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.

How do you know that the checks haven't foiled terrorist attacks?

We don't know that for certain. But you can see why people are cynical. - different airports in the same country appear to have totally different standards.

You can take some things through security at Manchester that would get binned at Heathrow. Someone posted upthread that they got two bottles of water through security whereas some airports make you throw away any 100ml container that won't fit in your little re-sealable sandwich bag.

If the rules are there for a reason, they should have one rule for everyone at every airport and stick to it. But the rules at the moment seem incredibly arbitrary which leads me (and others) to believe they're just there for the sake of it. If they genuinely prevented terrorism, they'd be stuck to every single day of the year, but they're not.

I have been told off more than once for taking off my shoes voluntarily. My belt too I think. One guard looked unconvinced at my shirt dress once when I told him I would not be taking it off! He seemed to think it was a coat.

I HATE it all. Being barked at and people shuffling about the dirty floor in their socks or bare feet.

The staff really seem to hate their jobs, in my experience they can be downright nasty.

I have also accompanied school trips. They want the trip leader at the front of the group at all times. Simultaneously they want the trip leader beside every student as they go through, in case they need to scan them. But they don't want the trip leader to loiter and get really annoyed no matter what you do.

The rules are there to try and minimise the chance that 4 planes will be hijacked and flown into various buildings. The rules are there to try to stop 2977 people being killed in 3 hours.

If you say so ... maybe they were 18 years ago. Personally I'd be more reassured if 1/10th of what is being expended in the name of "security" was put into more rigorous testing of planes so we don't have a parade of 737Maxes falling out of the sky ...

I can't get wound up by it to be honest.

The basic principles are the same and packing according to the strict letter vs "what might/might not count" hasn't caused me any issues.

What annoys me much more is when airlines say a size for cabin bags, people turn up with much bigger cabin bags and then those at the back of the queue are told their hand luggage has to go in the hold. If their giant case is too big for the measurements, charge them to check it in. Equally if you say one bag then please enforce it, don't allow half a dozen people to carry their cabin bag and a large handbag on board.

I don't mind the checks but like everyone else says consistency at every airport.
I had one scary incident when ds2 had put a plastic knife hed brought into my hand luggage had 3 very scary men come up to me grab my bag then all laugh when they saw it was a child's toy. I didn't even think about it at all until afterwards and realised I probably should of put it in the tray to be scanned separately.

The ones that bark at you about your sunglasses on top of your head which you've clearly got 100 kilos of coke stuffed into. Just say you've forgot your sunglasses every time they shout at me for it no need.

I’ve also been forced to hop through the arch while my crutches were scanned. I fell over on one occasion and apparently they are not allowed to help you up nor can someone help you until they’ve been through. Which is hard when you’re lying legs akimbo under the arch in excruciating pain.

Aridane

This level of security is becoming more and more common. I have been through similar for the Eurotunnel. You have to have your bags scanned and go through a metal detector for the Shard in London. The same thing happened at the CN Tower in Toronto. Some London theatres and sporting venues do it too.

I usually pay the extra to go through the 'fast track' security not only is it much, much quicker, it's easier too. The staff seem to be nicer and more helpful, perhaps they're less stressed one gave me an extra plastic bag when I had too much in the original one, another one told me very nicely not to bother with various bits and bobs, 'just go through, love.'
Well worth the extra six or seven quid. (But it's usually just me or me and DH, I'm not travelling as a family or four or five, which would bump up the costs.)

I will be traveling out of Amsterdam tomorrow and they've upgraded their scanners and such, and it's a breeze now to go through there. I think some UK airports are in the process of doing this too. They still ask you to have your liquids separate, but it can stay in your bag, no taking off belts, etc. Still checks, but without the horrific queues.

Having said that, my chemistry-graduate husband has often said it takes a lot less than 100 mls of liquid to do some serious damage...

I find it varies hugely between airports- both in the rules themselves and the attitude and flexibility of the staff. And the airport with the strictest rules and the nastiest, most rigid staff, by a very long way, is Manchester. The queues are enormous, always, because they make everyone use about four different trays, so there is a massive bottleneck as everyone has to wait for there to be room to get another tray on the conveyor belt. And they seem to do the full pat-down on a high proportion going through the scanner. And the amount of snapping, barking and sarcasm unleashed at people who have the temerity to have paid to board a plane is incredible. I’m always shocked when I go through any other airport by how nice and calm and relaxed the staff are in comparison.

I remember when they brought these measures in, soon after 9/11. There was quite a furore because some aspects just hadn't been thought through.

I think, if I recall correctly, there was initially a rigid "no sharp objects of any description" rule, but it meant that people with medical conditions like diabetes were not going to be allowed to take their medication on board with them, with obvious problems, particularly on long haul flights. It was also rigidly applied to families with young babies, who would need to take bottles of formula to feed the baby.

So it was amended to what we have today.

I have no issue with the rules and why they are there, but the inconsistency of application at different airports is very confusing.

"I remember when they brought these measures in, soon after 9/11.

Not quite. The attacks on the twin towers was in 2001. The restrictions on liquids were introduced in 2006, in response to concerns about the mixing of certain chemicals on a flight - essentially a form of mid-air chemical warfare.

If you want to read up on it, as good a start as any is googling 'Al Qaeda chemical threat' and reading and linking from the more scholarly returns from that.

I was however utter chaos for a couple of days when first introduced - pre-mixed baby formula and prescribed liquid medicines being particular difficulties. The ban on sharps had been in place since 2001 (if not earlier; in response to previous plane hijackings) so those who injected were used to carrying their prescription/doctors letter to be allowed boarding. Others on long flights were a bit stuffed, as they had no notice they needed one to be allowed med's in hand luggage - the restrictions had just come in overnight with no prior notice.

The whole thing is sucking the joy out of travel. I quite like flying, and am laidback in general, but I HATE the security part of things.
My local airport (Edinburgh) got my holiday off to a pretty shitty start. I got my toiletries in the wee plastic bag, but they chucked some because it wouldn't quite seal. I mean, FFS ...

I really hope all these products are put to good use (women's hostels, homeless shelters, food banks) and not landfilled.

The security staff were bloody miserable. I mean, no-one's holding a gun to their heads to be there.

The whole thing is sucking the joy out of travel Is it? It barely even registers to me, its just a part of being at an airport - customs, security, passport control, boarding. It really takes so little time to go through now, with all the new equipment.

Don't really understand why people need more than a bagful of toiletries anyway, put them in hold?

My sons plastic water pistol was confiscated at stanstead
But they were quite ok with the other one at the bottom of the clear bag
It doesn’t make sense

Each of the rules has been introduced because of an attempt to blow up a plane.

The liquids started after a 2006 plot to carry explosive liquids on board planes disguised as soft drinks. The plot was foiled by British police

The shoe thing started after 2001 when a guy carried explosives on board an American Airlines plane and tried to detonate them. He was stopped

The laptop thing is because they have big batteries and over time security forces have realised that it is difficult to scan them effectively when you also add the layers of padding often found in laptop bags. Then in 2017 there was intelligence that al quaeda (sp?) had a plot to use laptops for explosives and so for a time they were banned from hand luggage all together when traveling from certain parts of the world.

The reason that some airports have different rules, and for different people is the varying levels of scanning technology. More modern efficient scanners can cope with scanning deeper and more effectively. Older scanner in place in some airports cant do this and the new CT scanners cost 300000 USD.
Some countries have arrangements where you can join a scheme to pre authorise your identity and if you are assessed as low risk, you can be processes with fewer checks. Global Entry and TSA Pre Check are two of them

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...

I’ve often wondered this! I don’t think for a second that all the brand new luxury cosmetics and toiletries, alcohol and perfume are binned. Not for a moment!!

Plus why not have similar security for other crowded / confined forms of transport at other crowded places?

That's what I was thinking. There have been train and tube bombings, and yet you can get a train without anyone even knowing your name, let alone checking what you are bringing with you.

Re: the liquids rule: I’m interested to know what happens after passengers have gone through security? Because in theory, a group of people could combine their 100ml liquids.
I’m assuming cctv covers all departures areas, boarding gates etc What about airport toilets? And what about when actually on the flight? Do cabin crew intervene if a passenger tries to take their hand luggage into the toilet? Does cctv cover the whole cabin and are passengers observed pretty much all the time?

Hopefully someone with knowledge will be able to shed light on this. I understand the need for all this security; im just interested in what happens after everyone goes through, given there is often an hour or more until they get on the flight

*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... *

Good grief.

It's people like you that contribute to the huge queues at security!

How can you not know you can't take bottles of booze in hand luggage?!

We flew back from Newark a few days ago and were asked to remove all food from our hand luggage, which was a first for me. It was only announced while we were queuing; first, they said "all chocolate and candy", and this turned into "all food" just before our trays went through, so it was a bit of a mad scramble to get everything out in time.

The security staff were bloody miserable. I mean, no-one's holding a gun to their heads to be there.

I imagine dealing with some of the utter idiots they must encounter on this thread day in day out would have some effect on their attitude.

I always greet them with a pleasant hello/good morning/good afternoon, and maybe a bit of friendly chit chat if there is a hold up and I've not yet found one who wasn't perfectly friendly in return.

Some countries have arrangements where you can join a scheme to pre authorise your identity and if you are assessed as low risk, you can be processes with fewer checks. Global Entry and TSA Pre Check are two of them

TSA Precheck is often given to people who have not been pre-assessed. My teens regularly get TSA Precheck status for no apparent reason. Sometimes one doesn't but the other two do, then on the flight home a different one will not get it while the other two do. We've never been able to work out the logic behind it.

Security is hugely inconsistent between different airports, most non Western countries I've been to don't care about taking out liquids from hand luggage.

I also think our regulations are to try and make passengers feel safe- I've accidentally brought a massive pair of scissors in my hand luggage once which got through Heathrow without being noticed

It really takes so little time to go through now

ha ha ha

depends on airport and luck of the draw!