A screwdriver too far?

[MAX_1]

Last year, 20 of us flew to Newcastle to play golf. The secretary of the group purchased 12 boxes golf balls and asked 12 of the group to take a box ( 12 balls ) as hand luggage so that the secretary could avoid excess luggage. This was no problem out of Brisbane to Newcastle.
During the week the balls were used as prizes each day , so many of the players took the balls as hand luggage on the way back.
Security at Newcastle immediately wanted to confiscate the balls . One of our group a defence barrister got involved in a major arguement with the security personel and demanded to see the Airport manager who finally saw the stupidity of the situation and allowed each passenger to carry their balls on the flight in their hand baggage.
PS. I had no problem at all during this............not good enough to win even one ball..........lol.

 

[drron]

Well ar BNE on tuesday although the veggie went the knitting needles were allowed through and at NRT as well.Real knives on JL so I guess the needles were not as much of a weapon as the ones supplied on the plane.

 

[JohnK]

PS. I had no problem at all during this............not good enough to win even one ball..........lol.

144 golf balls and you were not even given one ball? We always have novelty prizes so no one goes away without a golf ball.

 

[rhjames]

I had a minature shifter about 70mm long confiscated from hand luggage - got it back in Sydney after waiting an additional hour. It cost about $2 - not worth the wait. Perhaps they thought I would climb out and loosen the engine.

I normally take a small jar of vegemite checked in. There are too many barbaric places that don't have it available (America, Europe, Asia, Africa.) Woe behold anyone trying to take it off me!!!!!!

 

[Prof Henry]

Used to carry a small phillips for glasses - removed from my luggage at Sydney domestic last year by security. I did not know they made provision for glasses at all.

Neither did I. I might have been even grumpier when my small screwdiver - identical to Simongr's #12 above - was confiscated at BNE International 2 yrs ago. It was the essential spectacles-adjuster.


At the same time, I am continually bemused that my double sided-car-key - a far more effective stabbing w**pon - has never attracted any attention.

 

[straitman]

At the same time, I am continually bemused that my double sided-car-key - a far more effective stabbing w**pon - has never attracted any attention.

They could be used to help the pilot start the plane :!:

 

[Sequel]

I have a pack that has sml deodorant/toothpast/shave cream/etc and I always have it in my hand luggage, but instead of getting used to the "no liquids" rules on my recent spate of int flights, the opposite has happened.

I have forgotten to take it out for xray about 3 of the last 10 flights - both in aus and os - and not once has it been picked up by the xray operator, and I have never been stopped! The same has happened with the laptop.

 

[spunkarooney]

Coming back on a flight from Osaka a month or so ago, I had to re-check-in at Brisbane for my onward flight to Sydney.

Security confiscated a roll of clear packing take which "could be used to tie someone up". The roll of tape was in my laptop bag and I used it for, strangely enough, taping up packages of excess "stuff" which I would post back home.

This is the same roll of tape which had left Australia with me three months earlier and the one which had cleared at least 14 airport security checks in the UK, Europe and Asia on the same trip.

I rolled my eyes and thought to myself "Welcome Home".

 

[oz_mark]

At the same time, I am continually bemused that my double sided-car-key - a far more effective stabbing w**pon - has never attracted any attention.

On occasion my keys have been inspected quite thoroughly.

 

[spunkarooney]

On occasion my keys have been inspected quite thoroughly.

The round keys for my laptop security cable have, on a number of occasions, been the subject of keen interest from security staff.

I've had to do a demo to reassure them that they're just keys (and not used for launching nuclear weapons).

 

[littl_flier]

I have a pack that has sml deodorant/toothpast/shave cream/etc and I always have it in my hand luggage, but instead of getting used to the "no liquids" rules on my recent spate of int flights, the opposite has happened.

I have forgotten to take it out for xray about 3 of the last 10 flights - both in aus and os - and not once has it been picked up by the xray operator, and I have never been stopped! The same has happened with the laptop.

I completely forgot to take mine out both in LAX and JFK and nothing was mentioned by the TSA once. Then I got home yesterday and realised I still had the 187ml bottle of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc stashed at the bottom of my carryon backpack. :shock: It made it through TSA at YUL and JFK. Maybe they rely more on honesty than detection!

 

[simongr]

That would not seem to be the most effective counter terrorism approach...

 

[spunkarooney]

Yes, it's worrying.

In all of those security checks (mentioned in my initial post in this thread), my liquids were never, ever verified. :shock: