Never mind the screwdriver...

[Grub]

There were Nasty and I on Friday night sitting at Welly airport waiting to board a flight when I decided to check my backpack for nasties ... and found a screwdriver. A screwdriver? Well what else do you carry in your backpack fo adjusting rebound and compressions on your bike?

It's all good, SweetP was coming off a flight in a few minutes and we were due to have coffee so I gave it to her.

Monday morning, SweetP sent me this ....
Never mind the screwdriver ...Never mind the nail scissors, what about the chainsaw. A reader writes: "My brother-in-law went through security at Auckland domestic airport and witnessed a passenger having to fish out her nail scissors from her handbag and leave them behind. He went through security and then boarded his plane. After being seated he could smell petrol. He knew you shouldn't be able to smell petrol on a plane, because planes don't use petrol. The smell got worse and eventually he got the attention of one of the flight attendants. They started to look around to see where it was coming from. They found in the overhead compartment a chainsaw in a bag that was leaking petrol into the compartment. His plane was delayed as the owner was identified and the chainsaw removed and put with the main luggage. The owner of the chainsaw said security had stopped him but had let him through because it wasn't one of the things on their list to confiscate."

This is unbelievable ... isn't it??????

[Colapop]

Did the passenger look anything like this guy? If not, no worries...

[Dooly]

So you maybe bring your motorbike on board too.

[Usarka]

I'm sure I've been asked if i was carrying any thermonuclear devices at customs once.

[MIXONE]

Now that one did crack me up.I hope nukes,hand grenades and ICBMs are on the list.

[007XX]

Gaaahh...

The mind boggles...

[Grub]

What is REALLY frightening about that story is that things with petrol in them are Prohibited Cargo and come under dangerous goods ... and they put it in the hold ?!?!?!

[sinfull]

Much the same thing happened to me when i flew up to auckland to pick the new bike up!
I didn't even think of the bits i'd packed (trying to think of everything that could go wrong on the ride home) Got to luggage check in and got told i could carry the bag on (still didn't twig)
Wasn't till i went to the appropriate gate and saw the security, i thought wow this has changed ! Next thing my arse is being dragged to the side and i'm told to open my bag, as they saw something on xray that shouldn't be there lol !
Now It wasn't losing the $80 punture repair kit or the $30 chain grease that hurt (well ok it did lol), it was when the fella told me that a few of their guys rode and i knew, i just knew, they weren't gonna go to the DG incinerator haha
Know better next time !!!

[Mikkel]

Well, if it's not on the list...

FFS nothing pisses me off more than officials who either can not think for themselves or have been firmly instructed not to!

When I was on Hawaii back in 2005 we went out tramping and camping and of course we brought a burner, billies, etc (a trangia for those in the know).
The burner is pretty damn simple - made from brass it's just a container with ducts that siphon up white spirits from a reservoir, maintaining a reasonable rate of combustion. When it's empty it's just a piece of brass, no sharp edges, too big to swallow, no danger of explosion or spontaneous self-combustion...

But no, of course, we were not allowed to get it on the plane - not even in our luggage

Just for a second there, I thought I was going to loose my cool... I struck a bargain and I only lost my mind.


Other things I've had confiscated off me at security check points:
2 swiss army knives - one of which was actually illegal, luckily enough they didn't press the point.
At least those made some sense - although I felt like a complete idiot the second time around... But hey, where else but your backpack do you put your multi-tool/swiss army knife?

[Mole_C]

My friend got a loaded blow pipe onto the plane last week with no problems

[EJK]

Hmm awesome



Wait... hold on, we can board the plane with some petrol??

[Swoop]

Well, if it's not on the list...

Other things I've had confiscated off me at security check points:
2 swiss army knives -

Why don't they ban the Saturday herald? That could be used as a club. Also, people with big hands!

Also, have you heard about the French-Army Knife? All it contains, is 5 corkscrews and a white flag...

[EJK]

Other things I've had confiscated off me at security check points:
2 swiss army knives - one of which was actually illegal, luckily enough they didn't press the point.
At least those made some sense - although I felt like a complete idiot the second time around... But hey, where else but your backpack do you put your multi-tool/swiss army knife?

Duty-free shops sale Swiss army knifes don't they?
All sorts of liquors too.. does that mean its OK to get drunk in the plane?

[Mikkel]

Seen plenty of people getting off their faces - all courtsey of the airline - plenty of times

But yeah, banning Swiss army knives when you can chuck 2 litres of ~60% ethanol on board in big glass bottles... Can both be used to start a fire and as a weapon.

[mowgli]

Duty-free shops sale Swiss army knifes don't they?

Ahhh, but aren't your through security by then? So no smuck to piss you off and tempt you to use it.

Maybe that's why they have additional security between duty free and flights bound for the US. You just know the flight is going to be full of tosspots from bum-f**k idaho. You know the ones, they want the loo just after the meal is served and despite the blanket, pillow and "I don't give a rats" look on your face want to tell you their life story. All you want is sleep!

But I digress. So we can take petrol on flights now. I hear fuel's cheaper in Tauranga. Perhaps I should bring a couple of cans back in my carry on next trip