Richard Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) I really don't believe it! Are you sitting comfortably as this may take some time to tell the story ... I've just come back from speaking at a Conference in the Republic of Ireland. The organisers were really lovely and gave all the speakers a gift. It included a very nice silver corkscrew (also some crystal glasses - and before anyone asks, yes I will declare it to my employers when I get back to the office). I was well chuffed. But, I had gone over on a cheap flight with Ryan Air and checked in online. So I was handluggage only. So I realised that I couldn't take the corkscrew back on my flight home from Dublin. The organiser very kindly agreed to post it back to me. Well, I got to the airport and went through security. They decided to search my bag because they saw the glasses on xray and maybe they looked like bombs. So, while they were going through a couple of day's worth of dirty clothes I told the bloke that I'd had to leave the corkscrew behind. Oh he said, it wouldn't have been a problem, we'd have let it through .. unless it had one of those little knife blades for taking off the foil on the bottle tops! (it didn't have one). So, I would have been stopped and prevented from taking it home if it had a half inch, pretty blunt, foil remover blade, but I would have been allowed to take a three inch or more long, exceedingly sharp, corkscrew! Now is that crackers or not? I'm still annoyed that I left it when I could have got it through, but the rationale behind the security man's comment just escapes me. Edited November 23, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 It simply doesn't seem to make sense to me MIL went to a wedding in France this summer and had forgotten that she had an old fashioned metal nail file hidden in the depths of her handbag, No actual sharp edges, and at 78 she doesn't exactly fit the profile of the average terror suspect, but she was obliged to surrender it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 My Grandad (Age 72) had a blunt metal bookmark that we bought him duing the holiday for around 10 euros in his handluggage and it was deemed a dangerous weapon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) they have their orders! I had to surrender a fork once, then I had nothing to eat my pasta salad with on the flight I am surprised they would have allowed a corkscrew through but on the day, if you'd had it with you they probably would have refused it! Edited November 23, 2007 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 My Grandad (Age 72) had a blunt metal bookmark that we bought him duing the holiday for around 10 euros in his handluggage and it was deemed a dangerous weapon. I love the way you told us how much it cost! 72 year olds with blunt bookmarks can cause all kinds of havoc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 you have to read this! http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16458 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 im sorry but working for an airline I have to agree with the security folks. The lives of crew and passengers come first. After what the terrorists sneaked onto planes to use as weapons on 9/11 anything can be deemed as a weapon You probably already know but you cant even take lipgloss, toilietries over a certain size and baby milk has to still be tasted at check-in. Its the world we live in im afraid. And there really is no hardship packing it in hold luggage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Its not that we mind the security its the randomness of it. YOu can't take your tweezers on but as soon as you're through you can buy some in boots and take them with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 i know what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I agree with Chelsea! Every day when I go to work, I have to pack my toiletries into a tiny freezer bag (short haul crew so cant check a bag in the hold) and decant everything into small containers to take with me. It drove me mad at first but now it is just part of the world we live in. I do feel safer at work now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 going off on a bit of a tangent, I was really fed up when the metal pins in my arm DIDN'T set off the metal detector, I was so looking forward to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I agree with the security measures, and certainly am not complaining that MIL lost her nail file (evil things those nail files, very damaging to the nails, give me an emery board any day )...........it's more the contrast between Richard quite possibly being allowed a far more weapon like instrument on board that baffles me . The rules do seem a little loosely interpreted depending on airport and security staff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 You couldn't make it up! I'm all for security measures....but they should make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 The rules do seem a little loosely interpreted depending on airport and security staff i agree with that too Kate, the new staff earn peanuts! A friend of mine is 'old' contract BAA staff and earns more than double what the new staff earn. You get what you pay for.........! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 going off on a bit of a tangent, I was really fed up when the metal pins in my arm DIDN'T set off the metal detector, I was so looking forward to it! I always set it off, even when I don't have any metal on me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 im sorry but working for an airline I have to agree with the security folks. The lives of crew and passengers come first. After what the terrorists sneaked onto planes to use as weapons on 9/11 anything can be deemed as a weapon You probably already know but you cant even take lipgloss, toilietries over a certain size and baby milk has to still be tasted at check-in. Its the world we live in im afraid. And there really is no hardship packing it in hold luggage. Ah, but the problem was firstly that it is random - a corkscrew is allowed but a tiny blade not. Also, if you go with a cheap flight - I was Ryan Air - and do what they try to persuade you to do, ie book in online and only take hand luggage, you can't then put it in the hold without going all the way through check in and paying a surcharge. I had booked in online during the day before my flight, and was presented with the gift that evening. It would be really nice to have a facility at the airport where I could have put the corkscrew I was given into a jiffy bag and posted it home. But no, it would have to have gone into the box, with all the other forbidden stuff (deoderant sprays, forks, leathermen tools, swiss army kit etc.). And I'm sure that isn't just dumped - the cynic in me says it gets shared out somewhere, or perhaps the sharp stuff gets used by the baggage handlers to open up your bags to see if there's anything decent in them.... Sorry, I know that is really unfair but there's just been a feature on the telly about the baggage people, I think it was at Stansted, and how much stuff was nicked from people's baggage. Incidentally, someone told me on the plane that they hoped the little yellow oxygen masks didn't drop down and need using, as she was sure you would have to pay extra for the oxygen you used ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Incidentally, someone told me on the plane that they hoped the little yellow oxygen masks didn't drop down and need using, as she was sure you would have to pay extra for the oxygen you used ....... We charge £7 a litre Richard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I know what you mean Claret walking into the Tate modern shop on Thursday I set the alarm off going in and even more embarassing I set it off leaving Harrods (after being terribly careful and not spending much.....not! ). THe security guard was lovely about it tho and was laughing when he passed my shopping through and nothing. Put my man-bag through, nothing. I passed through on my own, nothing. Put it all together I set the alarm off - We must be highly charged Claret!! A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 It does seem somewhat random doesn't it? My bugbear was when I was on crutches - I understand that the crutches need to go through the scanner...... but it's then very difficult walking through the people scanner without them......... and they wouldn't let me wait and have Carl pass them back to me - and i had to take my shoes off without being able to use a chair to sit on, and with my leg in full leg splint I asked for a wheelchair on my return and we were whisked through really quickly - much as i hated having to resort to the wheelchair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 Incidentally, someone told me on the plane that they hoped the little yellow oxygen masks didn't drop down and need using, as she was sure you would have to pay extra for the oxygen you used ....... We charge £7 a litre Richard! I'll take my own then - now where can I get an oxygen cylinder that weighs less than 10kg so I can put it in my hand luggage! I bet they'd take it off me at security in case I bludgeoned somebody to death with it whilst taking over the plane. From the stuff I read (and I realise you can't believe all you read) it seems to me that terrorists take explosives in their shoes or AK somenumber or other rifles when they take over airoplanes. I haven't actually ever read of a group of extremists hijacking a plane with combs, forks and swiss army thingies ... ..or of blowing the plane up with a bottle of shampoo not in a plastic bag. What is it about the plastic bags that stops shampoo and toothpaste being explosive (assuming it was in the first place)? Incidentally I knew someone who recieved death threats and he was advised (among lots of other things) not to wash his car!.... why? I hear you ask Because apparently its a really good way to tell if you have a bomb under your car. You try putting something underneath a car without putting your hand on the wheel arch. I'm now visualising a bomber going away, having put a bomb under someone's car, moaning because they've got their hand all dirty, and its all over my trousers/skirt/jacket and why don't you ever wash your car and my evenings all spoilt ... (are you getting the picture of some of the aggro I get from her indoors?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Incidentally I knew someone who recieved death threats and he was advised (among lots of other things) not to wash his car!.... . "conferences" in far flung places, friends with death threats- remind me never to apply for a job with the NHS! Richard, do you have a licence to 'you know what'? shhhhhhhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Hmm last month flying form Manchester to Malaga- Saturday of half- term week. It was only when I got to Spain that I realised that I had left a full 100ml bottle of Superdrug's antibacterial hand gel in the outside pocket of Ethan's spare clothes back pack I got it through security, it was totally unintentional. I keep meaning to emai tha airport to tell them (and there we were at passport controlly thing swiging water like ther's no tomorrow as we couldn't take it any further through the airport ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 That's a bit worrying, I got through with a lip-balm in my pocket and wasnt questioned. Mind you I doubt I could hold up the plane with a SPF15 balm! lol A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 Incidentally I knew someone who recieved death threats and he was advised (among lots of other things) not to wash his car!.... . "conferences" in far flung places, friends with death threats- remind me never to apply for a job with the NHS! Richard, do you have a licence to 'you know what'? shhhhhhhhh I wish (no I don't really). Hang on, got to go, there's a dodgy looking bloke outside ... and he's got a fork - and a bottle of shampoo.. Arrgghhhh, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 hope you haven't washed the car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
