‘Just take two liquid bags’: please don’t

[OMGitsnotgood]

I’ve just been browsing a FB travel group relating to our local airport. Someone travelling with hand luggage only was asking how on earth people manage to fit all their toiletries into the allowed size plastic bag and included a photo of all the stuff they had, which would only fit in two bags. More than one person said ‘I just take two bags and put them in separate trays so security doesn’t know you’ve two bags’ Lots of ‘oh wow great idea, I’ll try that’ comments. Unfortunately commenting appears to have been switched off in that thread so I can’t respond. I am guessing the original poster on that thread wasn’t an experienced traveller as they hadn’t considered that they didn’t need 100ml shampoo/conditioner/shower gel etc for a 3 day trip and could decant, they also had non-liquid items in those bags. Lots of good advice helped them get it down to one bag, but the ‘just take two bags’ comments concerned me.
I am a very frequent flier from that airport. I have absolutely no idea how people have managed to get two liquid bags even into separate trays as you are watched like a hawk, the security guys tend to check tbe trays, and I have seen people have second bags taken off them on many occasions. Part of me doubts that people have actually managed this, but even if they have, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.

I had an. awful vision of inexperienced travellers who are perhaps nervous anyway having toiletries taken off them thanks to some duff advice from a random internet person so thought I’d pop it on here in the unlikely event someone had read that thread, and was planning on doing it without fully thinking it through.

I wish this was all I had to concern myself with in life

I have often taken 2 bags ... But now most you don't need to take liquids out at all.

You seem very anxious about other people's methods of traveling

ok I get the message. To be clear, I don’t ‘hate’ people who do this. I do care about seeing people upset at getting bags taken off them (not just ‘a bit of shower gel’ but often expensive stuff) - and it really does still happen. Anyway, this was clearly an ill-judged post so will step back and leave you to mock my attempt to be helpful.

The toiletry police at Manchester airport are the worst ever. I understand where the OP is coming from. It’s always the most stressful part of the trip

Last November travelling from Manchester airport.
In a clear bag there was a lipstick, mascara and a tiny pot of face cream.
Also I had a pack of babies water wipes in my bag.
These were taken off me.

If a friend carried on like this I would hand them a paper bag and tell them to blow into it, I don't see the drama

This. Who cares. Even if their stuff does get binned they can buy more

Manchester security is absolute jokes. Bag regularly gets pulled for various random reasons. Last time it was straighteners as I only had carryon. Sails through at T5 Heathrow. The 100ml isn’t even a thing in most Middle Eastern airports. DH managed to bring 100ml of suncream back from Cairo last week. No questions. Sooner the new scanners are in the better.

@OMGitsnotgood I’ve had similar experience to you. Last July my friend had to bin lots of stuff as she couldn’t do the correct size clear bag up and just 3 weeks ago I watched a girl have to throw away one of her clear bags as she wasn’t allowed two 🤷🏼‍♀️. This was Stansted both times.

What OP? Theres no limit on the number of clear bags you can take. You just have to have everything in bags. I always have two bags and no one bats an eyelid. What a weird thing to be concerned about

Ok i see now some airports are dicks. Never had a problem at Luton, Heathrow or Gatwick 🤷🏻‍♀️

I usually carry my liquids and my kids, sometimes dp too so we've got 4 bags of liquid in the same backpack. Never been an issue so I believe it would be easy enough to put two bags through security.

Last time I was at an airport there was a woman in front of me at security, travelling alone with, I kid you not, multiple bags all stuffed with small bottles/jars, I think she had literally several dozen containers and was clearly only travelling for a weekend away with a carry-on so I have no idea why she needed so much stuff (nb it was all cosmetic, not medicines or something)! They seemed to be letting her through with all of it, though.

That's fine, until your checked bag goes missing and you don't have your bottle of the one brand of sunscreen that doesn't set off your eczema.

It's a really good idea to have a small bag containing spare knickers and socks, clean t-shirt and light trousers, toiletries, and prescription medication in the cabin with you as insurance against delayed flights, lost luggage, and other people's children spilling orange juice on you mid-flight.

Or just don't take liquids. Where the heck are folk going that they need 2 bags of toiletries. Most destinations have shops.

I got a gum infection in the US. In the UK, you can buy chlorhexidine mouthwash in Tesco off the shelves. In the US, you need a doctor's or dentist's prescription. I was so regretful of not having a couple of 100ml bottles of Corsodyl with me. The peroxide-based mouthwash you can get in the States just doesn't touch a gum infection.

I now refuse point-blank to travel without Corsodyl.

I flew out of Gatwick a few weeks ago and there was no directive to separate liquids from hand luggage, nor were there any plastic bags provided. A friend flew from Manchester recently and said the same applied there so I imagine all UK airports will follow suit eventually.

You are getting very anxious about other people getting slightly inconvenienced at Airport security.

I once had a rude security woman insist that everything had to fit into the airport plastic bag - I’d put mine in a kitchen ziplock that was marginally larger than the airport one. She made me remove items until the airport bag could be closed and she retained the things that didn’t fit. It seemed unnecessary. But it does happen.

City used to be the absolute worse for enforcing their own variation of the liquid rules. I remember being told (at some length) that I must put my lipstick in my clear bag as lipstick was considered a liquid at City. I used to travel internationally a lot with work and City was the only airport I’ve ever used that insisted lipstick is a liquid. Thank God those days are over!

Actually the restriction used to be ONE clear bag that is no bigger than one litre size.

I don't imagine anyone would be upset at having some toothpaste etc removed.
If they are, they can fix their upset by buying more.

I've been caught out like this at Heathrow though, was definitely only allowed one clear bag and they were not budging. Luckily I could fit some of my stuff in my husbands one.
Maybe depends on the time of day or the staff as it seems to vary a bit!

As far as I can see, the issue is that the more people that double up on all this stuff, the more time it takes to get through security. Roll on the new scanners so they can speed up the queues.

Exactly. Much ado about nothing. 🙄