Security - what's the most senseless confiscation?

[Paddy55]

Halfwits at BNE domestic wanted to confiscate a can of red bull a few years ago. I stood there at the xray and drank it in front of them, handed them the can, belched and walked on through. Dimwits thought they could get a free drink out of me.

I think you're insulting half wits !

 

[Jude Starr]

I have never had anything confiscated personally. Was a little worried when I took a human skull in my carry-on; I had an explanation, but was still expecting to at least get asked about it when it went through x-ray...they never blinked.

On the same trip (domestic) Mr Starr had a piece of trench art in his carry-on...one of those large calibre shells made into an ash-tray. Made of brass, large and quite heavy, it would have been an effective weapon. Both of us were in a bit of a daze, very tired, and didn't think about it until we got home but nobody ever said anything about it either...in hindsight I wouldn't have blamed them for taking it, but they never said a word.

Yet the mother-in-law had a teeny tiny pair of nail scissors confiscated at the same airport on a previous trip. It's the inconsistency that gets me.

 

[k_sheep]

I'm sure I've told his tale on the board before, but since we're going there .... on my 6 month backpacking jaunt across Europe, about 4.5 months in I realised I had multiple scalples and lancets and other dissection paraphenalia in my carry on the whole time (was a scientist at the time). Would have done at least a dozen international flights by that stage, and it was never picked up :shock:

 

[harvyk]

I'm sure I've told his tale on the board before, but since we're going there .... on my 6 month backpacking jaunt across Europe, about 4.5 months in I realised I had multiple scalples and lancets and other dissection paraphenalia in my carry on the whole time (was a scientist at the time). Would have done at least a dozen international flights by that stage, and it was never picked up :shock:

Did you remove them from your carry on? or did you figure they'd been there for so long, they probably won't going to be picked up?

 

[k_sheep]

Did you remove them from your carry on? or did you figure they'd been there for so long, they probably won't going to be picked up?

There was no way I wasn't going to dissolve in tears at a security checkpoint if anyone looked at me sideways, now knowing they were there! (Note: never play poker with me). I chucked them quicker than Hansie Cronje.

Of course, that didn't stop me having automatic weapons pointed at me in SIN, while the customs chicky cheerfully wished me a happy birthday, but that's a story for another day.

 

[dot]

Shortly after the new security restrictions came in after 11Sep, a colleague of mine had a Laptop security cable confiscated - allegedly it could be used to choke someone - yet they didn't bother with the power cables which could have been used in exactly the same way!

Personally, I've had 00 phillips head screwdrivers confiscated a number of times (my laptop at the time needed the screwdriver to get to the battery) - apparently they present a stabbing danger.

It also always perplexed me that knitting (and crochet) needles were banned, yet pens and pencils with a much sharper point were not banned. I always felt sorry for the nanas* that just wanted to pass the time on a long flight doing some knitting.

* I know other people knit, but it always seemed to be older ladies that I saw being told they couldn't take their knitting needles.

 

[harvyk]

It also always perplexed me that knitting (and crochet) needles were banned, yet pens and pencils with a much sharper point were not banned. I always felt sorry for the nanas* that just wanted to pass the time on a long flight doing some knitting.
.

Yeah I've always wondered about pens. I've always been of the opinion that they would make a far better weapon than a tiny safety pin (when travelling with a baby, check baby bags for such things). Especially one of the more expensive metal ones.

 

[The Rok]

I made a fatal mistake at SYD Int once. Had a $500 bottle of Gold Leaf Champagne in my hand luggage as a gift for my dad. Had a complete mental blank when I packed the cases and completely forgot about it.

Was in a super fast rush at the airport so it was bye bye bottle of champers!

Had it if been cold I would of skulled it there and then...

 

[coolumbla]

My 9 year old son had an empty bullet cartridge confiscation at SGN - he brought it at the Cu Chi tunnels.

Taught him a lesson - he now suffers OCD for hull luggage

junior delinquent at cu chi bought the plane made of spent catridge shells
dutifully pack it in checked luggage

"paging mr c"
Mrs C and delinquents are off sustaining duty free shopping with all the passports

off goes I with security guy to check my luggage back landside
Is this your bag
yes
No bullets!'
Ok its yours

"wheres your passport to get back airside?"

with my wife arside

PAging Mrs C!!

we wont mention the infamous yoghurt smuggling incident in China!

 

[coolumbla]

on the family rtw trip we gave junior delinquent so much grief for trying to take a bottle of water through sydney ( he was 12 and had it in his back pack from earlier that day at Darling harbour ) that he was so glad i forgot to take my very carefully chosen brand new "genuine" very reputable brand pocket knife out of teh back pack i had placed it in at a chinese market

"sir is this your pocket knife?"

"not any more!

In my defence i'm claiming it was 530 am!

C

 

[TonyD]

last week security confiscated my small can of shaving creme. reason being: it didn't have a cap!

a security guard at BNE gave me a spare lid to fit mine a year or two back

 

[TonyD]

over several trips.
one leg kids water bottle were emptied - forgot about popper and can coke in my hand luggage - sailed through.between coughet and singapore
on another leg hip flask of bundy sailed through, round bottle in another bag nabbed!
never had disposable razor taken
frequently take 300mm tap sets from bne to mel yet they would let me take a 150mm x 350mm bbq grate through (not surprised)
leaving SIN an aussies grog must be delivered to the departure gate but not if you are going to another country.
ipads do not have to go in separate tray at BNE DOM but they do at International. at SIN they have to sit side by side. but in BNE they sat on top of each other ( his & her set)
SIN last night boarding qf52 nearly everybody buzzed through the screen, everybody then had the wand but no one sent back through.

last trip through dom at Manila - i set down my belt and shoes in a tray(as is requirement) behind wife's tray. local lady come along puts her stuff in front of mine. so i pick my stuff up and put in front of hers. she again does same thing! im abouut to say gggrrrrr when security chick advises im in the ladies queue and i should take my stuf to mens queue!!

 

[tuapekastar]

Nothing senseless in this one, just inconsistency. I really like to sail smoothly through security without any fuss or holding people up, so I diligently prepare as far having items at the top of the bag for easy access. Like most (all?) I have on the odd occasion forgotten about something but am usually well prepared. Going through MEL T3 security recently I had all the relevant items into the tray promptly, no issue. I had forgotten I had a small umbrella in the carry-on (I don't even know if there is any literature or signage stating umbrellas must come out), but it didn't matter, there was no pull-up or reference to it (and I was still blissfully unaware of its presence).

However on the return at PER DJ security I had the normal items ready, and the guy asked if there was an umbrella in the case, and I recalled there might be. I quickly scrounged around for it in the bottom of the bag and found it (no harm done), but I do wish they were more consistent with this. Some on here have expressed that they like inconsistency when it comes to security as it'll help beat the bad guys, but I don't think this example fits that scenario.

 

[Deleted member]

On the inconsistency front, after many ( at least 12 in the last 24 months) trips through AKL security my Mont Blanc pens ( 2 in a Mont Blanc case) were required to be removed for inspection. and my belt buckle sets the metal detector off in AKL but not BNE


It is I, Leclerc !

 

[Canny man]

My bag was pulled up at T3 LHR - 6 fish oil capsules in a zip lock bag. All liquids gels to be removed apparently. These had even managed to get through LAX without question.

 

[drron]

My bag was pulled up at T3 LHR - 6 fish oil capsules in a zip lock bag. All liquids gels to be removed apparently. These had even managed to get through LAX without question.

Fortunately at AKL there was a sign up about fish oil caps.I put them in my checked baggage.Apparently OK if all individually in a legal baggie but a bottle with 200 would be confiscated as over the 100ml limit.

 

[TonyD]

Always carry fish oil, never pulled up.

 

[risky]

Like most people, it is the inconsistency that I find most annoying. There seems to be inconsistency between countries (eg shoes off in the US, not off many other places); inconsistency between jurisdictions (eg water bottles {all LAGs?} OK in Aus domestic, not for International); inconsistency in application of the rules (eg lids on/off the pressurised cans); inconsistency of the testing equipment and/or its interpretation (eg having the same belt and having set off only 1 airport sensor out of 6).

I have a mini pocket screwdriver set: plastic handle with the body and 6 heads that all folds into the handle (about half palm size). It had travelled at the bottom of my backpack for many years and through countless domestic and international trips. One day the x-ray operator decided they were going to confiscate it. Luckily I had time enough to go to the oversize baggage and wrap it up in one of those enormous bags they normally wrap up strollers with, and check it through!

And for a laugh at the TSA and the ridiculousness of it all, check out snopes.com: Another TSA Outrage. This is the story of an armed US soldier returning from active duty - and his nail clippers are confiscated. There seems to be some debate about the authenticity of the claim, but even if it is a myth, it is still funny (in a roll your eyes kind of way )

 

[Oneworldplus2]

inconsistency between jurisdictions (eg water bottles {all LAGs?} OK in Aus domestic, not for International)

^THIS

Sydney - Perth - take as much liquids as you can carry - ~5 hour flight time.
London - Berlin - 100ml limit - ~1 hour flight time.

...Work that out....

 

[Duffa]

Check out Belfast International! There is a large perspex box 1m x1m x1m, into which you can volunteer "prohibited items", prior to being embarrassed after a search. Amongst the multitude of scissors, screwdrivers and nail files there is an axe! Well, a large kindling axe to be truthful but a sharp, heavy, lethal blade on a wooden handle, all the same! Now I don't know if some farmer had it in his carry-on and thought, "Oh s**t, better dump this", or some wag deliberately brought it to the airport just to chuck it in the highly transparent box, knowing that they can't touch him prior to scanning; or even if the guards put it there as an example of the range of things they expect us to leave at home but I desperately wanted to go back in to Belfast and buy a large machete or some-such and just deposit it. As expected Mrs D wouldn't let me! "Don't be so stupid! Do you want to get us arrested?" Hmmm!