?

Just generally curious surrounding the rules and reasoning behind the liquids rules.

And before anyone says anything, yes I do do the whole bag thing properly by the rules, and do not fuss about it at the airport etc etc etc but just wondering why those particular rules were chosen.

You don't show an ESTA it's digital.

You don't show an ESTA it's digital.

Oh ffs. I think you get it's digital!

Is an ESTA digital?!

rules vary from airport to airport. I fly quite a lot (30+ flights per year) and sometimes it's shoes, sometimes I bleep going through, phones are sometimes scanned separately and sometimes stay in your bag. Generally now I leave any cosmetics in my hand luggage inside a plastic bag and they can scan it again if they wish - but 90% of the time it just goes through. I was recently in Vietnam and it was shoes, belt, watch, cameras, phones, ipads - everything, but transit through HK was just ipad.
I suspect that part of the process is to reassure passengers than the security staff are in control.

I fly quite a lot in the US and do TSAPre, and I don't have to take anything out of my bag. I do have to make sure any liquids aren't more than 100ml but they don't have to go in a special bag. I don't have to take off my shoes.

It's hard to remember the rules coz some airports are more stricter than others. We came back from Barcelona and my we completely forgot about the liquids rules in hand luggage. My boyfriend bought loads of alcohol that had to be confiscated, 3 times we were took thru security and each time they had different rules. One of them looked at my boyfs phone it was switched off and he hadn't got the charger, I read online all technology has to be charged or they confiscate it. She didn't!! There was nail varnish and other bits of make up in my case that went unnoticed which I hadn't realised was there, all they were interested in was the alcohol!!

They drug swabbed my bf, he must look like he takes drugs, none of this happened in the UK going out it was so strict.
Another time I had to throw some liquids, they went straight for my brand new bottle of perfume, I refused and said I would throw a cheap bottle of suncream instead! Makes you wonder if they do indeed throw it all away...

We missed the flight 😢

I have read recently they are talking of relaxing this rule which was brought in years ago after a terror plot was foiled.

I agree, total inconsistency with it though. I've been through security and had to choose which items to discard as the bag wouldn't fully close and others where the bag was so full it wouldn't close at all but I still got through. The last one I went on I chanced it and split my items between 2 clear plastic bags and put one on with my tray with hand luggage case and used a separate tray for cardigan, handbag etc and plonked my other clear bag with that and got both through! The friend I was with had squeezed so much stuff into the one bag she had and was made to take stuff out lol.

I think it's a mixture of safety and expressing control.

The liquid/paste restriction reduces the impact any weapon that could be made from them. The no sharp objects, toy weapons etc one obvious.

The rest (what needs to be in and out) I think is more about showing who's compliant and who's an awkward git to security.

Haven't been to every airport in the world but they have have signs and mored often than not repeated recorded broadcasts about what you have to do. (The small airports generally don't have broadcasts but are so small that the security staff just tell you.) Shouldnt be a surprise to anyone what is expected in the airport!!

The one thing I do judge security on is how they handle a person with restricted ability of some sort. Physically or mentally.

(Such as I judge negatively they get annoyed at a person not doing something that person is obviously not equipped to do.)

@perimenohell say that again?

It still shocks me how many people fall foul of the liquids rule. This has been the rule for at least 10 years, whether you agree with it or not. There is really no excuse for "forgetting" and yes if you try to pass security with a mahoosive bottle of sunscreen or a bottle of red wine it's going to be taken.

And as for "why not destroy it if it;s sooooo dangerous" - most of the stuff taken isn't dangerous in everyday life. Small scissors, pen knives, perfume, oversized drinks, matches, etc.

"They drug swabbed my bf, he must look like he takes drugs"

Some airports also have a system where there is a random bleep and next passenger must have enhanced check including being swabbed - it happened to my then pre-teen DD twice in a row.

@Blackcountrychik83
They will have randomly swabbed his hands for signs of explosives.
I’ve had it done before.

You probably should read up on the rules regarding what you can take through security rather than turning up with stuff and wondering why you missed a flight.
Surely everyone knows what you can and can’t take through anymore?

Between the ages of 2-4 my DD went through a stage of needing drug and explosive swabs. Totally random.
But at our local airport in Germany where they have body scanners she is deemed to small and gets a quick pay down..

DH is Army... He has set off explosive scanners but gets waved through on his ID. They were more concerned about the two hundred fridge magnets he had (welfare ones- they have emergency contact numbers).

It's the taking your shoes off that gets my goat. It's nearly always women asked to remove their shoes. So demeaning standing there in your socks!

Slightly off the point but I once flew from Stansted with hand luggage full of exam scripts and was called aside by security. I learnt later that a tightly packed case of papers comes up on their machines as very similar to explosives!

I was also ordered to open a flight bag at Birmingham earlier this year because I’d forgotten I had an iPad in it. This was particularly embarrassing as the flight bag was locked with a code that I couldn’t remember as DH had locked it and he had zoomed ahead of me!

Its all just security theatre...take your 4 or 5 100ml bottles, meets your friend with theirs and there’s enough liquid volume for a problem. Hand luggage search has (I believe) never foiled a terrorist plot. Happy to have them check no knives/guns (potential spontaneous weapons for drunk people) but bombs etc should be spotted by better profiling etc. EL Al (Israeli airline) is far less worried about laptops etc and far more careful interviewing everyone who goes on board...

It's to make it look like they're doing something to keep you safe, that's all.

If it was a genuine thing then every single airport would have the same rules and regulations and they don't. I fly from Manchester and how strict they are depends massively on the time of day, the person, how busy it is and all sorts else.

It's not consistent because it's just a charade they have to keep up.

No idea given people seem to be able to stow away in landing gear quite easily. I can’t imagine they go through security and for all we know could be a suicide bomber who will detonate mid route even if they are frozen at that point.

They uncovered a plot to carry various chemicals in water bottles then mix them on the flight. I was flying the day after or there abouts, they banned all hand luggage for about a week or two then brought it the liquids ban. We were travelling with 2 kids in nappies and the airline gave each passenger a small clear carrier bag and you had to check everything else

Because one simple rule is a LOT easier to implement and remember than myriad, changing ones. It also makes it easier to state the rule and not be drawn into negotiation about how xyz allowed abc last week.

As for the anecdotes about how "one security didn't like my lipstick" etc, I tend to put that down to specific security threats we have absolutely no idea whatsoever about on any given day.

We wander blindly about with our heads in the clouds, whilst every single day there are alerts and threats being identified and neutralised behind the scenes.

They have new machines at Heathrow now so you don't have to separate out all your liquids

The rules are always the same.

They might get enforced with different levels of strictness but that isn’t a reason for the rules being ‘hard to remember ‘ and turning up with more liquids etc.

I wish they would just do away with cabin baggage. The endless queues and security expense of people with wheely bags and endless toiletries could be cut by more than half, and put the extra resources into baggage handling and getting your checked bags off quickly.

Security have to mix it up, otherwise if you’re up to no good, you’ll work out which rules to bend

I just wish it was consistent. I've no issue with any of it but do get somewhat when the people there are getting shouty or cross with passengers for not knowing what to take out or take off. No one ever knows because the rules change between every airport.

I just want to know well in advance, as these are all things which seem to change between airports and even terminals:

What constitutes as liquid?
How many tubes/tubes allowed?
Does my Kindle need to come out?
Does my iPad?
Belt yes or no?
Cardigan and hoodies on or off?
Shoes?
My camera - my biggest pain as some leave it in the bag and others want every individual lens etc out?
Watch?

Just make a decision!