Airport Security - The Clear Plastic Bag Question

[Mosaic]

Recently I was told by a security person at Manchester Airport that I should not be presenting my teeny shower gel and toothpaste etc in a clear plastic zip-top cosmetic bag, but in a resealable polythene bag.
I have presented said bag at many airports including Manchester and never had any problem .... is this a new regulation? And can anyone explain why a clear plastic zipped bag is less secure than a bag off a roll?
It's not like I can strangle the pilot with the zip.

[boxtops]

Can't say, mosaic, I've done both. The regulations say "clear plastic resealable bag" so perhaps you got a jobsworth :-(

[coccinelle]

Because that's what's written in the instructions. More harm can be done with shoe laces or any piece of clothing than a pair of nail clippers but there you go!!

[jno]

that's been the rule all along (some airports hand out the bags) so I suppose all that's happened is that someone has started enforcing it.

[Mosaic]

Coccinelle - I have read the Mcr airport instructions and all it says is resealable, less than 1 litre capacity, not crammed. All of which I dutifully fulfill. I'm inclined to the jobsworth explanation, but I'm too canny to argue in a security queue!

[Hopkirk]

Perhaps like many airports they are now selling the bags they used to hand out, and want to maximise profits.

[Mosaic]

Soz Jno we crossed over - again, their own reg's do not say anything other than resealable.

[LyndaB]

We are regular fliers through Manchester airport, and this regulation has been in place for quite some time. Liquids, gels etc must be in containers no bigger then 100ml, and I think no more than 400ml in total must be in the bag, which must be transparent and resealable. I use ziplock freezer bags and they have always been acceptable.

[boxtops]

Hopkirk's right, I've seen them selling bags too. I take zippy freezer bags from home.

[grasscarp]

I use the ones they hand out at Heathrow. Usually take two in case I need one on the return journey from somewhere that doesnt have them. I can remember having to buy a bag once from a regional UK airport but forget which one. Have also noticed that although I put a few things into the bag they dont really bother if some things (tiny moisturiser for example) are not put in it. Got stopped at Johannesburg last month. They had spotted a water bottle that I had totally forgotten about in my hand luggage. The security girl kept studying it as it was an unusual make. I said do you want me to drink it to show you it is ok. All the emphasis seems to be now on liquids rather than sharp objects. It is all crazy. I have a friend who is a pilot. She had her tweezers taken off her. On board she has a crash axe on the flight deck!

[237SJ]

The rule is that it should be a plastic freezer type bag. We were all using the M&S clear cosmetic bag for about 2 years until the Home Office decided to enforce the rule on the plastic ones (the cosmetic ones are ususally three-dimensional which are not strictly adhering to "the rules")

[Prudie]

You got a jobsworth Mosaic. I've been putting my make-up in a normal see-through zipped cosmetic bag at a variety of airports UK and Europe. Never had a problem.

[Hopkirk]

I bet the person who wrote the rules didn't envisage a zippy bag being refused.

I think Boxy was right - jobsworth.

[jamesnan]

Try going through Stansted now, it has to be a 6" sealable plastic bag, which they sell 4 for £1. (they used to be free) and I was told anything which had been liquid had to be put into it, ie lipstick, lip balm etc. The airports vary, in Edinburgh they are free.

[boxtops]

Not just liquid, jamesnan - things like Tiger Balm have to go in the bag too, and Vick sticks.

[Hopkirk]

You have to pay for everything at Stansted now - even dropping somebody off without parking.

[Answerprancer]

I was at Gatwick airport once and I stumbled upon a similar farce:
I presented my hand-luggage for inspection and was told that my toothpaste must be in a re-sealable plastic bag.
This is roughly how the conversation went:

Security Bloke: This must be in a re-sealable plastic bag.
Me: Oh, I didn't collect one on the way through.
Security Bloke: Then I can't let you take it on board.
Me: Ah, the stack of bags is just back there (pointing to the security gate behind me) can I go and get one?
Security Bloke: No, once you've come this far, you can't go back.
Me: (Spotting a few of them lying around on the shelves from where the security bloke was serving) Oh look, there are some right next to you, could I have one of those please?
Security Idiot: No, sorry - I cant let you have one.
Me: But they are the same regulation re-sealable bags as those ones back there?
Security Bloke: Yes.
Me: Well, why can't I have one of those? they're right there next to you!!
Security Moron: It's against regulations for me to give you one of those.
Me: But they're the SAME ONES as the ones supplied back there!!!
Security Idiot: Yes, I know, it's against the rules for me to hand you one.
Me: Why?
Security Totally Stupid Dogmatic Git: Because it's against the rules.
Me: You've already told me that, WHY is it "against the rules"?
Security TSDG: Because it's against the rules.
Me: Ok, so it comes down to just plain dogma then?
Security TSDG: (silence)

[grasscarp]

Rules is rules AP! Nice story though.

[237SJ]

Conversation with a Captain I know who was flying a 747 back from the States (before they made crew exempt from the liquids rules):-

Security guard - "Sir, you can`t take that bottle of water with you"
Captain - "Why not?"
Security guard - "Security, Sir"
Captain - "What do you think I`m going to do, storm the flight deck and take control of the aircraft?"
Security guard "It`s security, Sir"

[spudqueen]

No 237SJ, but some liquids can be mixed together to make a bomb.

[rockyracoon]

I bit moot though spud, he was the pilot, if he'd wanted to do something disastrous he could do it without the water!