Security - what's the most senseless confiscation?

[Aussie Doc]

This sign at sydney airport always makes me chuckle


weapons, knives and ammunition can not be carried on board, but are clearly permitted in your checked luggage.

 

[ethernet]

Cardboard Box packing tape or duct tape. You know the $2 rolls of cheap plastic from $2 shops.
Who , I might tie somebody up / down. Umbrella without pointy end a $4 mini, no. (Whilst wearing a red .gov pass that would deem myself a very trustworthy person.
I hear rumors that Captains on USA flights (The actual pilot flying the plane) have been asked to take off their shoes (In case they try to take control of the plane), or an Air Marshal who had his orange peeler knife off him (Gun and stun grenades ok - they are on the list).

I don't blame the security goons, I directly blame politicians and a spineless wimp in charge of Aviation for not having the stones to sound off (Amanda Vanstone did). Only way they will learn is by voting them out.

Meanwhile Israeli security have their own rules, and get away with it, yet Greece keeps up the charade, when it is so easy to get on the tarmac. Security Theater , and us sheep are paying a motza because some 'committee' decided so.

 

[bluebird]

I've been carrying a fold-up scissors in my handbag for years. Because they have plastic handles I guess they show up on the X-ray as spectacles. Have also had a bottle of hand sanitizer in my handbag for years. Both item have been through airports throughout the world and not been detected. Have had scissors pass through security in Darwin airport only to have them confiscated in Brisbane! So you lose your nail file, nail clippers etc, and yet my daughter can not only bring her knitting needles on international flights (from the US) but can knit during the flight. Go figure!

 

[Westozi]

Had a man's deodorant confiscated in Detroit because it was 3.5 instead of 3.4 ounces, very carefully put to one side with the comment, "Oh that smells nice". Had been through 5 international airports to that time. Two Padawax shoe polishes confiscated in BNE despite having been round the world with us (at least 7 international airports). On a trip to Christmas Island had a flat plastic cover with a Swiss Army knife set that has been round the world with us (in my handbag) at least 3 times and through goodness knows how many International airports. The scissors (all of 3cm long) were removed and the rest of the pack handed back with nail file, hoof pick etc still in it.

 

[KLN]

Mr. KLN keeps all his cigarette lighters in his pockets of his jeans. (he tends to steal them off people). i keep mine in a handbag of course. many times exiting Xian and Shanghai, where we have been before, Mr. KLN ends up handing over all of his lighters, except for 1. because mine are in handbag, they are ignored. don't get really, but because his come out into the tray, they confiscate them all. mind disguised in the numerous pockets of the handbag, no one can be bothered.

 

[vertisol]

Spent a few weeks n Europe on the trains so got out of the habit of Carry on vs checked bagged. Basel to Rome Fiumicino on Easy Jet saw my vegemite got straight to the bin and my 'Leatherman Tool' go straight to the ultra safe place next to the keyboard of the x-ray operator.. perhaps the Swiss wanted to compare notes on knife making?

 

[FF001]

I had small trigger-bottles of Fabulon ironing aid confiscated on several occasions domestically. Sounds silly, I know, but I like a well pressed shirt. Some of the reasons provided by security goons were "it's not a toiletry"(duh), "it is hazardous" (to wrinkles), and "I am not sure if you can have this, so I am confiscating it" (always a safe bet). At around $5 a bottle it was starting to get irritating, after losing 6 bottles in a week I had had enough. More on principal than cost, I investigated it further by locating the material safety data sheet (confirmed not hazardous), spoke with CASA and finally sought a Qantas perspective. The response from all was that it was not a hazardous or controlled substance and that there was no reason for the confiscations. I was even provided with a Qantas mobile phone number to call if I had such issues in the future (nice). I travelled 2 days later and have not had a single incident in more than 5 years. I suspect that a subtle memo may have made the rounds of domestic airports. Thank you Mr (anonymous) from Qantas for taking a stand for well dressed FFs everywhere. Love your work.

 

[ethernet]

And Toxic waste.
Canberra introduced e-waste fees (like $25 for a 14 inch monitor). So I took 8 kilos of broken asbestos sheet triple bagged and marked so, and told them to confiscate it. A good outcome. Excess monitors (what you want how much @ Tiger) I gleefully left at the airport after a texta came and marked 'Property of xx_xx_xx airways' Asset number (made one up).

 

[sirjeff]

While I was recently in Thailand a work mate was bringing a tube of moistuiser up to me. He travelled on the same airline to Bangkok via Singapore. The moisturiser made it to Singapore but although he had come off the same aircraft he was not alllowed back on with the moisturiser. Inconsistancy is the real pain.

 

[Rebekkap]

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.

Melbourne is completely inconsistent with umbrellas - the Qantas terminal there's o sign and I don't recall ever being asked to take my brolly out for screening but in the DJ terminal, the sign says umbrella out, and theydo want them out, and sometimes unfold and check them. Drives me mad, as apart from the brolly I have eliminated everything else that needs separate screening (no aerosols, no laptop!)

 

[VirginiaF]

This was before 9/11. One night whilst walking home from work, I spotted a large blade knife (6"/15cm) - not of the benign intent, non-threatening, kitchen variety - on the footpath. Two questions went through my mind. Do I take it to the police station? Or, do I just leave it there? I was pretty incensed that people were carrying weapons like this around with them and decided, like a good citizen, that I should take it to the police station to show them what a terribly unsafe city we lived in (the police station was pretty much next to my work location). So I popped it into the side pocket in my lap top bag intending to pop into the police station on the way to work the next day. Being often a little absent minded, I forgot all about it. Some time later, I was on a business day trip, and on the outbound journey somehow managed to get the bag, with lap top and knife through security and metal detectors. On the way back, at the inbound airport security, the alarm bells literally went off and I had security people all around me trying to find something that was setting off the metal detector. In those days, IIRC, the laptop did not have to be taken out of the bag and so the computer may have hidden the knife from the security screening. After rummaging around in my bag, they extracted this lethal weapon (in front of my fellow pax who must have been stunned to see someone trying to take a blade of these dimensions on to their flight) accompanied by many eyes of suspicion generally pointed in my direction. I explained the story to the security people and showed them my boarding pass from the outward flight, at which point they must have believed me and I could see some of the more senior security people immediately contact the outbound airport to admonish the security people there. I guess we have come a long way since then, but I think this shows that there will be discrepancies from time to time.

 

[insular]

had a bottle of cologne confiscated because it was 105ml in singapore. this was soon after they introduced the restrictions. since then i regularly get my bottle of 114ml camera lens cleaning solution through without any dramas. nail clippers also, and i haven't used a plastic bag for liquids for years.

 

[yo yo ma]

I had a 120ml toothpaste tube (about 1/4 full) confiscated at NRT transit.
Had successfully gone through SYD, LAX, LAS (twice) and SJU in the week before

I had the same confiscated at BNE int but mine only had ~10mL left - enought for an overnight trip. The guy let me squeeze it into a plastic bag and go through. Effectively, I only had a toothpaste tube confiscated!

 

[jb747]

I had the same confiscated at BNE int but mine only had ~10mL left - enought for an overnight trip. The guy let me squeeze it into a plastic bag and go through. Effectively, I only had a toothpaste tube confiscated!

On a certain day in July 2008, security at HKG took a mostly empty tube of toothpaste off me. Next time I passed through, I ran into the same bloke, and commented that he'd taken my toothpaste last trip, and my aircraft still blew up.

Probably the best quote ever from TSA. When asking why the were confiscating some odd thing in LA, the TSA response was 'well to stop you taking over the plane sir'. Reply to that was...'count the bars'.

 

[chevyrecycler34]

Rebekkap

Dont the screeners at Melbourne not know that opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck ? lol.

 

[janmcneil]

After getting on a plane - no security check - at Mt Hotham , arriving in Melbourne , going through secuity where a tiny baby screwdriver all of 2" long (for glasses, was detected in my handbag - I was one step from the public area - but it was confiscated and security and I marched off all the way up to the security office where my screwdriver was returned to me.

 

[hotanddusty]

you did the right thing in handing over the allen key (with a smile) you have to realize these guys or woman at security are not up with the latest technology and don’t realize an allen key is not really a miniature hammer that would take an long time to assault someone by taping them on the head with the key and actually making a difference to the world of flying and as for the nail file they are always handy for the air hostess’s to keep their nails in shape

 

[medhead]

Probably the best quote ever from TSA. When asking why the were confiscating some odd thing in LA, the TSA response was 'well to stop you taking over the plane sir'. Reply to that was...'count the bars'.

my wife thought you might have said "there'll be problems if I'm not in control of the aircraft".


Sent from the Throne

 

[flybynight]

Consistency is certainly lacking or maybe it is the calibre of many of the security personnel. I had a toy handgun made of metal in my bag which passed through the xray in Sydney domestic without any questions a couple of years ago. Also had a hacksaw blade lodged in a crevice in my briefcase which was not detected multiple times in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide - I think it got picked up finally in Melbourne.
Just flew out of Nice yesterday and thought I would end up naked by the time I had removed all the articles of clothing security demanded. This was despite then going thru a full body scanner AND a full pat down.

 

[free2australian]

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.

Recently when entering Morocco I had my masking tape confiscated at security?????