by Off The Record
As a freelance travel journalist, the airport is basically my second home. I average about one trip a month—either personal or business—and in that time, I’ve learned a thing or two about TSA.
For starters, that photo they take when you hand over your ID and boarding pass? Completely optional. You don’t have to let them take your picture, and you definitely shouldn’t. If you’re worried about AI stealing your job or Elon Musk misusing your private data, congratulations—you’re already behind. The government and TSA are actively building biometric databases to track you around the world and train AI.
When they ask you to stand in front of the camera, all you have to say is: “I’d like to opt out.” God forbid we make the high school dropouts turned TSA agents actually do their jobs by manually verifying our IDs with their own eyes. Tell me again why we shouldn’t require government officials to email us a weekly report on what they’re up to—because this kind of nonsense happens all the time.
But let’s get to the real hack.
My most recent TSA hack is being able to successfully bring a full reusable bottle of water. If you’re someone who is conscious about what you put in your body, your jaw probably hit the floor.
So how the hell did I do this?
I told them it was medical-grade water.
Medical grade water is basically sterile purified water that has undergone reverse osmosis and deionization processes. Whether or not yours actually underwent this or not doesn’t matter (though if you’re someone who cares about their health, chances are that you’re probably wanting to bring some form of purified water free of fluoride, chlorine, and heavy metals).
Here’s how it works:
1) At the security line, politely show the agent your bottle and say it contains medical-grade water.
2) They’ll scan it as usual, but instead of making you dump it, it gets flagged for further inspection.
3) An agent (ideally wearing clean gloves) will open the bottle—but here’s the key: they’re not allowed to stick anything inside it. Instead, they’ll do one of the following:
A vapor test, where they hold a strip above the open bottle to check for explosives.
A lid test, where they place a test strip on the table and let a drop of water from the lid fall onto it.
In less than two minutes, you’re cleared to go, free to hydrate without paying $7 for fluoridated airport water or using one of those refill stations that always seem to be flashing a yellow or red “filter status” warning.
But why does this even matter?
The TSA and the Illusion of Security
After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. government seized the opportunity to expand its power under the guise of national security. The Patriot Act—rushed through Congress just 45 days after 9/11—gave the government the power to spy on citizens, conduct warrantless wiretaps, detain people indefinitely, and collect massive amounts of personal data. This was followed by the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and, of course, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)—an agency that quickly became known for invasive searches, nonsensical policies, and a stunning inability to stop actual threats.
Since then, we’ve been conditioned to accept constant surveillance and security theater as the norm. We were told these measures were temporary, yet here we are—two decades later, still taking off our shoes and dumping our water like trained cattle. Meanwhile, the government expanded mass surveillance programs, justified domestic spying, and labeled dissenting voices as potential threats.
The post-9/11 world didn’t just strip us of airport freedoms—it paved the way for constant digital tracking, censorship, financial monitoring, and medical overreach. And guess what? As long as people keep complying, it’s only going to get worse.
TSA’s Infamous Liquid Rule: A Legacy of Nonsense
The TSA’s 3.4-ounce liquid rule traces back to August 2006, when British authorities foiled a terrorist plot involving liquid explosives. The plan? Smuggle liquid components disguised as soda bottles onto transatlantic flights, mix them mid-air, and cause explosions.
Panic ensued. Governments banned all carry-on liquids overnight, creating chaos at airports worldwide. After some hasty “research,” officials concluded that smaller amounts of liquid explosives weren’t as dangerous, leading to the birth of the 3-1-1 rule: all liquids must be under 3.4 ounces (100ml), stored in a quart-sized bag. This temporary emergency measure has now lasted nearly 20 years, despite huge advancements in security technology.
Here’s the kicker: it doesn’t even work.
Liquid explosives are incredibly difficult to mix and detonate under real-world conditions—especially on a plane. Meanwhile, TSA agents fail undercover tests constantly, letting banned liquids (and actual weapons) slip through over 95% of the time.
And let’s not forget:
You can’t bring a sealed bottle of water, but you can buy an identical bottle past security.
TSA dumps thousands of pounds of perfectly fine liquids into trash bins inside the airport—because apparently, if it were truly explosive, letting it sit in a pile next to hundreds of people makes total sense.
Modern scanning technology can already detect dangerous substances, but instead of upgrading, we’re still playing pretend with our little baggies of travel-sized shampoo.
At the end of the day, the liquid rule isn’t about safety—it’s about control. It’s a reminder that you’re not in charge. That you must comply, even when the rule makes no sense. That the government can make you throw away your own water, buy a new one at an inflated price, and convince you it’s for your own good.
And yet, with one simple trick, I just proved how arbitrary it all is. Fuck the system, we’re out here drinking clean, chemical-free water no matter what. We will not comply.
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