Practical Travel Safety Issues - Security in the Azores confiscated my wine opener

Would you consider a rabbit ears wine opener a dangerous weapon? Security at Terceira Island in the Azores certainly did. I've travelled with that thing in my bag so long I never even gave it a second thought. Since I go to so many remote places I buy a bottle or two of whatever I can find at duty free along the way, and I'm covered if there's nothing available or open when I get to where I'm going. That openers been to 20 or 30 countries and even in and out of the US a couple of times, but it met its match with an utterless humorless, matronly agent who gave me a ration of grief, and also threatened to confiscate my round tip cuticle scissors. So long buddy, you deserved a better fate.

It wasn't stolen from you. You tried to go through security with an illegal item in your hand luggage. Next time check it and there won't be a problem.

I have lost all respect for the subcontractors that deal with security at LIS after they tried taking away my tripod citing a non-existent security regulation

It wasn't stolen from you. You tried to go through security with an illegal item in your hand luggage. Next time check it and there won't be a problem.

i do not think they are illegal. mine was taken from me in MUC. wife's cuticle sissors at flr. argued, but wife told me to be submissive as i would probably be tossed into some dungeon and held for hours.

fra took a cushioned toilet seat from a friend at fra. was a 2 hr standoff before he got his toilet seat back.

Please follow as this is moved to the appropriate forum to discuss airport security. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Probably a gel filled seat - I'd argue you never can play it too safe in a world filled with underware bombers.:p

fra took a cushioned toilet seat from a friend at fra. was a 2 hr standoff before he got his toilet seat back.

The regulations against nail-clippers & bottle oppeners are abserd.

The TSA's own website tells you that screwdrivers, hammers & wrenches (up to 6" long) are allowed.

I garantee you, a 6" long screwdriver or hammer is a lot more leathal than a nail-clipper.

It's all security theater :mad: !!!

The regulations against nail-clippers & bottle oppeners are abserd.

The TSA's own website tells you that screwdrivers, hammers & wrenches (up to 6" long) are allowed.

I garantee you, a 6" long screwdriver or hammer is a lot more leathal than a nail-clipper.

It's all security theater :mad: !!!
OP's post is about the Azores. What does TSA have to do with the Azores??

OP - Are bottle openers allowed under Portugal's air safety rules? If so, then you have a beef with the local authorities there. If not, count yourself lucky that all they did was confiscate the item. Why post as "stolen" until you know what the rules are?

Why post as "stolen" until you know what the rules are?

Is it really not obvious that that was a tongue-in-cheek comment?

Mods, can you please edit my thread title to insert an emoticon or change it to "Security escorted me to the trash can and made me throw away my wine opener" :cool:

When I went through security in Egypt Hurghada Airport, they made us take size AA batteries out of electrical devices. I have never experienced this anyway else I have been and am sure they ended up on market stools.

Anyone else had batteries confiscated at security?

Anyone else had batteries confiscated at security?

I had a security checker go through my carry-on and look carefully at every single one of my AAA batteries at NUE about three years ago. (I had various battery-run electronics, plus eight spares in 35mm film cans.) But after that, he politely packed them all back up and I got to get on the plane with them.

I have lost all respect for the subcontractors that deal with security at LIS after they tried taking away my tripod citing a non-existent security regulation

Wait, I flew on the 15th of Feb out of LIS and there was a guy there arguing with the security about a tripod and the security person told him to go check it in...was that you?


Last vacation I had to resort to this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/open-wine-without-a-corksrew_n_815394.html

This is the practical issues forum. If you have a helpful comment or advice feel free to post. Or just vent even. But discussion of policies belongs in the Debate forum.

Thanks

squeakr

co MOD TS/S

When I went through security in Egypt Hurghada Airport, they made us take size AA batteries out of electrical devices. I have never experienced this anyway else I have been and am sure they ended up on market stools.

Anyone else had batteries confiscated at security?

Yeah, some of the smaller Mexican airports used to be crazy about this, and you definitely saw them being resold on the market stalls.

When I was flying out of Aruba I got my small scissors confiscated, even though these are allowed according to TSA. Of course TSA let me on the plane to Aruba with them, so I figured I would be fine.

Would you consider a rabbit ears wine opener a dangerous weapon? Security at Terceira Island in the Azores certainly did. I've travelled with that thing in my bag so long I never even gave it a second thought. Since I go to so many remote places I buy a bottle or two of whatever I can find at duty free along the way, and I'm covered if there's nothing available or open when I get to where I'm going. That openers been to 20 or 30 countries and even in and out of the US a couple of times, but it met its match with an utterless humorless, matronly agent who gave me a ration of grief, and also threatened to confiscate my round tip cuticle scissors. So long buddy, you deserved a better fate.

I think it is the security staff having too much time on their hands (specially in remote islands, etc) which means they give everyone a hard time even for things allowed.

Saw that at TER last year. What a POS airport, such uncomfortable chairs!
3rd world airports have better facilities than the Azores.

On another note, 5-6 paperbacks in my carry-on were quite intriguing to security in FRA as well as the stick deodorant. All security theatre designed to please the USA ofcourse.

When I was flying out of Aruba I got my small scissors confiscated, even though these are allowed according to TSA. Of course TSA let me on the plane to Aruba with them, so I figured I would be fine.

:confused: But Aruba isn't in the United States. What this thread shows yet again is that many people don't take the time to research local rules, and assume that TSA rules prevail around the world.

And it goes both ways; I am sick and tired of the American travellers taking off their shoes assuming that TSA rules apply in 'rest of world' too.

It is prudent to check the rules as they do vary in different countries, and often the 'rants' here about items being taken are in compliance with local rules. (I have no idea about corkscrews in Portugal but do know that 'corkscrews with attached knife' are sometimes not permitted in various countries, and several websites for EU airports list 'corkscrews' as prohibited)

:confused: What this thread shows yet again is that many people don't take the time to research local rules, and assume that TSA rules prevail around the world.

Great. So here's what I can find of the EU rules regarding prohibited items:

•Corkscrews with blades attached
•Any other article that could reasonably be used or adapted to cause injury to a person.

Please tell me how that conflicts with my original statement regarding whether you would consider a wine opener a dangerous weapon. Obviously security at TER believes it so; but I didn't, so that's the end of it.

Just had my little wine corkscrew (the kind that slips into the plastic sleeve) lifted at the gate security point in AMS. I told the gal that this had gone through Xray at least 100 times in the past 6 months.

"It can be used as a murder weapon," she said.

"So can a pen," I replied. And I walked on. No point in arguing!

:confused: But Aruba isn't in the United States. It is prudent to check the rules as they do vary in different countries, and often the 'rants' here about items being taken are in compliance with local rules. (I have no idea about corkscrews in Portugal but do know that 'corkscrews with attached knife' are sometimes not permitted in various countries, and several websites for EU airports list 'corkscrews' as prohibited)

Yes, it was my fault for not checking the rules in Aruba. I wasn't ranting, just relating a similar experience that I have had to the OP.

Had a pair of nail clippers (without file) confiscated at Santorini, Greece. Security screener stated "your government says we cannot allow these on the plane and makes us confiscate them". Funny, neither DCA, JFK, nor ATH had problems with them.