have you ever walked by airport security
on your way to your plane eager to get
on with your 12-hour flight only to be
confronted by a six-foot man in blue
you're left confused and a bit panicked
what crime could you possibly have
committed you notice too late the
dangerous item in your hand a 125
milliliter bottle of Fiji water don't
worry you aren't the only one thousands
of travelers around the world have gone
through the same experience you have
unable to transport their precious
liquids through the terminals however
none have probably come close to ending
up in these three bizarre situations in
2015 a Chinese woman drank an entire
bottle of cognac at the Beijing Airport
not a joke
instead of surrendering it to security
she pulled out the large bottle from her
carry-on and proceeded to chug it dry in
front of what would have been some
pretty shocked and impressed
onlookers unsurprisingly she became too
drunk to get on the plane and was taken
by paramedics to a hospital to be given
IV fluids now the case could be made
against alcohol on a plane but what
could explain the crazy situation when a
13 year old wasn't allowed to bring her
insulin on board the plane the incident
occurred in 2018 at Manchester Airport
with a girl and her family were supposed
to be flying to Italy on a relaxing
holiday she was stopped by security and
told to separate her insulin from their
sealed containers and packaged them in
different bags the young teen was even
left close to tears after being told by
a guard that her medicine could make the
plane crash true some things that are
potentially dangerous should not be
allowed on a plane
the guards are just doing their jobs
however that did not seem to be the case
at all in 2009 when a UK man was stopped
from flying over his bottle of water but
not his 6-inch serrated knife what did
these three people have in common it was
an alcohol it wasn't medicine and it
definitely was not possession of a
dangerous weapon that could have been
used to hijack a plane no the one
thing these strangers and many others
who've been stopped by airport security
have in common is this over 100
milliliters of a liquid why is this an
issue well the American Transportation
Security Administration or TSA rules
state that any carry-on liquid or gels
have to be stored in a 3.4 ounce or 100
milliliter container they also have to
be sealed in clear plastic bags the UK
Civil Aviation Authority CAA also
possesses the same rules with passengers
having to store all 100 milliliter
liquids in a 1 liter clear plastic bag
most aviation departments around the
world such as the Australian Department
of Transportation ADT and the Brazilian
national Civil Aviation agency NCAA
enforce the same requirements with minor
variations what does this mean for
fliers this food items such as drinks
including alcohol soups syrups and
smoothies over 100 milliliters are not
allowed to be taken on a plane this
poses a big issue for flight goers since
a small Jamba Juice tops off at over 450
milliliters while a short drink at
Starbucks fills up at around 236
milliliters moreover a small bottle of
water typically contains 4 ounces of
water almost 120 milliliters for the
rest of the world other items included
in the ban are toiletries such as
shampoos toothpaste conditioners
mouthwash and other self-care products
interestingly enough if you have less
than 100 milliliters of shampoo in a 300
milliliter container it still violates
the law and cannot enter a plane even
aerosol sprays such as deodorant and
sunscreen are included in this ban
consequently this law has some strange
inclusions such as breast milk pet fish
snow globes and gel-filled toys since
all our liquids stored in containers or
contain liquids themselves but why go
through all this trouble to ban liquids
why make flying even more hectic than it
already is security
it all comes down to the 2006
transatlantic aircraft plot in 2006 a
terrorist cell plant a complex attack
targeting flights from the United
Kingdom to Canada and the United States
under surveillance by British
intelligence they were observed
purchasing and recycling several
chemical bottles and drink cans leading
to a search of their property and the
discovery of a bomb factory scarily
enough the group planned to fill empty
soda cans and bottles with hydrogen
peroxide and use powdered orange to make
it look like everyday pop they would
then team up on different flights to
combine their liquids with explosive
effect using a common hair bleach to set
off the compounds flights were canceled
and in the coming days carry-on luggage
was strictly limited the liquid
limitations we deal with today would
appear all over the world's airports due
to this incident however said
regulations would not stop terrorists
from attempting to use liquid explosives
again as was the case in 2014 Russian
authorities reported that a female flier
attempted to smuggle explosive materials
mixed with her hand cream the individual
was planning to fly to Russia from
France presumably intending to attack
the Sochi Winter Olympics another threat
was also revealed with the United States
Department of Homeland Security who
warned Russia that individuals were
planning to smuggle toothpaste bombs
into Russia
another case made for the liquid ban
includes drug smuggling a Miami man was
arrested after bringing onboard liquid
fentanyl and heroin they were hidden
inside shampoo and male-enhancement
bottles two questions have been asked
all these measures actually effective
many experts say no some explosive
mixtures do not even require more than
100 milliliters of liquid as seen with
the Nigerian team bomber one report
often states that all the components
needed to make a dangerous solution can
be purchased in small sizes in the
airports duty-free Airport bought
shampoos shaving creams lotions and
sprays can be mixed together for
effects are changes coming soon they
already have it is important to remember
that these measures were supposed to be
temporary
they were specific reactions to a
specific event roughly 12 years on many
groups are voicing their complaints with
passengers complaining about the long
wait times and intrusive security
measures turning what should be a simple
two-hour flight into a five-hour ordeal
in response to these concerns the TSA is
considering new x-ray technology that
will be able to detect harmful liquids
in luggage and on passengers with the
CAA testing these same technologies
moreover duty-free zones in airports
worldwide now offer security approved
packaging and products to buy before
entering a flight and regulations are
loosening up regarding carry-on medicine
the good news doesn't stop there as
Italy has eliminated some of the
conditions on carry-on pesto after being
stuck with thousands of liters of the
confiscated ingredient so remember even
though the rules have been relaxed best
keep the liquids at home and chug your
booze before boarding flying's hectic
enough as it is better to head to the
Bahamas with a buzz than a cavity check