Freeze Your Drink & Fly Through Airport Security With It!
The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) ban on liquids over 100ml has been in place in the United States, and by aviation and security authorities around the world, since the 9th of August 2006 … and has been a thorn in the side of travelers since it has been instituted.
As travelers continually wait for restrictions on liquids be lifted, so they’ll be allowed to travel with their drink of choice, there are some ways around the security restrictions. Travelers can obviously purchase drinks after passing through security, or travel with powdered drink mixes, but for those who really want to bring their drink of choice with them on a flight there is one often overlooked solution … freeze the drink.
Yes … getting your lemonade from your home to your flight is as easy as sticking your canister in the freezer. The TSA views frozen liquid as solid, not as a liquid, and allows it to pass through screening checkpoints as long as it is x-rayed.
The TSA’s Office of Strategic Communication made it publicly known in an overlooked official statement that ice was allowed, back in November 2009, stating, “Ice is a solid. Therefore, ice is permitted through the checkpoint, as long as it’s screened by the X-ray.”
Interestingly, certain liquid explosives are more stable when frozen; however the agency has not addressed these concerns. Containers with frozen liquids may be swabbed externally for explosive trace detection, although a 1000ml container can contain two separated liquids using clear frozen dividers, that would blend in with the ice, then have only water at the top of the container and the exterior of the container wiped down … but let us not get into details considering that back in May a container of baby food tested positive for explosives at Dallas – Ft. Worth International Airport’s Terminal A. While the TSA didn’t let the jar of baby food pass through security, they did not further investigate the jar, merely disposing of it, classifying the the incident as a “false positive.”
So, as we approach the New Year, and the TSA confiscates Wicked Good Red Velvet Cupcakes from passengers flying out of Las Vegas … throw your Cherry Coke in a plastic container, toss it in the freezer, then defrost it after you pass through security.
Happy Flying!
Hmm… might have to try this just for the sake of blogging about it. Have you done it?
Yes, I would like to see a person stopped and then have them reference a TSA blog to get through with a frozen big gulp.
This just gets more ridiculous every day.
To be fair, frosting absolutely is a gel, and if gels and liquids truly are dangerous, it’d make perfect sense to exclude them (and ice).
The problem, of course, is the complete disconnect between security screening procedures/policies and actual/legitimate threats.
Yes, my explosives have been allowed on several occasions when frozen.
As usual, YMMV. TSA has taken away frozen foods from my wife because “when it melts, it will be liquid; NOT ALLOWED.”
Chris,
The TSA is nothing if not inconsistent
Happy Flying!
-Fish
Brent,
I have confirmed liquids frozen solid are approved more than once with the TSA. I had sought detailed replies from the TSA back in November 2009, but was side tracked at the time by a man getting on a plane with a bomb in his underwear, followed by the TSA sending two armed Federal Agents to my house three times in two days regarding the content of my blog, resulting in them taking one of my laptops, ultimately destroying it … so I never got around to getting certain answers .
Happy Flying!
-Fish
Darren,
I did in face bring a frozen 20oz of ginger ale through with me last winter from HVN. Left it in the car over night was dead frozen, threw it in my bag, no one said a word. Wasn’t even intentional, it was left in a lens pouch.
Happy Flying!
-Fish
Very interesting info!! I’ll try this on to reduce my curiosity. I hope it’ll be a unique experience for me. Thanks
Might work but never tried it. to me this blog with the freezing idea is giving ideas to the bent minds out there to do harm. Not a great idea to sell
If you try this, print and carry a copy of the TSA’s current 3-1-1 rule. (I wouldn’t rely on a press release from 2009, because the rules change all the time.) The current language regarding frozen liquids reads: “Frozen items are allowed as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 requirements.”
http://www.tsa.gov/311/311-carry-ons.shtm
Fish: “I have confirmed liquids frozen solid are approved more than once with the TSA.”
This assumes that each airport follows the same policies and procedures, which is not the case.
Fish: “Left it in the car over night was dead frozen, threw it in my bag, no one said a word. Wasn’t even intentional, it was left in a lens pouch.”
This was only because they didn’t find it, like most things they are looking for. Had they found it, you probably would have had to toss it.
Well…great work! Great points covered in the entire post.