New security rules prompt confusion

Tightened security rules produced long lines and confusion at airports today, with passengers missing flights and enduring intensive inspections in reaction to the arrests of alleged bomb plotters in Britain.

Tightened security rules produced long lines and confusion at airports today, with passengers missing flights and enduring intensive inspections in reaction to the arrests of alleged bomb plotters in Britain.

Dennis McDermott, 53, a certified public accountant who lives in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, arrived at Newark Liberty Airport at 5:15 am, expecting to board an early-morning flight to Vancouver, British Columbia. The wait at security was so long that he missed the flight. 8216;8216;The plane left without me,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;My luggage is in Vancouver.8217;8217;

McDermott said he missed a second flight to Vancouver as well, and did not clear security until 9:35 am, more than four hours after he reached the terminal.

The changes in the security rules were so abrupt that even some air crews were not aware of them. Jeremy Benson, 31, said two flight attendants in front of him as he prepared to board a flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to Newark showed up at security with bags filled with make-up and perfume. 8216;8216;One of them got very upset8217;8217; at the new rules, Benson said. 8220;Finally she said, 8216;Just throw it all away, I8217;ll miss my flight.8217; 8221;

8220;It8217;s another wake-up call,8221; said Matthew. 8220;I grew up in India, and it8217;s not rare to have 14 checkpoints and spend three hours at the airport.8221;

At Newark, Lijue Philips, 23, who lives in Philadelphia, arrived at 5 am for a 6:30 am Midwest Airlines flight to Milwaukee. Philips said he spent three hours in line before finally clearing security.

Passengers arriving at the airport were given leaflets telling them what was banned from carry-on bags, including liquids or gels of any size: shampoo, suntan lotion, toothpaste, hair gel or anything similar. Passengers with beverages were told to drink them before boarding.

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On the allowed list were baby formula, breast milk or juice if a small child was travelling; prescription medicine bearing a patient name that matched the passenger8217;s ticket; and insulin and essential non-prescription medicines.

Kip Hawley, director of the Transportation Security Administration, said in Washington that the broad ban on liquids was temporary until screening methods could be developed. In the meantime, though, he said, 8216;8216;leave liquids at home, drink them8217;8217;. Hawley advised travellers to 8216;8216;de-clutter your bag8217;8217;. If airport screeners had a clear view of what was inside, on visual or X-ray examination, he said, 8216;8216;you8217;ll move right through8217;8217;.

JOHN HOLUSHA