We'll Be Stuck With That TSA Liquids Rule for a While

That annoying airport rule about not having liquids in amounts greater than 3.4 ounces in your carry-on luggage could be eliminated—but that won't happen any time soon. As the Wall Street Journal explains, new CT scanners can identify which liquids could be dangerous, making the 3-1-1 policy that has been in place since 2006 unnecessary. But a TSA rep tells the paper getting to "full operational capability" across all airports in the US requires 2,200 CT machines. The TSA is about 40% of the way there, but under current funding estimates, it doesn't expect to have them all deployed for another 18 years—until 2042. (A TSA rep recently told Travel + Leisure it could be 2040, so perhaps "just" 16 years.)

In the interim, one airport is trying to turn lemons into lemonade. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport launched a pilot program in April that allows new and lightly used toiletries that exceed the limit to be collected at the security checkpoint and donated to shelters, community groups, and nonprofits. Nearly 3,000 items have been donated since, and the program will soon expand to Dulles International Airport. The Journal notes some critics have pointed out the disconnect of products that have been flagged as a security concern being given to charity. (More airport security stories.)