Umbrellas and other things at Airport Screening
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Justchecking
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
And yet I can wear my stilettos onboard which can do a lot more damage to someone than a toy Concorde. I imagine a stiletto to the eyeball could pretty much take a person out.
And yet I can wear my stilettos onboard which can do a lot more damage to someone than a toy Concorde. I imagine a stiletto to the eyeball could pretty much take a person out.
Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Yeah, you gotta watch what you write in those things.
Yeah, you gotta watch what you write in those things.
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williamsf1
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
one thing i have noticed is inconsistencies in security . i fly 2 times a weeks either SYD CBR SYD or SYD BNE SYD . I carry exactly the same things each week.
In BNE they make you take out your umbrella ( small fold up style) for scanning. other airports do not . I was picked up at Canberra the other week as my Rexona deodorant did not have a lid ( one of the new style that does not have a lid -you can lock anyway) .. however i have been thru many airports with the same.
one thing i have noticed is inconsistencies in security . i fly 2 times a weeks either SYD CBR SYD or SYD BNE SYD . I carry exactly the same things each week.
In BNE they make you take out your umbrella ( small fold up style) for scanning. other airports do not . I was picked up at Canberra the other week as my Rexona deodorant did not have a lid ( one of the new style that does not have a lid -you can lock anyway) .. however i have been thru many airports with the same.
Lawlass
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Used to take my parachute as carry on all the time, but always inside a backpack or rollerboard. Having all sorts of interesting hardware on it, it got questioned about half the time. They always let it through, but I can't count the times the security person would say "You know you probably won't be able to use it in an emergency."
Used to take my parachute as carry on all the time, but always inside a backpack or rollerboard. Having all sorts of interesting hardware on it, it got questioned about half the time. They always let it through, but I can't count the times the security person would say "You know you probably won't be able to use it in an emergency."
russellferrier
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Running late for my BNE flight out of MEL on Friday and, of course, I get picked for the explosives check.
Naturally I test positive for TNT.
Remotely possible if I was on a drilling rig where they use shaped charges to perforate the steel casing down hole but I'm now in offshore construction so no explosives at all on board.
Another swipe and again (my body) returns a positive.
Security guy test himself and returns a negative. Tests me again and again positive.
Then it was off to an office to have my carry on checked and my body groped.
Just made my plane but I guess the outcome could have been worse.
Funniest security moment was many years ago in BKK. Got stopped into and out of this airport carrying an (empty) oxygen cylinder but my mate never got stopped and he had one as well.
Running late for my BNE flight out of MEL on Friday and, of course, I get picked for the explosives check.
Naturally I test positive for TNT.
Remotely possible if I was on a drilling rig where they use shaped charges to perforate the steel casing down hole but I'm now in offshore construction so no explosives at all on board.
Another swipe and again (my body) returns a positive.
Security guy test himself and returns a negative. Tests me again and again positive.
Then it was off to an office to have my carry on checked and my body groped.
Just made my plane but I guess the outcome could have been worse.
Funniest security moment was many years ago in BKK. Got stopped into and out of this airport carrying an (empty) oxygen cylinder but my mate never got stopped and he had one as well.
Flying Fox
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
OK so I just remembered my story. It gets a little blue so you have been warned.
Mr and Mrs Flying Fox were flying ADL-BNE-LAX. In ADL we bump into some friends (1 male and 2 females) and we all have a great flight ADL-BNE. Before boarding the flight to LAX we go through extra security at the boarding gate. So the 5 of us go through together and we are divided into the boys and girls.
Us boys are looked over by a couple of security guards in about 1 minute.
The girls have a different experience. Us boys keep an eye on them and their stories goes like this....
The three girls are pulled over into a smaller area semi-enclosed area that we are able to see. They are pulled in by two female agents who decided to search them. They are slowly frisked by hand and every bend & fold of their body was hand rubbed down. The girls even had the bras that they were wearing rubbed down and the under-wire in their bras was very carefully searched/inspected. About 15mins later the girls were cleared for the flight. In general, I would say that the whole experience was similar to the start of some adult erotic movie involving ladies only.
The girls rejoined us boys and we all had a long discussion about how that search was very weird. Well it was a good conversation for the long LAX flight.
OK so I just remembered my story. It gets a little blue so you have been warned.
Mr and Mrs Flying Fox were flying ADL-BNE-LAX. In ADL we bump into some friends (1 male and 2 females) and we all have a great flight ADL-BNE. Before boarding the flight to LAX we go through extra security at the boarding gate. So the 5 of us go through together and we are divided into the boys and girls.
Us boys are looked over by a couple of security guards in about 1 minute.
The girls have a different experience. Us boys keep an eye on them and their stories goes like this....
The three girls are pulled over into a smaller area semi-enclosed area that we are able to see. They are pulled in by two female agents who decided to search them. They are slowly frisked by hand and every bend & fold of their body was hand rubbed down. The girls even had the bras that they were wearing rubbed down and the under-wire in their bras was very carefully searched/inspected. About 15mins later the girls were cleared for the flight. In general, I would say that the whole experience was similar to the start of some adult erotic movie involving ladies only.
The girls rejoined us boys and we all had a long discussion about how that search was very weird. Well it was a good conversation for the long LAX flight.
Katie
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
In HKG last Sun morning, a side pocket in my wheelie bag inspired further inspection. Still ot sure what came up, but there was just a kindle USB cable, iPad USB cable and business card holder in there. Shrug.
In HKG last Sun morning, a side pocket in my wheelie bag inspired further inspection. Still ot sure what came up, but there was just a kindle USB cable, iPad USB cable and business card holder in there. Shrug.
SamR
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Many years ago when I was transiting through AKL on my way to the US, I kept setting off the alarm as I walked through security. I took off belts, shoes, emptied pockets... all to no avail. I kept beeping. Trying to make light of a frustrating situation, I joked, "Oh, it must be the steel plate in my head!". Deadpan as anything, the guard waved his wand over my head and told me it wasn't that. (A good 10 years before 9/11, airports were still a no-go zone for bad jokes.)
A colleague of mine once had an interesting experience with the explosives test. She was an orchestral musician and had been playing a concert the day before she flew that included the 1812 Overture - a piece that includes cannon fire as part of the score. They didn't have cannons, but a makeshift device involving some kind of gunpowder and a metal rubbish bin had been rigged up - another story in itself - which meant that the fallout was a bit, uh, messy. Unsurprisingly, she tested very positive for explosives residue and had a rather hard time explaining her unlikely story at the airport.
Many years ago when I was transiting through AKL on my way to the US, I kept setting off the alarm as I walked through security. I took off belts, shoes, emptied pockets... all to no avail. I kept beeping. Trying to make light of a frustrating situation, I joked, "Oh, it must be the steel plate in my head!". Deadpan as anything, the guard waved his wand over my head and told me it wasn't that. (A good 10 years before 9/11, airports were still a no-go zone for bad jokes.)
A colleague of mine once had an interesting experience with the explosives test. She was an orchestral musician and had been playing a concert the day before she flew that included the 1812 Overture - a piece that includes cannon fire as part of the score. They didn't have cannons, but a makeshift device involving some kind of gunpowder and a metal rubbish bin had been rigged up - another story in itself - which meant that the fallout was a bit, uh, messy. Unsurprisingly, she tested very positive for explosives residue and had a rather hard time explaining her unlikely story at the airport.
Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
My daughter, around 4 at the time, was written up and had a pair of scissors removed traveling through Singapore. Fair enough? Well she'd been given one of those 2D cardboard doll sets where you cut out various paper outfits for them. The scissors were these little plastic things with the tiniest "blade" that amounted to little more than a bit foil glued to the plastic scissors.
Another time flying out of MEL international my wife was asked to do the explosive test. The thing came back positive! "Don't worry that happens a lot" says the girl who runs the test again. This time the computer crashes with a BSOD. "Don't worry that happens a lot" says the girl again who tests on the other machine which this time come back clean. "Have a nice flight" she says and waves us on. Whew! I was thinking massively reduced drinking time in the lounge as all the bags were pulled apart.
My daughter, around 4 at the time, was written up and had a pair of scissors removed traveling through Singapore. Fair enough? Well she'd been given one of those 2D cardboard doll sets where you cut out various paper outfits for them. The scissors were these little plastic things with the tiniest "blade" that amounted to little more than a bit foil glued to the plastic scissors.
Another time flying out of MEL international my wife was asked to do the explosive test. The thing came back positive! "Don't worry that happens a lot" says the girl who runs the test again. This time the computer crashes with a BSOD. "Don't worry that happens a lot" says the girl again who tests on the other machine which this time come back clean. "Have a nice flight" she says and waves us on. Whew! I was thinking massively reduced drinking time in the lounge as all the bags were pulled apart.
LiamR
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
I just thought of another incident I had a few year back, quite concerning actually.
I was flying from Saigon to Hue in 2009 when going through security I was pulled up for having a small pair of scissors (pointed edge) in my medical kit. No big deal, took them out and off we went.
But wait?
I went through, Gold Coast domestic, Sydney International, Singapore Customs, Singapore International security, Singapore gate security check, Vietnam customs. How could they miss it but a X-ray machine in a third world country picked it up?
Strange.
I just thought of another incident I had a few year back, quite concerning actually.
I was flying from Saigon to Hue in 2009 when going through security I was pulled up for having a small pair of scissors (pointed edge) in my medical kit. No big deal, took them out and off we went.
But wait?
I went through, Gold Coast domestic, Sydney International, Singapore Customs, Singapore International security, Singapore gate security check, Vietnam customs. How could they miss it but a X-ray machine in a third world country picked it up?
Strange.
Archphoto
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Remember doing a shoot that took me ADL-MEL-AKL-LAX-ORD-DFW-LAX-SYD-ADL.
Had a bottle of Hamilton's sunscreen in the photography bag - brand new, never used. Wasn't until the LAX return flight, that it got confiscated, and even then they had to scan 2x and then get me to dig it out.
Yep, I feel sooooo much safer since he LAGS rule came into effect. . . . . . :mrgreen:
(They (LAX) also went nuts at one of my colleagues for *not* taking his HDDs out - what's that all about???)
Remember doing a shoot that took me ADL-MEL-AKL-LAX-ORD-DFW-LAX-SYD-ADL.
Had a bottle of Hamilton's sunscreen in the photography bag - brand new, never used. Wasn't until the LAX return flight, that it got confiscated, and even then they had to scan 2x and then get me to dig it out.
Yep, I feel sooooo much safer since he LAGS rule came into effect. . . . . . :mrgreen:
(They (LAX) also went nuts at one of my colleagues for *not* taking his HDDs out - what's that all about???)
Berlin
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Yea- that's my experience as well, all those horror stories about US customs and security seem to be based more on prejudice than anything else. MEL can be much worse than a smaller US airport like DFW any day. And yea- LAX is horror but most of the times not because you get mistreated but rather just because of the layout and being not staffed properly. SYD anyone? I travel to and through the US a lot and yes, sometimes you and up with some b*#ch but the same might happen in, let's say, Berlin if you end up with some ex-Stasi bureaucrat who's left over from communist times or in CDG if you happen to make a few mistakes in your French.
Yea- that's my experience as well, all those horror stories about US customs and security seem to be based more on prejudice than anything else. MEL can be much worse than a smaller US airport like DFW any day. And yea- LAX is horror but most of the times not because you get mistreated but rather just because of the layout and being not staffed properly. SYD anyone? I travel to and through the US a lot and yes, sometimes you and up with some b*#ch but the same might happen in, let's say, Berlin if you end up with some ex-Stasi bureaucrat who's left over from communist times or in CDG if you happen to make a few mistakes in your French.
Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Paraphrased from an old Flyertalk trip report (where I do almost all of my international reports) of mine BNE-xBKK-xFRA-TRN-FCO-SUF//NAP-MUC//FRA-xBKK-xSYD-BNE on TG(C), LH(C), AP(Y), DJ(Y) - FlyerTalk Forums
This would probably have been the oddest security experience I've had, departing Naples for Munich - mind you, everything about Naples airport was a bit weird...
Security was unnaturally thorough. I had, as all obedient travellers do, my toiletries in a clear bag, and out for examination. Laptop, GPS, phone all out and into the tray. Didn't look like any of the other (predominantly local) travellers had even bothered to separately pack their liquids and gels. It's amazing how much hand luggage people try to get through. Anyhow, when it was my turn, the contract security scanner wanted me to open up my shampoo and soap bottles (each clear, of less than 100ml), squeeze a bit out onto my hand and let him sniff it. Now, nowhere in my job description can I find anything that says I have to let a big, burly, 6 foot man with lots of facial hair sniff my hand. Twice. I offered to also brush my teeth for him, but either his English wasn't good enough, or he didn't have any sense of humour at all.
Paraphrased from an old Flyertalk trip report (where I do almost all of my international reports) of mine BNE-xBKK-xFRA-TRN-FCO-SUF//NAP-MUC//FRA-xBKK-xSYD-BNE on TG(C), LH(C), AP(Y), DJ(Y) - FlyerTalk Forums
This would probably have been the oddest security experience I've had, departing Naples for Munich - mind you, everything about Naples airport was a bit weird...
Security was unnaturally thorough. I had, as all obedient travellers do, my toiletries in a clear bag, and out for examination. Laptop, GPS, phone all out and into the tray. Didn't look like any of the other (predominantly local) travellers had even bothered to separately pack their liquids and gels. It's amazing how much hand luggage people try to get through. Anyhow, when it was my turn, the contract security scanner wanted me to open up my shampoo and soap bottles (each clear, of less than 100ml), squeeze a bit out onto my hand and let him sniff it. Now, nowhere in my job description can I find anything that says I have to let a big, burly, 6 foot man with lots of facial hair sniff my hand. Twice. I offered to also brush my teeth for him, but either his English wasn't good enough, or he didn't have any sense of humour at all.
Balwyn3103
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
This is a few years back at FRA where they did a pre-check-in security screening. I was asked why I was in Germany and told them I was a military contractor. Was asked to show my military ID which in Germany acts as a visa. The ID card has my company's name which is an acronym.
I'm asked to tell the security guy what the acronym stands for and my mind goes completely blank. NOWHERE from its tiny recesses could I pull the real name of the company. I'm travelling with my boss who finds it hilarious. After being taken to a security superivisor's office for a "chat", they let me proceed.
This is a few years back at FRA where they did a pre-check-in security screening. I was asked why I was in Germany and told them I was a military contractor. Was asked to show my military ID which in Germany acts as a visa. The ID card has my company's name which is an acronym.
I'm asked to tell the security guy what the acronym stands for and my mind goes completely blank. NOWHERE from its tiny recesses could I pull the real name of the company. I'm travelling with my boss who finds it hilarious. After being taken to a security superivisor's office for a "chat", they let me proceed.
Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
In Jan I was returning from Canada. One of my mates over there had just completed an exchange and was continuing his travels ( i was coming home to work ) however during his exchange he had managed to break his laptop so the screen was pretty much independent of the keyboard. The insurance company wanted to see it so I carried it back from Vancouver. Needless to say every security checkpoint i went through had someone pick it up out of the tub and then show a face of shear terror at the thought that they had just broken it.
In Jan I was returning from Canada. One of my mates over there had just completed an exchange and was continuing his travels ( i was coming home to work ) however during his exchange he had managed to break his laptop so the screen was pretty much independent of the keyboard. The insurance company wanted to see it so I carried it back from Vancouver. Needless to say every security checkpoint i went through had someone pick it up out of the tub and then show a face of shear terror at the thought that they had just broken it
.
rechoboam
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Re: Strange moments at Airport Security
Try working for a non-US company whose acronym is, say, FBI or CIA. You get treated really well at security queues!
Try working for a non-US company whose acronym is, say, FBI or CIA. You get treated really well at security queues!
munitalP
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Myself and a work colleague spent 3 hours at Perths Lone Ranger shooting range firing many types of hand guns one evening before our flights east. On arrival at the airport, I fully expected to not pass an explosives test as my arms and clothes were covered in GSR (the intention was a shower and change in the QP).
After begging (I was very curious as to whether the GSR would set off the explosives test) the security ppl to swab us, we both passed with no indication...
The GSR was so thick on our arms, we could literally smell it, this was mainly due to the enclosed booths we were shooting from, I was very surprised to say the least!
After begging (I was very curious as to whether the GSR would set off the explosives test) the security ppl to swab us, we both passed with no indication...
The GSR was so thick on our arms, we could literally smell it, this was mainly due to the enclosed booths we were shooting from, I was very surprised to say the least!
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According to one of the members of the Great Britain Palma Rifle Shooting Team (world Palma comp was in Brisbane this last weekend) gun powder is a propellent and not an explosive so does not register on the explosives testing equipment at airports.munitalP said:
Though he was concerned about the team flying out of BNE on Monday morning at about the same time as the Queen was arriving. Turning up at the airport with around 40 rifles could cause some concern! And some of these guys can put 15 consecutive shots through the centre bull from 1000m without telescopic sights - just amazing consistency and expert wind reading by the coach.
Umbrellas at screening
A first for me at Melb QF screening today when I was asked if, in addition to aerosols, did I have an umbrella in my carry on
Anyone know what This one is about? I assume there has been probs with brollies through the x ray machines recently
Jac
A first for me at Melb QF screening today when I was asked if, in addition to aerosols, did I have an umbrella in my carry on
Anyone know what This one is about? I assume there has been probs with brollies through the x ray machines recently
Jac
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