"New Security Rules Prompt Airport Confusion"

Thursday, August 10, 2006

New Security Rules Prompt Confusion 
By JOHN HOLUSHA
The New York (NY) Times


Tightened security rules produced long lines and confusion at American
airports today, with passengers missing flights and enduring intensive
inspections in reaction to the arrests of alleged bomb plotters in Britain.

Dennis McDermott, 53, a certified public accountant who lives in Hunterdon
County, New Jersey, arrived at Newark Liberty Airport at 5:15 a.m.,
expecting to board an early-morning flight to Vancouver, British Columbia.

The wait at security was so long that he missed the flight. "The plane left
without me," he said. "My luggage is in Vancouver."

He said his daughter Jennifer, 14, had been forced to remove her perfume
from her handbag and put it in checked luggage.

Mr. McDermott said he missed a second flight to Vancouver as well, and did
not clear security until 9:35 a.m., more than four hours after he reached
the terminal. His new plan, he said, was to fly to Seattle, rent a car and
drive three hours to Vancouver.

By mid-afternoon, though, the lines at Newark had all but vanished, and one
traveler went from a parking lot to the departure gate in about 45 minutes.
Security agents had time to discuss whether they should believe parents who
said a bottle contained juice for a child - a supervisor told them to accept
the parents' word.

Nevertheless, some stores at the airport took gels and liquid hair care
products off the shelves to comply with the new rules banning carrying
liquid products on to planes. A store selling perfume in Terminal B did not
open in the morning.

In Atlanta, where the wait to get through security checkpoints was as long
as an hour and a half in the morning, delays were down to 20 minutes by
early afternoon. Authorities cautioned that the delays could grow again
later in the day, and advised travelers to leave carry-on bags at home to
speed their way through security screening.

The changes in the security rules were so abrupt today that even some air
crews were not aware of them. Jeremy Benson, 31, said two flight attendants
in front of him as he prepared to board a flight from Omaha, Neb. to Newark
showed up at security with bags filled with make-up and perfume.

"One of them got very upset" at the new rules, Mr. Benson said. "Finally she
said, 'Just throw it all away, I'll miss my flight.' "

Mr. Benson, who came to the metropolitan area to attend a Yankee game, said
that security in Omaha, usually easy to "breeze through," took 45 minutes to
clear today.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Mitt Romney said the National Guard would be
mobilized to assist with security at Boston's Logan Airport.

In Detroit, as the lines grew longer this morning, employees of Northwest
Airlines, the dominant carrier there, handed out photocopied sheets
explaining the items that could not be taken aboard planes.

Passengers were told they could check a third bag without charge; normally
only two are allowed.

Bobby Mathew, 36, and Michael Durso, 27, were returning to Philadelphia
after a business trip to Detroit. Like many business travelers, they said
they never check baggage and did not consider checking their rolling
suitcases. 

As a result of the new rules, Mr. Matthew threw away a bottle of lotion and
toothpaste, but kept shaving cream and allergy medication on the assumption
they would be allowed aboard. Mr. Dennis threw away his after shave lotion
and other liquids.

"It's another wake-up call," said Mr. Matthew. "I grew up in India, and it's
not rare to have 14 checkpoints and spend three hours at the airport."

Outside the Detroit airport, Kelly Crane, 17, a high school student from
Stamford, Conn., was repacking as she prepared to leave Michigan after a
sailing trip. She pulled nail polish, sunscreen, lotion and water out of her
pink and blue backpack and stuffing them into a large duffel bag she planned
to check.

"I don't really mind not bringing my sunscreen on the plane, but that I
can't bring my water, that's a little ridiculous," she said.

At Newark, Lijue Philips, 23, who lives in Philadelphia, arrived at 5:00
a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. Midwest Airlines flight to Milwaukee. He, too, missed
his flight because of the increased security. "I was in line until 6:50 when
they told me the flight had left," he said.

Mr. Philips said he spent three hours in line before finally clearing
security. "It's inconvenient, but socially its better than the alternative,"
he said.

Passengers arriving at the airport were given leaflets telling them what was
banned from carry-on bags, including liquids or gels of any size - shampoo,
suntan lotion, toothpaste, hair gel or anything similar. Passengers with
beverages were told to drink them before boarding.

On the allowed list were baby formula, breast milk or juice if a small child
is traveling; prescription medicine bearing a patient name that matches the
passenger's ticket; and insulin and essential non-prescription medicines.

Robert and Jean Martino of Westfield, N.J., were traveling with their
children Sophia, 4, and Cooper, 10 months, to Minneapolis, with both
children in strollers. "We're allowed to take baby formula and juice, but we
had to throw out our suntan lotion," Mr. Martino said.

They heard the news about the new restrictions on the way to the airport,
Mrs. Marino said: "I was nervous and scared."

Kip Hawley, director of the Transportation Security Administration, said at
a news conference in Washington, that the broad ban on liquids was temporary
until screening methods could be developed.

In the meantime, though, he said, "leave liquids at home, drink them."

Mr. Hawley advised traveler to "de-clutter your bag." If airport screeners
have a clear view of what is inside, on visual or X-ray examination, he
said, "you'll move right on through."

Attached Photos:

Travelers at Boston's Logan Airport faced long lines at security
checkpoints.

Tightened security rules produced long lines and confusion at the San
Francisco International Airport, and other aiports across the United States
Thursday.

At Newark airport, Alex Quinterla repacked suitcase after learning that
certain items could not be kept in his carry-on luggage.

At Dulles International Airport outside Washington, a new warning for
passengers.

Under the new rules, liquids cannot be taken through security checkpoints. A
passenger at Dulles International Airport in Virginia quickly finished a
bottle of water.

Drinks, toothpaste, perfume, shampoo, hair gel, suntan lotion and similar
items were confiscated at Dulles International Airport.

Travelers at Boston's Logan Airport were instructed to discard any liquids
or gel-based items.

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