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OK, it's not really a ban on all liquids, but it is a ban on liquids bring brought on the plane as carry-on.
I'm a bit torn on this subject. Yes, it was horrible that they were plotting to bring liquid explosives on a plane. But now all liquids are banned on flights. But really, where does it stop? I have to take off my shoes whenever I go through security because some guy had a shoe bomb. Now I can't bring drinks on a plane because someone was planning on bringing a liquid bomb. What's next? I can't bring my laptop on because someone had a bomb in their laptop? I can't wear a bra because someone create a bra-bomb?
Some of you know that I used to travel a lot. I traveled less than a week after 9/11 and it was chaos at the airport, everyone was paranoid and the lines were neverending. But I was ok with that...the extra security was for my protection, and to tell the truth, it had been pretty bad before. It was good to see an extra boost in security. I didn't mind that I wasn't allowed to bring nailcutters on the plane.
Then the whole shoe-bomb fiasco. Lines got even longer as people would forget to take off their shoes, or they would stop to ask the security of their shoes were ok to leave on. I had to worry about what socks I was wearing, or make sure I was WEARING socks. Lines were jammed as people stopped to put their shoes back on.
Now it's liquids, and I'm happy I don't fly as much anymore, because that sucks. I had always traveled with a water bottle to hydrate me on the plane. You don't get a lot of water on the plane - all you get is a shot of water and that's about it unless you bug the flight attendant for more. The air is dry in a plane and I get sick if I don't hydrate myself.
Water isn't the only thing that isn't allowed on planes as carry on - "The ban on liquids and gels covered such things as shampoo, toothpaste, contact lens solution, perfume and water bottles." Well then...a nice weekend with a small suitcase brought as carry on will now have to be checked in and add another 1/2 an hour to your trip as you wait for your itty bitty bag in the baggage claim, since you can't bring your contact lens solution with you on the plane. Gah! Road warriors will revolt!
"The only exceptions were for baby formula and medications, which had to be presented for inspection at security checkpoints." This made me think...I had read somewhere that mothers had to drink some of the formula at checkpoints. What if it was breastmilk? (I haven't tried it yet...it just seems weird to me!)
Women were also forced to give up their lipgloss. Lipgloss! Oh the humanity! Damn you terrorists, you've taken away my right to have my 4 tubes of lipgloss with me on the plane!!!
But yes, I understand the need for more security. It just makes me wonder how far we will go, how much the airline industry will lose when people just don't want to deal with flying anymore. Dave and I were talking while watching the news, and he said, "See? You shouldn't travel anymore. It's dangerous out there." I replied with, "If we change our lives because we're scared of them, they win!" Because really, I'm going to keep on living my life and doing what I want to do. If I get caught up in something bad in the air, it was just my time, I'm not going to stop flying because I'm afraid of terrorists.
OK, rant over.
I don't even know why I'm complaining...it's going to be a while until I travel again for work!
News stories:
Liquid as Weapon? For Many, a Scary Thought
U.S. travelers adjusting to new rules
No toothpaste or lipstick but baby formula okay
my best friend, abby works at O'Hare and she told me she was so upset when she got to work because security took her un-opend bottle of water and her favorite perfume and just threw it in a garbage bin! Craziness!
Posted by: marilyn on August 11, 2006 03:21 PMDon't kill me, but I'll be thrilled if people start checking their luggage. Boarding and de-boarding take so much longer with everyone searching for places for their carry-ons that you'd just use that extra time to get your stuff at baggage claim if people would just bring small items on board instead. (Not to mention, I hate being the unlucky SOB who gets to board last, only to find the overhead-bin hogs have taken all the space already! Flight attendants are totally unsympathetic when that happens. Hmph!)
However, I just don't see how it's possible to survive a flight longer than 2 hours without a water bottle and lip gloss. I don't need gloss to look pretty, I need it so my lips don't crack and bleed! This is going to be torture...
Posted by: noelle on August 11, 2006 04:33 PMI read something today that the stories about women being required to drink breast milk or formula before they could bring it on a plane were inaccurate. At least I hope so.
If they're going to ban water bottles, then airlines will need to make more water available on the plane. No doubt about that, especially for longer flights.
I guess some of the elements that are used to make the liquid bombs are difficult to detect using current technology so the best way to minimize the likelihood of that type of bomb getting on the plane.
When my niece flew back to Florida, after a lengthy Michigan vacation, she refused to take her shoes off at the security checkpoint. It turned out to be no big deal. The security staff just scanned them while they were on her feet which was probably faster anyway because she was one less person clogging the security line to take her shoes off and put them back on. Maybe staff should consider doing that for other passengers.
At any rate, we can't stop flying altogether or they DO win.
I agree with everything Christine said.
As I watched news reports yesterday I thought "Pretty soon we are going to have to be butt-ass naked to fly!"
I know the security measures are there for a reason, but it does seem extreme.
I am also of belief that if it's my time to go it's my time to go so I would never not fly for fear that I might die on a flight. I might stop flying if I can't take my lip gloss and anti-bacterial hand gel on board though....
A girl has to have her priorities!
Posted by: Anita on August 11, 2006 05:09 PMThe way to end this madness is to put in power someone who knows what they're doing! Thanks to Bush we have more enemies than Al Queda could have dreamed of on 9/11. I'm not arguing politics...just plain old competence. I'd even vote for Bush if his policies were effective. They're not.
Posted by: SusanG on August 11, 2006 10:17 PMi saw on jay leno where he made a joke about the new flying security. a
video showed where everyone was naked :P
As a flight attendant, i was aggravated as well, ditching my shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Until i came to work and found that everyone had checked their bags... Boarding is 40% faster and we've got nothing but room for jackets, guitar cases & laptop luggage! What a relief, not having people "move in" for their 1hr flight... You can have all the water you like from me - just get on & sit down. The hardest part of flying is the boarding process. Too many carryons! I'm hoping the no liquids rule stays in effect.
Also, i wouldn't be too disappointed if someone tried and failed with the "bra bomb" idea. =)
I don't travel nearly as much as I used to, but I am glad for that ban especially after what happened. I'd like to think that I'm "safe" on a filght to wherever it is I am going. I want to make sure that I make it home to my family.
Posted by: Irene on August 14, 2006 10:53 AMActually, I check my luggage 95% of the time when I travel. I only bring carry on when it's a one night trip. I really hate being stressed out because I'm scared I'll have to check in my luggage at the plane, that and if I'm the last to board, it gets annoying when the flight attendants have to delay the plane launching just because they're rearranging the luggage so mine can fit in an overhead.
But dammit, my lips need to be moisturized! Do you give out chapstick on your flights, Nino? :-P
Posted by: Yano on August 16, 2006 03:47 AMsubj to arouse interest
Posted by: curing toenail fungus on October 11, 2006 11:27 AM
