Commercial aviation became a wee bit more civilized Monday as the Transportation Security Administration eased its six-week-old ban on liquids and gels in carry-on baggage.
Under new rules announced by TSA Director Kip Hawley, travelers may bring liquids and everyday items such as shampoo, toothpaste and makeup through security – so long as they are stored in 3-ounce containers that fit in a 1-quart clear zip-top bag that can be easily inspected by security personnel. Hawley said FBI tests concluded that small amounts of substances can’t blow up an airliner.
Passengers also can carry on liquids and gels of any weight that are bought in airport shops after passengers have passed through security. Items sold in the secured portions of airports are screened before being offered for sale.
The TSA banned liquids from carry-on bags Aug. 10 after British authorities announced they had thwarted a plot to destroy U.S.-bound airplanes using liquid explosives detonated in flight. Some airlines reported a loss of business after the new rules were established. The United Kingdom last week eased its own rules, saying it would would let musical instruments back into passenger cabins and increase the size limits for carry-on luggage.
One of the strongest reasons for easing the ban on liquids in carry-on baggage is that it triggered a 20 percent increase in luggage checked into cargo bays. That strained the already inadequate TSA systems that screen luggage for bombs. Security forces are upgrading their efforts to inspect check-in baggage, but the state of the art leaves much to be desired.
One approach now getting more attention is “behavioral profiling.” Such techniques, already used by the U.S. Customs Service and by Israeli airport security, are actually “the antidote to racial profiling,” according to TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis. Instead of focusing on ethnicity, the behavioral profile looks for “extremely high levels of stress, fear and deception” with TSA agents looking for such physical symptoms as sweating, rigid posture, and clenched fists. A screener then engages “selectees” in conversation and asks unexpected questions, looking at body language for signs of unnatural responses. Most persons interviewed are immediately released, but about one-fifth are interviewed further by police.
Like any technique, behavioral profiling isn’t perfect. But if it really focuses on behavior, it could be a more promising route to improved airport security than confiscating tiny tubes of toothpaste.
