In a press release earlier today, Walmart announced that starting tomorrow, they will provide quart-sized Ziploc storage bags to passengers throughout the week at USAirways check-in counters in New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Charlotte.
We tend to admire companies who find simple and nice ways to help the public and provide them with publicity at the same time. Many travellers are still confused by the new regulations. Lines at many security checkpoints are longer than normal as passengers learn to adapt. But such things always take time.
As USAToday reports, some passengers were confused by the requirement that toiletries fit in a quart-sized clear plastic bag, others were confused that each passenger was limited to one bag, and some had trouble finding the right size of bag. One passenger discovered that a half-empty 6oz bottle will not be considered in compliance…thus the size of the container matters, not just the volume inside.
A screener at Washington National noted that 40-50% of travelers were bringing liquids through security, but many carried them in containers or bags that exceeded size limits, proving the difficulty in getting people to understand evolving security regulations.
Yesterday, as CNN reported, by 8AM Tuesday morning, a trash bin at a TSA checkpoint was three feet deep with discarded water bottles and 16oz bottles of toiletries.