As wait times grow, TSA re-educates public about liquid on planes

<p>Vince Marzula started his trip to Las Vegas by losing money at the security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.</p><p>"I threw about $100 of stuff in the garbage, hair care products of my wife," the 35-year-old from the Atlanta suburb of Grayson said Thursday as he was buying a quart-size ziptop bag from an airport store so he could take toiletries on his plane.</p><p>A month after the federal Transportation Security Administration announced rules permitting only limited amounts of liquids on board airplanes, confusion over the new regulations has caused longer waits at security checkpoints.</p><p>At the Atlanta airport _ the world's busiest in terms of passengers _ average wait times have increased by five minutes at checkpoints; similar delays have jumped by seven minutes at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, according to the TSA.</p><p>While that might not sound long, TSA officials are concerned those delays will significantly increase come the peak holiday travel season later this month.</p><p>"We're very worried about Thanksgiving. We know it's the busiest time of the year," TSA spokesman Christopher White said. "We know there will be a lot of infrequent travelers, so we're doing everything we can to get the word out."</p><p>Because of that, the TSA is trying to educate travelers before the Thanksgiving weekend with a campaign called "3-1-1 on Air Travel." It includes posters about the new rules at airline ticket counters and security checkpoints at more than 425 U.S. airports, and extra TSA staffers to tell passengers in line at the checkpoints what's allowed.</p><p>In September, the TSA outlined rules permitting air passengers to carry limited amounts of liquids on planes. Any liquids carried onboard a plane must be in 3-ounce containers or smaller, and all of the containers must be carried in a single quart-size plastic bag.</p><p>The "3-1-1" slogan represents the 3-ounce bottle size limit, the fact that all liquids must fit in one quart-sized see-through bag and that there's a limit of one bag per passenger.</p><p>The rules eased the total ban on liquids that was imposed in August after British police broke up a terrorist plot to assemble and detonate bombs aboard as many as 10 flights from Britain to the United States.</p><p>"We know we can allow this quantity of liquids without it being a threat to the aircraft. It's more sustainable than a total ban," White said. "We need to teach people before they get to the airport."</p><p>Screeners in Atlanta routinely search every other piece of carry-on luggage for liquids because some passengers have failed to declare them, which has led to the increased checkpoint delays, White said. Before the TSA restricted liquids on flights, the airport's screeners only checked about one bag in 10.</p><p>Some passengers have tried to take water bottles larger than 3 ounces through checkpoints. Others forget to have a quart-size bag for their liquids or have bags larger than the TSA standard. Such problems lead to longer lines as TSA officials must then search those passengers' carry-on luggage for other possible violations, White said.</p><p>Ruth Kitchen of Denver brought a plastic bag to the Atlanta airport, but it was too large. She also had to purchase a ziptop bag for 50 cents from Candy Express, the nearest store to the security checkpoint.</p><p>"I thought I was prepared," the 48-year-old homemaker said. "My gel had to go into the trash. I may have to check some things."</p><p>At Atlanta, security wait times jumped from 18-1/2 minutes in September to 23-1/2 minutes in October. Average waits during peak hours at O'Hare increased from about 14 minutes in September to more than 21 minutes in October. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, the waits grew by a minute. At Denver International Airport, the average time increased by 3 1/2 minutes.</p><p>The Atlanta airport has also taken steps of its own to inform passengers by placing giant banners illustrating the rules on walls that lead into its atrium and before the security checkpoint. It also hired 22 customer service workers to help explain the rules to passengers before they put their carry-on luggage on the conveyer belt.</p><p>"We're working with TSA (in) getting the word out so people understand how they need to pack, so everyone will be happy at Thanksgiving," said airport spokeswoman Felicia Browder.</p><p>____</p><p>On The Net</p><p>HASH(0x1cdf89c)</p><p>HASH(0x1cdf944)</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/11/113691