Saving the Universe, One Tube of Clinique at a Time
Posted on August 11, 2006 21 Comments
Fear not. My weapons of mass destruction were effectively destroyed at approximately 7:50 a.m. CDT at O’Hare International Airport, 1000 West O’Hare, Chicago IL 60666. Items seized follow:
1 tube of Crest toothpaste
1 stick of Dove deodorant
1 bottle of Garnier shampoo
1 bottle of Garnier conditioner
1 large-size tube of Neutrogena clarifying facial cleanser
1 tube of Clinique lip balm
1 stick, undereye concealer
1 compact, Victoria’s Secret lip glosses (5 glosses, total – that are no longer sold in stores)
Items were seized with no prior notice following a one-hour security checkpoint wait and were promptly dropped into an industrial-sized dumpster with no explanation from TSA given. Although I tried to argue over the consistency of undereye concealer (which, technically was a SOLID), security eventually prevailed, and the rogue stick was determined to be a LIQUID, capable of forever undermining freedom’s spread around the world.
You can sleep soundly tonight knowing the world is just a little bit safer now that $70 of this frequent flyer’s cosmetics have been properly discarded in the name of global safety.
PS- I was so discombobulated following this series of events that I somehow managed to lose my favorite black cardigan. Chock up another $40 to the Global War of Terrorism.
Category: Life
Tags: skin care
Comments
21 Responses to “Saving the Universe, One Tube of Clinique at a Time”
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August 11th, 2006 @ 5:19 am
I’m sorry. Did they even offer to have them put in your checked luggage?
August 11th, 2006 @ 5:40 am
Nope! Just told me to throw it all out. It was only after I passed through security that I figured out what was going on.
August 11th, 2006 @ 11:51 am
Bummer.
My next business venture is selling toiletries to de-boarding travelers.
August 11th, 2006 @ 12:28 pm
I picked up a friend at Logan Airport in Boston last night and for the first time ever he had to check his carry-on bag. While he arrived safe and sound, his bag? Nowhere to be found. Baggage claim was a nightmare from what I could see. The travelers lined up waiting to submit their claim forms were NOT very happy about the whole situation.
August 11th, 2006 @ 12:31 pm
They took your lip gloss?!?
Imagine the poor people on long-haul, international flights that can’t bring toiletries on board. I would go crazy without my facewash and toothpaste.
August 11th, 2006 @ 1:30 pm
What in the world? Why were they confiscating cosmetics?
August 11th, 2006 @ 1:36 pm
I’d like to play devil’s advocate here if I may.
If giving up $70 worth of stuff is the price to pay to keep people safe and keep democracy on the march, then I say so long to that $70. In this day and age anyone from any background can be a terrorist, so if we have to inconvenience everyone in this global war so I can sleep soundly at night, so be it.
Trust in the govt. They know exactly what they’re doing.
= )
August 11th, 2006 @ 2:17 pm
Like they say ‘Freedom is not free’. But it sucks when you have to lose good makeup
August 11th, 2006 @ 4:49 pm
I was surprised at how smooth things were running – but in Indianapolis, they had several TSA folks working the check-in area explaining what you had to remove and why. This probably prevented a lot of thrown-away liquid…
Imagine if you were trying to fly home from a trip to Napa valley, with a case of wine! How sad.
August 11th, 2006 @ 6:09 pm
In response to the first Anon post that the gov’t knows what they are doing and that $70 is a small price to pay, I’d like to counter with this:
1. The gov’t doesn’t know what they are doing. They are operating using a reactionary form of homeland security policy, rather than an offensive one. This does not serve the American people well. They have known for years that different types of bombs and security threats can be carried out but they choose to ignore them or override these concerns. It is partly a balance between civil liberties and national security and partly a matter of politics and what is popular. It wasn’t until after 9/11 that any attention was really given to airplanes and the threat they pose to American security. If the US gov’t really knew what it was doing then we wouldn’t just now be instituting new security procedures. We would have followed the lead of Israel, who has extremely high tech and advanced security measures in place at their airports.
2. I don’t think people have a problem giving up the extra time and inconvenience associated with longer security lines and having to pack all liquids and gels into my checked luggage. However, the frustration that I think Nicole was trying to express was that she wasn’t told that no liquids or gels were not allowed in carry-ons so she was forced to discard her items rather than being given advance warning at the check in counter. It’s a legitimate frustration. I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded putting it in her checked bags if she had been able to do so.
August 11th, 2006 @ 6:18 pm
Agreed. I think we all understand how incredibly grave the situation is. But at the moment when you’re in the line, and you don’t know anything has happened (none of the TVs had audio or closed captioning), the only thing you feel is pure frustration. I felt like the airlines were just making up rules as they went along. A roadblock at every single turn. Without being forewarned, and with no direction until we reached the checkpoint, I felt as helpless and frazzled as ever. That experience what I want to share.
August 12th, 2006 @ 3:59 pm
I am all for security at airports and I don’t mind the waiting in security lines, BUT for those traveling the day this happened there should have been a rep from each airline, or large signs with the info as people came into the airport terminals telling people what was happening so they had the time or option of removing all cosmetics, liq. etc.and putting it in their checked baggage. It would have been a little less frustrating for all. Obviously they were not thinking and left everyone very confused. They should have had a plan in place for the extra checked luggage that was lost, misplaced (or stolen?)!!!
August 12th, 2006 @ 9:37 pm
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August 14th, 2006 @ 1:34 pm
The reasons for not informing people are probably legit, in terms of not wanting to warn anyone who did have nefarious purposes. However, I can’t believe that, since 9/11 and all the things people have been asked to throw out before boarding, another government agency hasn’t seen a way to help close its deficit. The Post Office. Send a rep with $10 pre-paid padded envelopes down to the airport. Stand before the security line and let people pay you their money to mail their irreplaceable cosmetics and hard-earned toiletries back to themselves. Frankly, it’s a win-win.
August 14th, 2006 @ 5:51 pm
Regarding the last minute notice, they pulled off quite a feat pushing that change out in 4 hours versus the ‘planned time’ of 4 days. I was kind of irritated myself at first but then thought, “Wow, how luckly am I that I have these items to begin with? How lucky am I that I get to travel with so many of life’s little luxuries? And, although replacing them this one time is an inconvenience, I am very gratefull that I have these pampering items with me.”
August 14th, 2006 @ 5:52 pm
I am not sure that TSA isn’t working with the airlines to limit or eliminate checked baggage. I travel nearly every week and do not trust the airlines to make sure my baggage arrives. But now since I need toothpaste, shaving cream, etc., I will either have to buy new every week or check a bag.
The airlines “hate” carry-on bags. It slows down the boarding process. So I suspect they may be lobbying to keep these “rules” in place.
August 16th, 2006 @ 1:42 am
Wow… that is such an outrage! I was furious that they had to take all that stuff out of your luggage, but when they say they took your rare authentic lip gloss, that threw me overboard! This is getting utterly ridiculous!
August 20th, 2006 @ 4:45 am
Heh. How soon we forget.
August 22nd, 2006 @ 4:48 pm
Sorry to hear your story. I’d be crazed… especially about the discontinued lip gloss. It’s one thing if you’re unaware of money and just have the attitude, “I’ll just go spend $100, charge it and who cares if I pay 20% interest over the next 10 years” rather than someone who cares that $70 bucks just went into the dumpster.
I curious why the the airports can’t tell passengers at baggage check in that you need to check certain items or loose them, and I’m wondering why the USPS, UPS or FED EX don’t set up something where you can mail these items to yourself while in the security line rather than loosing them.
I love your blog… you’ve inspired me to save $$$
Raynell
August 23rd, 2006 @ 7:03 am
Yes this happened to me too!! Unfortuantley they raised the security level right when we where traveling to Mexico. They threw away… mascara ..carmex…Advil…and LICORICE!! What are we going to do with licorice? It is not a liquid…grrr..but if throwing away all licorice keeps people safe..and now they really make you drink your baby’s formula
At least I wasn’t giving him the other last week..drinking my own fluids in the name of Terrorism…I think we are going to drive next time 
September 30th, 2006 @ 11:06 pm
First of all, I would like to say that the government does know what they are doing. What bothers me, is that so many people have forgotten 9/11. Or they have forgotten the shoe bomber, Richard Reid. There are many people out there that don’t even know who Richard Reid is, if they did, they would be more willing to remove their shoes. And here’s a tip, if you’re going to be flying out soon, why not hop on the internet and go to the TSA website to find out just exactly what you can bring through a security checkpoint in your carry on luggage. Who needs shampoo and conditioner in the carry on anyway? Will you be shampooing your hair on your flight? I think that if the public and the passengers paid a bit more attention and were more aware of the world we live in today, there would be a lot less tantrums from grown adults. As far as airlines losing luggage, yes it happens, and it’s unfortunate. But when you think of just how many flights go out in ONE day, it’s a small percent. Also TSA does not make you taste or drink anything, if for whatever reason you are asked to, call for a supervisor.