What's a forgotten item a security has found in your bag?

[BriarFlyer]

Ha, I'd forgotten about the maple syrup! Similar story to @RooFlyer except my travel buddy wasn't prepared to give it up. She hot-footed back to check-in where multiple staff assisted her in finding a packing box and checking it through. From my perspective -- and likely all the people waiting for this prolonged process so they could check-in -- this took forever! And we had to sprint to get through US pre-clearance and to the gate for our flight to HNL.

 

[Seat0B]

Ha, I'd forgotten about the maple syrup! Similar story to @RooFlyer except my travel buddy wasn't prepared to give it up. She hot-footed back to check-in where multiple staff assisted her in finding a packing box and checking it through. From my perspective -- and likely all the people waiting for this prolonged process so they could check-in -- this took forever! And we had to sprint to get through US pre-clearance and to the gate for our flight to HNL.

And in a similar vein, Seat Son had an adventure with a 1kg tub of Vegemite (Costco) that was in his hand luggage on a trip back to DXB where he lives. I had told him to put it in his checked luggage but he didn't for whatever the reason.

Picked up at SYD security scanning. He was quite upset, and offered to eat a spoonful of it to prove to the security guy that it was legit Vegemite. Guard duly produced a teaspoon and watched while Seat Son ate the whole spoonful....and then he confiscated the tub anyway. Seat Son was outraged! But powerless to do anything about it. Guard just said it was a perk of his job to watch idiots grovelling. Apparently, he literally used those words .

Seat Son did see the funny side of it, but it's not a mistake he has ever repeated, and the Vegemite is ALWAYS stowed in the checked luggage now.

 

[Seat0B]

This one infuriated me. At CBR a couple of years back and I had a handbag hook in my expensive blush leather handbag. For those who don't know, you use this to hook over a table top and suspend your handbag so it does not have to go on the dirty floor. Despite being called a handbag hook, there is no sharp part on it at all - the hook part itself is totally blunt.

The securtity guard (young male) clearly had no idea what it was and confiscated it. I protested, as at that time I was travelling a lot for work and the hook had been through CBR several times with no issue, as well as SYD, MEL, BNE, DAR, PER and HBA - also with no issue . I asked why it was being confiscated, and he said it was a weapon. I offered to unfold it to show him it was totally blunt (much blunter than a permitted knitting needle, for example). Several other women in the line chimed in agreeing with me, and even one of the security staff also told him it was not a weapon, and should be given back to me. He refused to budge and threatened to call the police if we did not all desist and move on. I was actually really upset about this. It's fair enough when you have stuffed up eg Mr Seat 0A's Swiss Army knife, and I've lost a few pairs of scissors over the years, but this was just total BS. And inconsistent BS at that.

Anyway, I stomped off to the J lounge and started a couple of consoling drinks . A few minutes later a person who introduced themself as the Qantas Manager approached me in the lounge and wanted to know what happened. I don't know how he knew there had been a ruckus. I explained, including showing google example like below. He agreed it was ridiculous and left. 30 mins later he appeared with my handbag hook and told me to put it in check in for the future. Which is fine, except that it misses the point of a handbag hook, and ignores the fact that it is not actually a banned item - nor should it be.

 

[MARTINE]

This one infuriated me. At CBR a couple of years back and I had a handbag hook in my expensive blush leather handbag. For those who don't know, you use this to hook over a table top and suspend your handbag so it does not have to go on the dirty floor. Despite being called a handbag hook, there is no sharp part on it at all - the hook part itself is totally blunt.

The securtity guard (young male) clearly had no idea what it was and confiscated it. I protested, as at that time I was travelling a lot for work and the hook had been through CBR several times with no issue, as well as SYD, MEL, BNE, DAR, PER and HBA - also with no issue . I asked why it was being confiscated, and he said it was a weapon. I offered to unfold it to show him it was totally blunt (much blunter than a permitted knitting needle, for example). Several other women in the line chimed in agreeing with me, and even one of the security staff also told him it was not a weapon, and should be given back to me. He refused to budge and threatened to call the police if we did not all desist and move on. I was actually really upset about this. It's fair enough when you have stuffed up eg Mr Seat 0A's Swiss Army knife, and I've lost a few pairs of scissors over the years, but this was just total BS. And inconsistent BS at that.

Anyway, I stomped off to the J lounge and started a couple of consoling drinks . A few minutes later a person who introduced themself as the Qantas Manager approached me in the lounge and wanted to know what happened. I don't know how he knew there had been a ruckus. I explained, including showing google example like below. He agreed it was ridiculous and left. 30 mins later he appeared with my handbag hook and told me to put it in check in for the future. Which is fine, except that it misses the point of a handbag hook, and ignores the fact that it is not actually a banned item - nor should it be.

View attachment 351001

some people just dont understand … except in japan where a handbag never touches the floot

Edit:floor!

 

[TheRealTMA]

some people just dont understand … except in japan where a handbag never touches the floot

Edit:floor!

YMSTBICNPC!

 

[tdimdad]

some people just dont understand … except in japan where a handbag never touches the floot

Edit:floor!

Or Taiwan. And probably many other places, too. Even I've picked up this good habit for my backpack, keeping it up whenever possible.
In Taiwan, though, you see many ladies placing the bag behind their backs on the seat. Looks a bit uncomfy at times but that's how they sit with them.

 

[TheRealTMA]

“Good” restaurants give ladies a stool for their handbag.

 

[Captain Halliday]

“Good” restaurants give ladies a stool for their handbag.

It’s the restaurant’s that give you a loose stool that you want to avoid.

 

[Seat0B]

It’s the restaurant’s that give you a loose stool that you want to avoid.

Yes. And I also like to avoid gastro pubs.

 

[xt_20]

A small kid's scissors - it was in a pencil box in the hand carry. First airport did not pick it up, but second one did. They rummaged through the bag, took the scissors out and looked at us. We were more than prepared to let it go but they measured it and said it's under a certain length, so it is fine.

 

[Yearlylonghaul]

An item that security didn't find...

Rummaging through my luggage in Singapore, and I found a live 243 round. I have no idea how long it had been there, or how many times it had be X-rayed, but it was some months since that bag had been away on a shooting trip.

Me too. But mine was a live 308 round. I had already flown a leg from a regional airport and was going through security at Sydney domestic when it was found. I was with a work colleague, and was very embarrassed. Very few questions asked, just confiscation of the item.

 

[a5p]

Back in 2011 in India, I was traveling to multiple cities in a 3 week timeframe for business meetings with a 4 day break in between. Went bushwalking with friends and as we were on a trail known to be frequently cross by wild animals, were all packing machetes and hunting knives. I forgot my friends hunting knife in my carry-on laptop case, went through 4 domestic airport security checks where they all missed it on the X-Ray (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata) until my last 2 legs when the security staff finally saw it (Pune, co-located defence airport). I nearly cough my pants there when they pulled this out of a deep, forgotten recess of my backpack.
Got a friend to come to the airport to pick it up, gave an explanation to the security as to why it was there and what must have happened- checked my travel dates, cross-checked with cctv footage and scanners in other airports. Found that they had the knife on scanner but the security personnel were distracted, and let me go with a warning. Got off lightly I think, have always emptied my bags fully & searched them before every travel since.

 

[tdimdad]

Welcome to AFF, @a5p! Please share stories and ask questions as we go and happy travels to you!