Adios Batteries, Meds and Cosmetics

[octopuppy]

Coming back from Coz last Saturday...example - four people lined up on a single table to search carry on after scanning. One was fine. Two has batteries in a carry case and had to put them in a charger to be OK. Third one had several packs of never opened batteries - confisgated. Fourth guy had a print out of the TSA regs concerning batteries from that day highlighted in bright pink. Though in compliance with US TSA, all batteries taken. Unopened, less than 3 oz. packages of medicines and expensive cosmetics also kept.

Scenario replays at carry on search before boarding - especially fancy looking, sparkly totes.

My jellybeans sailed through a-OK.

 

[Bratface]

Hmmm. Sounds like some thieving going on. How bold to do it in front of the person who's luggage they are "examining". What kind of explanation do they have for stealing unopened batteries and cosmetics? I know when I was coming back from Roatan with a small container of hair spray, it was confiscated for safety reasons. I can understand that being it is an aerosol but to take someone's lipstick, etc. I would be flaming mad. As far as the medicines, I guess taking a signed note by your own physician makes sense. Glad you got to keep your jelly beans. Guess they didn't like them.

 

[MMM]

Though in compliance with US TSA, all batteries taken. Unopened, less than 3 oz. packages of medicines and expensive cosmetics also kept.

Since this is Mexico and not USA, that is understandable. Can you say if the medicine and cosmetics were in the prescribed size plastic zip bag? FWIW, I have NEVER had a problem with Mexican customs...in spite of my affinity for sparkly things. Now US customs...that is another story altogether. Had a teeny tiny allen key for camera attachment confiscated there. As I was rushing home to be with my dying father and travelling without checked luggage, I just said "keep it" since it was imperative that I kept on going.

 

[Gdog]

hmmm...so batteries in unopened packages should be checked in the luggage then? Any good solution?

 

[MMM]

Why on earth would any inspector want to steal medicine (written in what is a foreign language to them). For all they know, they are getting some anti-diarrhea med that will bung them up for weeks! Or worse, cause a massive heart attack! And really, how much lipstick does a guy need???? I find it very hard to believe anyone was stealing anything. I have a hard enough time here figuring out Spanish translations for ibuprofen at the pharmacia! More likely just being hard a**es about requirements. And to the the other comment about batteries, I have travelled with unopened packages of batteries in my checked luggage coming down and got through customs that direction. Haven't brought them back to Canada so I don't know the rules but I expect it wouldn't be a problem. Carry on is the issue, I believe, although I will certainly stand to be corrected.

Hmmm. Sounds like some thieving going on. How bold to do it in front of the person who's luggage they are "examining". What kind of explanation do they have for stealing unopened batteries and cosmetics? I know when I was coming back from Roatan with a small container of hair spray, it was confiscated for safety reasons. I can understand that being it is an aerosol but to take someone's lipstick, etc. I would be flaming mad. As far as the medicines, I guess taking a signed note by your own physician makes sense. Glad you got to keep your jelly beans. Guess they didn't like them.

 

[jlyle]

Last August a friend of ours was stopped and told her plastic bag containing her 3 oz. meds/etc. was too big. They sent her back to buy a smaller plastic bag from one of the stores outside the seating area. It wasn't because she had a lot of little bottles, just that the bag was too big. What a bunch of idiots.

 

[judydivescoz]

Last August a friend of ours was stopped and told her plastic bag containing her 3 oz. meds/etc. was too big. They sent her back to buy a smaller plastic bag from one of the stores outside the seating area. It wasn't because she had a lot of little bottles, just that the bag was too big. What a bunch of idiots.

My bag of cosmetics and shampoo was confiscated in Baton Rouge because I put the stuff in a gallon sized bag instead of the quart size. All the bottles inside were small travel sized. Not worth arguing with TSA.
The rules do seem to change boarding in Mexico. They do not allow hairdryers in carry ones either. I try to put nothing but clothes and my regulator in my carry on. It's their airport and I like visiting so I am fine with whatever rules they have.

 

[Karibelle]

Last August a friend of ours was stopped and told her plastic bag containing her 3 oz. meds/etc. was too big. They sent her back to buy a smaller plastic bag from one of the stores outside the seating area. It wasn't because she had a lot of little bottles, just that the bag was too big. What a bunch of idiots.

You don't just mean here in Cozumel, do you?

I once had a person in IAH have me take my items out of one bag and put them inside a different - exactly the same - bag. Why? No idea. And why fight it? Learn the rules, follow the rules, and grin and bear it when they throw you a curve.

 

[Dr Dog]

My wife likes to bring a bunch of stuff in a carry on, that I do not understand, cosmetics and medicine or medicinal items, included. I dont understand why someone would need their epi pen for a 4 hour flight out of winter...where are the bees coming from on our flight? A full line of mascaras etc, why, you dont need it, you will have your luggage again like 4 hours. I dont worry about bringing my razor or toothbrush, I will just buy them if I need them

So that being said, to bring full packs of unopened batteries, in my carry on, is just asking for trouble. I would imagine the metal cylinders would not stand out in the xray at all!!

 

[Qnape]

TSA guidlines for batteries are not as clearly spelled out as one might like. In their Q & A they state that all types of batteries should be treated the same including lithium, alkaline, Ni-Cad etc. Elsewhere, they state "Carry your battery-powered devices or spare batteries in your carry-on baggage. In the passenger compartment, flight crews can better monitor safety conditions to prevent an incident, and can access fire extinguishers, if an incident does happen." They do not seem to prohibit spare non-lithium batteries in checked bags. Spare Lithium Batteries of any kind are specifically forbidden in checked bags. The clearest presentation of the rules appears in this chart Safe Travel

Since spare non-lithium batteries are not expressly forbidden in checked bags, that is what I have been doing with no problems for the last few years. I have had batteries confiscated only in Honduras but have heard of this happening occassionally here and there in Mexico. In Honduras,our plane from Utila made an unscheduled stop at La Ciebo where we all had to de-plane, pay an airport use fee in cash, go back through security where they freed us of all our batteries - new and those installed in strobes and u/w flashlights - and other assorted goodies before we all got back on board the same plane with the same crew and went on our way. Oddly, some of us had taken dead batteries back from Utila so they would not wind up in a landfill - these were taken also.

Until the TSA specifically forbids non-lithium spare batteries in checked bags, that's where I'll put them. I save the carryon for camera gear, regs and computers.