BlogHer - The Yin and Yang of the Airlines' Ban on Liquids - Comments

Gel Bras & Shoe Insoles

Vixendoll — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 21:49:55 -0500

I think it's absolutely insane that you now can't take on gel bras and insoles.

It amazes me that as much as I understand the new gel and liquid demands of security - there are constantly new items that fall under that category that I wouldn' even think of.

Lip gloss was bad enough - but now my bra?!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/authorities_war.html

Checked Baggage Liquid Tip

sam breach — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:44:40 -0500

A few years ago on a trip to mexico, an oil-based sun screen exploded inside our luggage. Luckily it smelt good!

I have been paranoid ever since about liquids in my checked baggage, but came up with a fantastic solution that beats wrapping everything in ziplocks & plastic bags which aren't 100% reliable.

The secret is to use "dry bags" available from outdoorsy shops like REI intended for keeping valuables dry when doing watersports. They are great also, coversely, for keeping everything else dry, in case a liquid inside the dry bag should decide to discharge its contents mid-air.

They come in all sorts of sizes.

Becks & Posh

Check-Mate is also an option

Elana Centor — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:23:48 -0500

Loved the Slate post and recommend it to all. One of the things that I wanted to include in my original post but got cut in a final edit is that women do have a choice if the y want to travel with their own personal sundries-- they can check their bags. Of course for women business travelers, given the choice of checking their travelpro on wheels or packing deoderant,there is no contest--they'll forego the deoderant.

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

What a State We're In

Pam — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:47:34 -0500

I'm obsessing about exactly this - what to take, what not to. I've been wondering about many things... those Wonderbras you fill with water - how do they know you're not wearing one? Chapstick - is it really a solid? It sure gets liquidy when I leave it in the car. I have a jar of shea butter, good for dry lips and hands, but what state is it in? If I freeze my water bottles and they stay solid when until I'm on the plane, can I carry them on? It's crazy making. At least I don't have to check my camera anymore.

There's a terrific read on Slate about the liquid ban. It's not very cheering, but it's well written.

Nerd's Eye View

The Yin and Yang of the Airlines' Ban on Liquids

Elana Centor — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 05:08:47 -0500

This was not a great week to be a female road warrior.

It was a pretty good week for the manufacturers of nonliquid sundries. As a former client at Pillsbury once said, "in business there are no problems, just opportunities."

So fret not. Except for finding a substitute for water,
with a little shopping you can find replacements for all things liquid.

From visit.freecia.com

As I am one of those people who tries to travel with just a carry-on, here are a few suggestions for products which may be allowed onboard.
Lush Shampoo Bars
Lush Solid Conditioner
Soap Sheets
Burt's Bees Lip Balm in Chapstick form [also at Border's Bookstores]

I haven't found a powdered tooth paste (tooth powder?) but these items might cover a few of the gender neutral basics. Anyone find a solid lotion yet? Also, they don't cost much so you can toss a product into the trash if the TSA agent decides that solid hair care products (like a soap, not vaseline) is a threat to security.

Remaining tip: slice up your solid soaps with a bread knife. No need to bring an entire bar of anything for a quick trip.

From USA Today,headlined: Carry on with flight plan, ladies a list of acceptable solids to replace mascara,foundation and toothpaste.

Leave it: Liquid mascara

Pack it: La Femme cake mascara

Why it flies: Harking back to a more glamorous time for makeup â€” and travel â€” the '40s-style cake mascara is still a favorite of pros. Glide a moistened brush across the compact, and it'll go on just like your tube version.

The damage: $6.95 at Amazon.com

Leave it: Perfume and cologne

Pack it: Bvlgari Oshibori au thÃ© vert

Why it flies: Towelettes are OK to carry on, the TSA says. Bvlgari's perfumed cotton cloths come individually wrapped. The unisex scent has soothing notes of green tea and bergamot.

The damage: $25 for 12 towelettes at Sephora

Some personal favorites: replace liquid foundation with Bare Escentuals and try Moon Valley's lotion bar instead of hand cream.

Of course, hotels are tripping all over themselves to provide guests with their beloved sundries as Omgsaix shared earlier this week.

Arriving guests will be offered complimentary bottled water, contact lens solution, hair spray, hair gel and all of the 17 other items available to guests through the We Remember What You Forgot program, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and other personal care products.

â€œNo one knows better than Wyndham hotels how to respond to travelersâ€™ needs,â€? said Peter Strebel, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts president. â€œWe pioneered the concept with our Wyndham ByRequestÂ® program, which welcomes frequent travelers with the amenities, services and refreshments they specify, and the We Remember What You Forgot program.â€?

All of this fuss about the inconvenience of no more liquids got me thinking to something that Tom Friedman wrote on September 13, 2001. It does put things in perspective.

As I restlessly lay awake early yesterday, with CNN on my TV and dawn breaking over the holy places of Jerusalem, my ear somehow latched onto a statement made by the U.S. transportation secretary, Norman Mineta, about the new precautions that would be put in place at U.S. airports in the wake of Tuesday's unspeakable terrorist attacks: There will be no more curbside check-in, he said. I suddenly imagined a group of terrorists somewhere here in the Middle East, sipping coffee, also watching CNN and laughing hysterically: ''Hey boss, did you hear that? We just blew up Wall Street and the Pentagon and their response is no more curbside check-in?''

Image Credits: Flickr members Popvulture and Colette Denali

Elana blogs at FunnyBusiness--a blog about business culture.