Passengers flying out of US airports faced further complications at security checkpoints this summer. Some passengers are now being asked to remove all food from their carry-on luggage for separate screening, leading to lengthy delays at security, reports Travel.ru.
However, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does not publicize this as a separate, mandatory requirement for passengers. Food screenings are conducted randomly and are explained by the similarity of some foods to hazardous substances when the contents of bags are scanned with an introscope. However, since there is no universal requirement to remove food from bags, many passengers are caught off guard by such requests from security officers.
As a result, some passengers significantly delay already very long lines at American airports by spending countless hours removing all food (including small items like tea or coffee bags) from their carry-on luggage. Since most flights in the US only offer food for a fee, and airport cafes are expensive, it's common for many passengers to carry a significant amount of food. Further delays occur when someone forgets a bag of nuts at the bottom of their bag, which is sent for a second or additional hand inspection.
As a result, even more passengers were late for their flights. Some were wasting an extra 15-20 minutes just going through security and getting their food, not to mention the delays in line while checking in with the passengers before them.
The TSA explained the lack of advance warning about food screening as a desire to maintain the element of surprise, so that potential criminals wouldn't know in advance how thorough the screening would be and what it would involve. However, this has resulted in even longer lines at US airports, which can already take an hour or two.
Source: travel.ru
