Umbrellas and other things at Airport Screening

[LiamR]

I had one of the strangest moments at airport security since I've started flying..

Going through Gold Coast airport as per normal, laptop and phone in a tray and carry on goes through.

Go through the metal detector with no problems but there appears to be a hold up while the x ray operator looked at my bag with suspicion.

He directed me to be manually screened where the officer removed my set of keys from the bag, he paid particular attention to my car's flip key, the man kept looking at it from different angles and tried removing the back of it.

He then pushed the little silver button and the key, being spring loaded flicked out from the side. The look on this man's face was as if he had just discovered a gun in my bag. He very sternly said to me "I'm sorry, I don't think this can come through, I'll have to speak with my manager!"

Flabbergasted, I was gathering my palm cards for my "I've travelled through this airport 100+ times this year and never had a problem" speech. When the manager came over and after putting it through individually again waved me through.

Not that I'm annoyed by this (well, I guess a little I lost a good 5mins of my time) but I kept on thinking what on earth this man was thinking. He hasn't' seen a car key like this before? Walking through the car park I can tell most cars have a similar key.

I don't think this was a joke, everybody kept a serious face at the time. But I mean... isn't this a wtf moment?

It got me thinking, what other strange moments have people had people had with Airport Security? I'm sure there are some funny stories out there!!

 

[samh004]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Did he look like he’d been living in a German forest for the past 5 years? Could explain a lot!

 

[AdMEL]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Amazing! Where have these security people been living? Under a rock??

 

[medhead]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Not everyone can afford a car less than about 4 years old.

Still a bit strange such keys must go through at least 100 times a day.

My best was taking a Mac mini through security. Bag came back and told to take my laptop out.
Me: no laptop.
Security: your playstation then.
Me: Nope, wrong again
Security: don't get smart
Me: drag out mini and give them an earful about how the sign says laptops and if they mean all computers the sign should say that.

SWMBO was not happy.

 

[LiamR]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Not everyone can afford a car less than about 4 years old.

I'm sorry, but a comment about the car I drive isn't necessary nor appropriate.

 

[medhead]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

I'm sorry, but a comment about the car I drive isn't necessary nor appropriate.

Then why did you (and in fact the other posters) raise it? You asked the question! These types of keys have only been with us for the last 4 years or so and then not universally. Just pointing out a good reason why the guy would not have seen such a key.

I don't think it is appropriate or necessary to belittle people who haven't seen the latest car keys. That's just me.

Not that I'm annoyed by this (well, I guess a little I lost a good 5mins of my time) but I kept on thinking what on earth this man was thinking. He hasn't' seen a car key like this before? Walking through the car park I can tell most cars have a similar key.

Did he look like he’d been living in a German forest for the past 5 years? Could explain a lot!

Amazing! Where have these security people been living? Under a rock??

Oh BTW the comment wasn't about the car you drive, it was about the car the security person drives.

 

[scaredeycat]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

One of my colleagues was passing through security at LAX with his family when they took his son aside and frisked him. "Excuse me, sir, but what is this thing on your back, under your shirt?", he was asked suspiciously. The young fellow, quite terrified, responded "Oh my god, what is it?"...
Turned out to be his shoulder blade!

 

[rockyroad]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Lost my nail clippers at security once as the file/under nail cleaner was seen as being too sharp. Now I travel with nail clippers without the file/under nail cleaner.

 

[Simo]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

I had to argue to keep the tape that I was using because I had broken toes and need to keep strapping them.

The tape I had was a medical grade tape and the only way I kept it was because it said medical something on the inside???

I have a key and it looks like a blade kinda anyway.. The PO Box key that is... They said it was sitting in my bag a certain way which made it look like a blade..

 

[medhead]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Lost my nail clippers at security once as the file/under nail cleaner was seen as being too sharp. Now I travel with nail clippers without the file/under nail cleaner.

I've had a BNE security person offer to snap that off and let us keep the clippers.

 

[AdMEL]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Then why did you (and in fact the other posters) raise it? You asked the question! These types of keys have only been with us for the last 4 years or so and then not universally. Just pointing out a good reason why the guy would not have seen such a key.

I don't think it is appropriate or necessary to belittle people who haven't seen the latest car keys. That's just me.

medhead, I raised it because, as even you stated in your first post in this thread (quoted below), a security staff member would see those type of keys 100 times a day! And I don't even own a car! (Although, I do have a keen interest in cars, so I pay attention to these things).

Still a bit strange such keys must go through at least 100 times a day.

 

[rechoboam]

medhead, I raised it because, as even you stated in your first post in this thread (quoted below), a security staff member would see those type of keys 100 times a day! And I don't even own a car! (Although, I do have a keen interest in cars, so I pay attention to these things).

My 1.4L cheap hatch had a retractable key 10 years ago, the OP was not being a snob.

 

[medhead]

medhead, I raised it because, as even you stated in your first post in this thread (quoted below), a security staff member would see those type of keys 100 times a day! And I don't even own a car! (Although, I do have a keen interest in cars, so I pay attention to these things).

I didn't say they see these keys 100 times a day. Keys going through doesn't mean someone will see them all.

My 1.4L cheap hatch had a retractable key 10 years ago, the OP was not being a snob.

I did not call anyone a snob. Simple statement of fact to explain why a security person would not know about those types of keys. As I already stated, the comment was about the car of the security person not the OP.

 

[ash.1111]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Go through security too many times to count! I give up taking out my iPad as they never seem to care when I leave it in.

I think it's strange that they ask you to take it out if you tell them about it, but if you say nothing then 99.9% it's not an issue. Only once was I asked to take it out (in BNE). And the captain behind me also told to take his out!

 

[Justchecking]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

I had a piece of cheese, still in shop packaging, removed from my bag prior to screening, scanned in it's own tray, THEN was thrown out after scanning because it was over 100grms. Why not just throw it out before scanning? I mean seriously why do you have to scan something that you are going to dispose of anyway? And why give me a lecture about a round of cheese? It's not like I am trying to smuggle a national treasure out of the country, and I honestly had no idea Brie was classified as a gel....:-|

Must have been a slow day at the airport. it was Monty python worthy.

 

[docjames]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

I had a piece of cheese, still in shop packaging, removed from my bag prior to screening, scanned in it's own tray, THEN was thrown out after scanning because it was over 100grms. Why not just throw it out before scanning? I mean seriously why do you have to scan something that you are going to dispose of anyway? And why give me a lecture about a round of cheese? It's not like I am trying to smuggle a national treasure out of the country, and I honestly had no idea Brie was classified as a gel....:-|

Must have been a slow day at the airport. it was Monty python worthy.

Did they offer to let you eat it? :shock:

 

[Justchecking]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Did they offer to let you eat it? :shock:

No. He was too busy lecturing me on how I was endangering national security with soft cheese...:shock:

 

[Pushka]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

My husband carries blu tack with him - he uses it in workshops to stick notes to the walls. He travels extensively throughout the world with his blu tack in his carry on. Not once has he been asked about it. Big blobs of it. Hmm, what does blu tack look like :shock: ........they must think he chews a lot of bubble gum.:shock:

 

[ozmille]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

Did they offer to let you eat it? :shock:

Couple of things I saw when working at the airport;

Group of Russians going to DME had brought a crate of Dark Leffe. They were told it could not go through security so they just drank all 24 bottles there and then :shock:

An older gentleman had to put his walking stick through the scanner and it had a dagger under the handle :shock: took a while to explain that he could not take his walking stick on board.

 

[dk4]

Re: Strange moments at Airport Security

The most memorable for me, was watching security’s x-ray video screen, after walking through the detector and waiting for my bag. While I was mesmerised by the different colour screens cycling through, it was a bit of a sudden shock to see a sketch of a hand gun overlaying my bag’s image.

Anyway without a change in his relaxed demeanour, the operator passed my bag back to the front of the machine, asking for it to be rescanned on its side, this time passing through the x-rays without a gun silhouette flashing up on the screen. Thankfully for everyone really, as the real security threat would have come from my week old dirty laundry being unpacked and searched at the counter. LOL