Liquid Laws Irk Travelers

I knew the rules. Airport officials had announced that passengers should be prepared for changes aimed at preventing liquid explosives from being the next weapon of choice for terrorists. Carry-on liquids now have to be kept in 100-milliliter containers in sealed plastic bags and each person cannot bring along more than one liter in total.

But the full effect wasn't apparent until going through airport security myself.

Excessive plastic and waste

At Cologne airport on a flight to Paris, I was given a sealable bag at the service desk for the deodorant, toothpaste and perfume I was carrying. My bag came from a massive box holding thousands of sealable bags for travelers who didn't come prepared.

Long lines of anxious, Friday morning travelers were waiting at the security checkpoint to have their bags searched and scanned -- and their bodies patted down.

I was told to throw away my drink bottle. It was only 6:30 a.m. and the bin where my bottle was discarded was already full of containers, many unopened. I wondered what would happen to the tons of unnecessary waste.

Although I was not bothered by the security hold-ups and having to remove my boots and belt, the worst part was getting frisked rather aggressively and invasively with a large audience of passengers behind me.

Cologne to Paris was bothersome considering the wait and the public groping. But it was definitely carefree compared to the return journey from Charles de Gaulle airport.

Paris airport disaster

My toothpaste, deodorant and perfume were not in a sealable bag when I passed through security checks in Paris. I thought that having them in less than 100 milliliter containers would suffice. I was given bags at Cologne airport, so assumed that bags would be given to passengers if necessary.

Not so. All bottles must be bagged -- in a specific type of sealable bag. This requirement is intended "to reduce the possibility of spillage," according to the EU.

However, it does not matter if the containers are inspected and scrutinized, shaken and stirred -- they are not allowed on the plane, unless they are bagged.

"You cannot take these, it is the rules," the security woman told me without any further explanation.

At the prospect of losing my perfume -- my liquid luxury -- I pled with the security officer to let me keep it. After some convincing she gave in.

"You can take the perfume, but not these ones -- now get out of here before someone sees you," the officer said, before leaving me to run for the plane.

My deodorant and toothpaste were discarded as insignificant casualties, but I was left confused. Why were they were more dangerous than the perfume?

Delays and hassles

My fellow traveler was subjected to worse scrutiny and inspection. After being questioned for nearly 25 minutes while having her bag taken apart, she was finally allowed through. This was mainly because the inspection was holding up the plane and the flight attendant asked the security inspectors to let her go -- my associate also had to leave a number of bottles behind.

After landing in Cologne, we realized that there were cosmetics, body wash, and toothpaste in her bag that had gone totally unnoticed.

Next time, I think I'll take the train.