It took an extra six hours... but PDX is now operating under the same security level as the rest of the country's airports: Orange. Liquids and gels are no longer allowed through security checkpoints... and there's an extra agent at each gate... to make sure they don't get on-board.
Transportation Security Adminstration officials say the threat of bombs being smuggled on board, as liquids, is now over, inside the US. But it seemed to take extra time for PDX to catch up to the rest of the nation's airports in securing passengers' safety.
Here's what's now banned:
- all beverages
- contact lense solution
- shampoo
- perfume
- sunscreen
- creams
- toothpaste
- hair gel
- other items of similar consistency.
Exceptions include baby formula and medicines, which must be presented for inspection at the checkpoint.
I watched this morning as a man taking the Lufthansa flight, non-stop from Portland to Frankfurt, was forced to leave behind almost $100 in lotions and perfumes. They all went right into the trash. But if he had checked-in just an hour earlier... he could have brought it all along with him.
That's because, at PDX, the TSA decided to DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION of the new rules. Instead of prohibiting liquids at 4am Pacific time, as was apparently required by the Department of Homeland Security in a memo sent to all media, PDX TSA leaders decided to wait until 10am to make the change. They say they did it so that all agents were "on the same page," and all knew exactly what would no longer be permitted. But larger airports, in Seattle, LA, and San Francisco, had no trouble implementing the new rules at 4am. In Seattle's case, agents there were enforcing the new list at 1am.
Portland TSA leaders maintain passengers' safety was never threatened. But checking-in at 9am... going through security then... meant passengers here could still bring liquids on-board. And, as the TSA always likes to remind us, nationwide security is only as strong as its weakest link... which appears to be PDX.
I'd love to hear your comments. E-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com, or post comments here.
