By now, we are all used to the norm of traveling with liquids – they must be under 3.3 oz/100ml and presented for inspection at security in airports. If you have TSA PreCheck, you don’t have to remove your liquids at all and can just go through. But, I was just passing through one airport that handled liquids differently that I had experienced anywhere else.
How One Airport Handles Liquids At Security
Airport Security
When it comes to things like aviation security and national security, I am certainly not an expert and those things are way outside of my field so I tend to not comment on how various policies are. I do wonder about the issues with some of them as how some things are handled tend to seem ludicrous to me but I don’t normally write about them.
I am sure we all may have various opinions about how liquids are handled at airport security and why some places allow certain things to skate while others seem to go beyond the rules in enforcement. And, how about that people can bring any amount of liquids to the security area and actually dispose of them in general waste bags just before going through – wouldn’t that be a little anxiety-inducing that potentially dangerous liquids are just tossed with others in a place with possibly hundreds of people crowded in lines??
Checking Liquids at Paris Beauvais Airport
On a recent trip, I had two of my sons with me and we flew in and out of the Paris Beauvais airport. For those not familiar with it, it is located a little outside of the city of Paris and is the airport of choice for many low cost European airlines. As such, it is actually a really great place to fly in and out of because there are not a ton of people around and transportation is quite easy to Paris. Not only that, but since there are typically only one or two flights at a time, getting through security quickly is a breeze.
The Forgotten Bottle of Water
I always make sure my travel bottle is empty and did the same with my boys. However, my oldest son forgot about an almost full bottle of water in his backpack. They caught it in the scanner and took it out. I continued packing our things up, assuming that they would dump it like at other places. However, she took it over to some kind of scanner in a corner, poured some of it in there and then came back and said we could take it. It definitely had more than 100ml in it and I was surprised that she gave it back to us!
I have never gone through an airport where they actually tested liquids before letting travelers continue on with them. I realize this would be a huge and expensive undertaking at larger airports but certainly was thankful for it at this airport!
Have you been to an airport where they test your liquids and then give them back?
Never seen it but I think it’s a good idea. It may slow down the process so they may add some constraints but for a limited amount of liquid containing items, it should be done. The fact that you can’t get through with water always amazes me. Granted it could just as well be vodka or something else, but a 5 second test would prove it.
I have friend who is diabetic and just when thru security in Cancun Mexico that did they same thing with her bottle of mt dew.