Coming back from Canada they confiscated my money clip that has a little pocket knife on it. I had flown with this thing multiple times within the states with no issue.
He offered to ship it home for $5, but I said no because I'm pretty sure the thing cost less than that.
I was about to say "I could probably do more damage with this pen" or something along those lines, then realized that is a no-no at the airport these days. So I shut my mouth and moved along.
We were flying to Europe, pre-9/11. For whatever reason, 12 year old me decided I NEEDED to have my 3 D cell maglite on this trip. Security was confused. I didn't see what the problem was.
Ended up coming in handy when the power went out at a hotel!
Fun fact, you can freeze a bottle of water and bring it through in solid form. Disclaimer: they will be a bit perplexed and might have to swab the outside of the bottle.
We did this with 1 liter bottles for a cross country flight. Unfortunately, they didn't melt as much as I had hoped and only got to drink half of it. I also didn't think to open them and take a little out before freezing them, so they leaked everywhere when I tried to open it on the plane.
@TaRDy It's much easier to just bring in empty bottles and then fill them at the water fountains past security. Most airports even have water fountains with special water-bottle-filling-stations.
@TaRDy That's awesome. I had wondered, but figured they wouldn't let it pass. I usually drink recently-frozen water anyway, and even have thermal prophylactics to preserve the froziness.
@peterdraws Uh, yeah, you must not be from Texas (or maybe you are from Texas and don't have a frame of reference to know that the water tastes awful around here).
I had was rushing to pack while my brain still slept. Resulting in my putting a very expensive bottle of wine in my carryon. Like I said not awake, not thinking. The women wouldn't grab my checked bag and let me put it in. She did offer ( seriously ) to take it for me. I paid for it to be shipped. Yes, I take responsibility. But the nerve of that agent still bothers me.
I refused to fly for a long time, but I live too far away from my family so had to give in eventually. Actually I think I gave in first to go to a conference.
Not the TSA, but I once had my shorts confiscated by a Jamaican customs officer. True story.
My gf and I took a vacation to Montego Bay last summer and I was wearing camouflage cargo shorts on the flight. When we went through customs, the lady looks at me and says, "Your fatigue pants will have to come off". I thought she was joking. She wasn't. Apparently, in Jamaica, only the military is permitted to wear camouflage clothing. It is illegal for normal citizens (and tourists) to wear it. I had to go into the bathroom and change out of them. Then I had to wait in the declaration line and they checked them in. The lady looked at me while she was filling out 3 separate forms, shook her head, sighed and said, "You should have just left them in your bag". They gave me a claim form and I got them back at the end of the week after going through security. But, lesson learned, do some research on local laws before traveling internationally!
I had to check luggage to avoid having three Indian arrowheads confiscated. It belonged to my great aunt, and I was traveling home from her funeral. The largest was about 1.5 inches in length. Lacking an arrow or bow, I don't think it was much of a threat.
I once gave a Swiss Army cards to each of my coworkers for Christmas. Within a year, 3 of them had gotten busted with them in their wallet while traveling. One put his in his planner, and it was never noticed.
I was coming back from my dad's funeral who was a veteran and was buried with full military honors. As part of the deal, you get to keep a couple of the shell casings used from the 21-gun salute.
Needless to say, TSA had a grand time wiping down my bag and finding all this gunpowder residue. I stood there bewildered when suddenly it dawned on me....they called a supervisor over and for once they did the right thing...they let me keep the spent shells and sent me on my way.
However, on another occasion, I had a pen knife that I carried everywhere and they suddenly decided I was a threat to myself (which I am actually) and those around me and took my pen knife. Freaks.
I bought one of these Ninja Wallet things last year from Amazon and on a flight to Europe, got it confiscated. Apparently this Ninja Wallet thing can be turned into a vicious weapon, per the TSA.
Well I did get on a plane with a big rock I had hauled all over England. Didn't put it in my checked luggage as I didn't want it broken (it was a piece of slate). They wanted to know if I was planning to bash the pilot over the head with it. I told them are they crazy? I didn't carry that thing in my back pack all over England (I was over there working there and picked it up back packing in the Lake District) to break it on a pilot's head. They let me keep it.
I had a Zippo taken shortly after 9/11. Had just gotten out of the Navy and my last command gave me a personalized Zippo with the ship's crest and numbers. Even after I gutted the shell, they wouldn't let me take it on board and made me throw it away.
Still pissed about that. Thanks for uncovering buried memories.
@LumpsRGood Sorry to hear about your zippo. That was mean of TSA and further evidence that a necessary TSA job qualification is no common sense. I was flying at 6am the morning after 9/11 to a conference, leaving from a backwater airport. My checked suitcase showed up 3 days later with half the contents missing and white powder all over the inside. Trying to board the plane (after they took my boarding pass - they were frisking us and tearing apart our carryons in the walkway to the plane) they were going to take my water bottle that had water from the drinking fountain near the gate, peanut butter sandwich, candy bars and apple. Not realizing what the deal was when they told me they were taking my food because it was a bomb threat, I told them that the day I figured out how to make a bomb from food I'd be wealthy. They then threatened to arrest me. I said, for what? Bringing food to eat since they no longer served any on a plane? I was so ticked I stood there and ate all my food right in front of them, drank as much water as I could and dumped the rest out on the rug in the walkway since they wouldn't let me leave the walkway to do it. They then let me on the plane after confiscating my now empty water bottle.
@Kidsandliz all flights were grounded for several days after 9/11 ? Flights didn't start being allowed until the the 13th and then very limited. How did you fly out "the morning after"?
@fishzine Maybe it wasn't after 911 then, maybe after some shoe bomber or something. It was a long time ago and I don't even remember what city the conference was in. Whatever was going on it disrupted air travel all over and for the first time ever water bottles were suspect -something these fools didn't tell us so I was not the only one upset about the water bottle thing. They were treating us all like we were bombing suspects, being nasty and not telling us what the big deal was all about. Heck it was 5:30 in the morning and I know I hadn't looked at the news the day before. Huge numbers of us at that conference did not get our luggage for several days.
Traveled halfway around the world with a pair of scissors in my first-aid kit. The blunt-end bandage kind. Hong Kong security found it. They asked me what it was, I was dumbfounded. The guy finally said it looks like scissors, and it dawned on me. I was too impressed that 7 other agencies missed it, and he found it. Couldn't be pissed. Tossed them in the large garbage can filled with similar items. Security guy was very proud of my compliments on finding that 1.5 inch lethal weaponry.
@G1 Japanese security confiscated my Mom's 2" plastic children's scissors. At the time they were legal here. She was allowed to keep her small nail clippers for unknown reasons on the same trip.
Forgot I had a Leatherman (the multitool, not the Village Person) in my bag. But they wouldn't let me retrieve it for them, they insisted on digging for it themselves.
Mostly, I just plan on checking a bag rather than dealing with it. But I've made 20+ flights with Visine left in my carry-on backpack with no problems.
Also, no water -- but cans of Play-Doh are just fine?
Back in the days when I smoked, I always found it hilarious that they would confiscate lighters, matches, etc. but had smoking areas. Someone always got a lighter or 2 through, though.
The one that drives me crazy is the opposite. I had a friend fly from NY to CA, with a pipe, lighter, and baggie filled with.... you know, in his cargo short pocket. They let him through, then let him get on the WRONG plane. With illegal substances.
I can't wait for the curtain all on our security theater.
Airport security in India took my manicure scissors (I had checked them on the international flight), and inspected the cuticle pusher tool thoroughly before allowing me to keep it. I quickly learned that my bag full of chargers, cables and international adapters was going to be a problem, so pulled them out for every xray. Oddly enough, they don't care about bottles of water there. Walk on through!
Home safe, yay! Flew with a parrot, potted plant and a 9 year old boy along with assorted other stuff. Walked right through security, did not even need to remove sneakers! We arrived extra early figuring it would take time with the bird. Everyone wanted to peek at the bird but that was it.
I feel compelled to chime in that my experience with the TSA has been mostly pretty awesome. They are almost without exception professional and polite (the worst I can recall is a couple who were somewhat curt), and many agents have a sense of humor when you treat them like humans. On the other hand, I'm often ashamed of my fellow travelers, who get indignant about stuff that they should know (and it's posted on big friendly signs nearby, in case they didn't) they shouldn't try to carry on.
We should also remember that we the people (and the folks we voted into Congress) are the ones who ultimately demanded this nonsense. IMO the TSA has been asked to do a thankless, no-win job and I'm impressed not only by their efficiency but at how well they stand up to the incessant crap they get. I'm all for abandoning the inane security protocols, but I don't blame the poor slobs stuck with the task of implementing them. They catch hell when they do what they're supposed to and they catch hell if they let something slip through (and it's kind of inevitable that little things will slip through).
Which is not to discount or trivialize the injustices or ridiculousness that some folks have been subject to. I just kinda see the TSA as that "special" kid that everyone likes to dump on. Not gonna do it, damnit.
@joelmw I agree with you for the most part but I think my anger comes from when these TSA agents just doing their jobs make judgement calls that are clearly lacking in common sense. It was also shocking to me that my experience dealing with Chinese customs and security (oh no, scary Communists!) was infinitely more enjoyable and pleasant than dealing with the TSA back in LAX, the way they treated people was insane.
@JonT I can appreciate that. Part of my deal may be 1) extreme empathy (being a bureaucrat who's sometimes called on to execute silly--truly silly or at times just easily misunderstood--laws and orders) and 2) as a guy who mostly tries to meticulously follow the rules I'm always nervous I'll violate and never have.
An extra-large bottle of mouthwash. Was at a family event in far-off rural America, ran out of mouthwash, and the nearest store (a Dollar General, about a 20 mile round trip) had a travel-sized bottle for $1.50 and a 32 ounce bottle for around $1.75. So there wasn't any point to getting the tiny bottle and risk running out again. When packing to go home, nobody wanted the remainder of the bottle, so I let the TSA have it.
I purchased a 4 ounce jar of food to bring to my Mom. It was a regional item not available where she shops. The TSA people working made a judgement call and allowed me to keep a sealed 4 ounce jar instead of forcing me to open it and put it in 2 smaller jars. I came prepared to do it. They thanked me for having it out and showing it to them rather than trying to hide it.
Coming back from Canada they confiscated my money clip that has a little pocket knife on it. I had flown with this thing multiple times within the states with no issue.
He offered to ship it home for $5, but I said no because I'm pretty sure the thing cost less than that.
I was about to say "I could probably do more damage with this pen" or something along those lines, then realized that is a no-no at the airport these days. So I shut my mouth and moved along.
The TSA didn't confiscate it, but made me check my luggage due to a clearly unopened jar of peanut butter.
@Cynamon http://www.infowars.com/man-sues-tsa-for-5-million-following-peanut-butter-arrest/
So many jars of Mixed Fruit Jelly.
@ChadP what.... what are you doing with that much Mixed Fruit Jelly?
@Thumperchick You probably don't want to know. It involves a child sized swimming pool (no children though).
@ChadP best jelly ever!!
@JonT Don't be mean.
@Pamtha Yes, Obsessed with Mixed Fruit jelly and it is hard to find in DFW. I've probably had 30+ jars taken from TSA
We were flying to Europe, pre-9/11. For whatever reason, 12 year old me decided I NEEDED to have my 3 D cell maglite on this trip. Security was confused. I didn't see what the problem was.
Ended up coming in handy when the power went out at a hotel!
My personal space.
Fun fact, you can freeze a bottle of water and bring it through in solid form. Disclaimer: they will be a bit perplexed and might have to swab the outside of the bottle.
We did this with 1 liter bottles for a cross country flight. Unfortunately, they didn't melt as much as I had hoped and only got to drink half of it. I also didn't think to open them and take a little out before freezing them, so they leaked everywhere when I tried to open it on the plane.
@TaRDy Interesting. I will have to remember that for the next trip. Too late for today's flights.
@TaRDy It's much easier to just bring in empty bottles and then fill them at the water fountains past security. Most airports even have water fountains with special water-bottle-filling-stations.
@TaRDy That's awesome. I had wondered, but figured they wouldn't let it pass. I usually drink recently-frozen water anyway, and even have thermal prophylactics to preserve the froziness.
@peterdraws Uh, yeah, you must not be from Texas (or maybe you are from Texas and don't have a frame of reference to know that the water tastes awful around here).
Are you trying to jinx me? I am flying in less than 6 hours! I am not going to mention the stuff we have packed until we are safely home.
They've confiscated whatever pleasure there was left in flying.
And billions of taxpayer dollars to pay for Security Theatre.
I had was rushing to pack while my brain still slept. Resulting in my putting a very expensive bottle of wine in my carryon. Like I said not awake, not thinking.
The women wouldn't grab my checked bag and let me put it in. She did offer ( seriously ) to take it for me.
I paid for it to be shipped.
Yes, I take responsibility. But the nerve of that agent still bothers me.
I refused to fly for a long time, but I live too far away from my family so had to give in eventually. Actually I think I gave in first to go to a conference.
Not the TSA, but I once had my shorts confiscated by a Jamaican customs officer. True story.
My gf and I took a vacation to Montego Bay last summer and I was wearing camouflage cargo shorts on the flight. When we went through customs, the lady looks at me and says, "Your fatigue pants will have to come off". I thought she was joking. She wasn't. Apparently, in Jamaica, only the military is permitted to wear camouflage clothing. It is illegal for normal citizens (and tourists) to wear it. I had to go into the bathroom and change out of them. Then I had to wait in the declaration line and they checked them in. The lady looked at me while she was filling out 3 separate forms, shook her head, sighed and said, "You should have just left them in your bag". They gave me a claim form and I got them back at the end of the week after going through security. But, lesson learned, do some research on local laws before traveling internationally!
TL;DR Don't wear camouflage in Jamaica.
I had to check luggage to avoid having three Indian arrowheads confiscated. It belonged to my great aunt, and I was traveling home from her funeral. The largest was about 1.5 inches in length. Lacking an arrow or bow, I don't think it was much of a threat.
I once gave a Swiss Army cards to each of my coworkers for Christmas. Within a year, 3 of them had gotten busted with them in their wallet while traveling. One put his in his planner, and it was never noticed.
I was coming back from my dad's funeral who was a veteran and was buried with full military honors. As part of the deal, you get to keep a couple of the shell casings used from the 21-gun salute.
Needless to say, TSA had a grand time wiping down my bag and finding all this gunpowder residue. I stood there bewildered when suddenly it dawned on me....they called a supervisor over and for once they did the right thing...they let me keep the spent shells and sent me on my way.
However, on another occasion, I had a pen knife that I carried everywhere and they suddenly decided I was a threat to myself (which I am actually) and those around me and took my pen knife. Freaks.
I bought one of these Ninja Wallet things last year from Amazon and on a flight to Europe, got it confiscated. Apparently this Ninja Wallet thing can be turned into a vicious weapon, per the TSA.
@DdotRoq Meanwhile, they let us all keep garrotes, I mean, charging cables, on us at all times. :)
Well I did get on a plane with a big rock I had hauled all over England. Didn't put it in my checked luggage as I didn't want it broken (it was a piece of slate). They wanted to know if I was planning to bash the pilot over the head with it. I told them are they crazy? I didn't carry that thing in my back pack all over England (I was over there working there and picked it up back packing in the Lake District) to break it on a pilot's head. They let me keep it.
Was going backpacking and had my jar of peanut butter taken from me. I was pretty devastated.
I had a Zippo taken shortly after 9/11. Had just gotten out of the Navy and my last command gave me a personalized Zippo with the ship's crest and numbers. Even after I gutted the shell, they wouldn't let me take it on board and made me throw it away.
Still pissed about that. Thanks for uncovering buried memories.
@LumpsRGood Sorry to hear about your zippo. That was mean of TSA and further evidence that a necessary TSA job qualification is no common sense. I was flying at 6am the morning after 9/11 to a conference, leaving from a backwater airport. My checked suitcase showed up 3 days later with half the contents missing and white powder all over the inside. Trying to board the plane (after they took my boarding pass - they were frisking us and tearing apart our carryons in the walkway to the plane) they were going to take my water bottle that had water from the drinking fountain near the gate, peanut butter sandwich, candy bars and apple. Not realizing what the deal was when they told me they were taking my food because it was a bomb threat, I told them that the day I figured out how to make a bomb from food I'd be wealthy. They then threatened to arrest me. I said, for what? Bringing food to eat since they no longer served any on a plane? I was so ticked I stood there and ate all my food right in front of them, drank as much water as I could and dumped the rest out on the rug in the walkway since they wouldn't let me leave the walkway to do it. They then let me on the plane after confiscating my now empty water bottle.
@Kidsandliz all flights were grounded for several days after 9/11 ? Flights didn't start being allowed until the the 13th and then very limited. How did you fly out "the morning after"?
@LumpsRGood Wow, that really sucks. The lack of common sense is really maddening.
@JonT Agreed, but after having been in the military, it was a refreshing sense of a return to normalcy... in a odd, perverted way.
@fishzine Maybe it wasn't after 911 then, maybe after some shoe bomber or something. It was a long time ago and I don't even remember what city the conference was in. Whatever was going on it disrupted air travel all over and for the first time ever water bottles were suspect -something these fools didn't tell us so I was not the only one upset about the water bottle thing. They were treating us all like we were bombing suspects, being nasty and not telling us what the big deal was all about. Heck it was 5:30 in the morning and I know I hadn't looked at the news the day before. Huge numbers of us at that conference did not get our luggage for several days.
@Kidsandliz sounds like a potentially stinky conference
They took my tweezers. Apparently they were afraid I'd pluck the pilot's eyebrows...?
@Pony What I find entertaining (not!) is that for no reason they take something they were fine with a bunch of times earlier…sigh
TSA confiscated a small jar of Nutella because it was a "liquid". They must have been hungry.
@Bogie You should have disproved that statement by having them spread some just from the cabinet on a piece of untoasted bread.
Traveled halfway around the world with a pair of scissors in my first-aid kit. The blunt-end bandage kind. Hong Kong security found it. They asked me what it was, I was dumbfounded. The guy finally said it looks like scissors, and it dawned on me. I was too impressed that 7 other agencies missed it, and he found it. Couldn't be pissed. Tossed them in the large garbage can filled with similar items. Security guy was very proud of my compliments on finding that 1.5 inch lethal weaponry.
@G1 Japanese security confiscated my Mom's 2" plastic children's scissors. At the time they were legal here. She was allowed to keep her small nail clippers for unknown reasons on the same trip.
Forgot I had a Leatherman (the multitool, not the Village Person) in my bag. But they wouldn't let me retrieve it for them, they insisted on digging for it themselves.
Mostly, I just plan on checking a bag rather than dealing with it. But I've made 20+ flights with Visine left in my carry-on backpack with no problems.
Also, no water -- but cans of Play-Doh are just fine?
@walarney "Leatherman (the multitool, not the Village Person)" :-D
Back in the days when I smoked, I always found it hilarious that they would confiscate lighters, matches, etc. but had smoking areas. Someone always got a lighter or 2 through, though.
The one that drives me crazy is the opposite. I had a friend fly from NY to CA, with a pipe, lighter, and baggie filled with.... you know, in his cargo short pocket. They let him through, then let him get on the WRONG plane. With illegal substances.
I can't wait for the curtain all on our security theater.
Airport security in India took my manicure scissors (I had checked them on the international flight), and inspected the cuticle pusher tool thoroughly before allowing me to keep it. I quickly learned that my bag full of chargers, cables and international adapters was going to be a problem, so pulled them out for every xray. Oddly enough, they don't care about bottles of water there. Walk on through!
Home safe, yay! Flew with a parrot, potted plant and a 9 year old boy along with assorted other stuff. Walked right through security, did not even need to remove sneakers! We arrived extra early figuring it would take time with the bird. Everyone wanted to peek at the bird but that was it.
@speediedelivery expected nothing less based on your name.
Years ago they took my best friend's sister's "binkey". Seriously.
@xarous really?! REALLY?! They should have given the TSA agent's name and number to everyone else on the flight with the child whose binky was taken
@xarous Maybe it had more than 3 ounces of fluid...
@editorkid a pacifier had more than 3 oz of what? Drool?
@xarous Hey, I don't know the kid. Not judging, just saying.
I feel compelled to chime in that my experience with the TSA has been mostly pretty awesome. They are almost without exception professional and polite (the worst I can recall is a couple who were somewhat curt), and many agents have a sense of humor when you treat them like humans. On the other hand, I'm often ashamed of my fellow travelers, who get indignant about stuff that they should know (and it's posted on big friendly signs nearby, in case they didn't) they shouldn't try to carry on.
We should also remember that we the people (and the folks we voted into Congress) are the ones who ultimately demanded this nonsense. IMO the TSA has been asked to do a thankless, no-win job and I'm impressed not only by their efficiency but at how well they stand up to the incessant crap they get. I'm all for abandoning the inane security protocols, but I don't blame the poor slobs stuck with the task of implementing them. They catch hell when they do what they're supposed to and they catch hell if they let something slip through (and it's kind of inevitable that little things will slip through).
Which is not to discount or trivialize the injustices or ridiculousness that some folks have been subject to. I just kinda see the TSA as that "special" kid that everyone likes to dump on. Not gonna do it, damnit.
Skimming the comments on this blog (on the ice issue @TaRDy brought up) confirms my feeling that folks just like to shit on bureaucrats. Sigh. http://blog.tsa.gov/2009/11/response-to-tsa-takes-big-gulp-over.html
@joelmw I agree with you for the most part but I think my anger comes from when these TSA agents just doing their jobs make judgement calls that are clearly lacking in common sense. It was also shocking to me that my experience dealing with Chinese customs and security (oh no, scary Communists!) was infinitely more enjoyable and pleasant than dealing with the TSA back in LAX, the way they treated people was insane.
@JonT I can appreciate that. Part of my deal may be 1) extreme empathy (being a bureaucrat who's sometimes called on to execute silly--truly silly or at times just easily misunderstood--laws and orders) and 2) as a guy who mostly tries to meticulously follow the rules I'm always nervous I'll violate and never have.
An extra-large bottle of mouthwash. Was at a family event in far-off rural America, ran out of mouthwash, and the nearest store (a Dollar General, about a 20 mile round trip) had a travel-sized bottle for $1.50 and a 32 ounce bottle for around $1.75. So there wasn't any point to getting the tiny bottle and risk running out again. When packing to go home, nobody wanted the remainder of the bottle, so I let the TSA have it.
I purchased a 4 ounce jar of food to bring to my Mom. It was a regional item not available where she shops. The TSA people working made a judgement call and allowed me to keep a sealed 4 ounce jar instead of forcing me to open it and put it in 2 smaller jars. I came prepared to do it. They thanked me for having it out and showing it to them rather than trying to hide it.