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Travelers were quickly downing their coffees for the 7 a.m. flight to Los Angeles two weeks ago as the public-address system repeated warnings against bringing "liquids, gels, or aerosol cans" on board. But passengers were not greeted with the strict security we expected after the authorities put the new rules in place.

Over Labor Day weekend, it was as if the Homeland Security Department relaxed the rules instead of strictly enforcing them. It is especially important to have higher security standards when headed to such a busy hub like LAX, which was more stringent than Tucson International Airport when it came to security efforts, but still did not live up to expectations.

Homeland security measures are always a few steps behind the terrorists; when the shoe-bomb threat was thwarted, we took our shoes off; and when dangerous liquids nearly made it on board, we dumped our water bottles. Security should be proactive instead of reactive.

Airports across the board cannot simply rely on passengers to adhere to requests to take out liquids or gels instead of screeners thoroughly checking bags. Terrorists will not feel compelled to throw away any dangerous items before they board because an automatic announcement politely instructs them to do so.

Americans say they are willing to sacrifice a few personal liberties as a way to protect U.S. soil — and skies. That should include time and effort at the airport.

Travelers should expect to arrive early to flights so security can do its job. And that job should entail more than a smile and a glance as passengers walk through metal detectors.

Meticulous baggage checks should be administered for all travelers, especially now with the new restrictions against liquids and gels — as ridiculous as that rule may seem to some. Perhaps two check points should be used, along with a valid identification check at the gate with the boarding pass. Bags for flights should be limited to one small carry-on for essential items only. The rest should be checked.

The X-ray machine should not be the only form of vigilance as passengers go through check points.

Society's slant toward technology could also put safety in jeopardy. E-tickets or automatic check-in counters at the airport are just one less step terrorists have to take to get on board without much face-to-face interaction.

Though these strategies would be inconvenient for frequent travelers, if homeland security is going to demand harsher rules, then they should be effectively enforced.