flitcraft

Just when you think you've seen every bizarre 'security' procedure imaginable, there's a new one. (Well, for me, at least...)

We travel one-bag carryon whenever possible, which makes it critical to pack densely and efficiently. So my little Eagle Creek 6 ounce umbrella was nestled, together with some socks, in one of my shoes in my backpack for its trip through the xray at Dublin Terminal Two. I had carefully taken out my kippie baggie and laptop, shed my jacket (though not my shoes--yay!) and was stopped by their TSA analog. "Is there an umbrella in that bag?" "Uh, yeah, sure." "Well, it has to come out for inspection."

So, out came the packing cube with my shoes, I unrolled the socks to reveal the dangerous umbrella, which was ceremoniously unfurled, pronounced safe, and returned to me for restowing.

I have two questions: What's up with umbrellas as dangerous items in Dublin but apparently innocent items everywhere else? And, don't they know that opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck? (And who needs more of that before they fly?)

Inquiring minds want to know...

crankychick

This happened to one of my BFFs on her way to Punta Cana last year. I don't remember if it was BOS or PHL that deemed her small travel umbrella unsafe and confiscated it, but the irony is she needed it when she landed due to it raining and not having a jetway to exit the plane.

Glad you got it back.

I have traveled with my small umbrella all over and never once had it inspected. Now that I say that, that will change.

cb1111

So what you are saying is that the screeners at Dublin saw an image of a jumble of wires on their screen, asked if it was an umbrella and asked to see it?

Sounds reasonable to me.

rochel

I regularly travel with an umbrella, often in my carryon and have not had this happen before.

sbagdon

I suspect that any metalic multi-layered cylinder (which an expanding umbrella can appear to be) will be checked to verify it's not an ASP Telescoping Baton:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASP,_Inc.

You do not want to be on the opposing side of someone trained properly to use this.

chollie

It was either the placement of the umbrella relative to other contents in the bag (obscured view), a local 'initiative' to step up focus on umbrellas for a while), or an inexperienced/inattentive/poorly trained screener (like the one that called a bag check in ATL because I had a 'TSA-approved' lock by itself inside an external compartment of my duffel.

The bag checker said the screener had never seen one (TSA-approved luggage lock) and thought it looked suspicious. He advised me that such locks were for locking checked bags and not to be carried around in carry-on luggage.

Wires? What - was it an electric umbrella? None of my umbrellas have wires.

chollie

Of course it does.

YCTTSFM

Likely someone hiding behind a desk has dusted off the story of Georgi Markov's 1978 umbrella murder, but utterly without considering
1) unfurling the umbrella would not detect such a device,
2) the x-ray would, or
3) how @#% common it is for people to carry umbrellas in that region.

Another example of focusing on objects rather than purpose.

Was the screener Irish, or did they have to import an American TSA screener to achieve this level of idiocy?

YCTTSFM

I don't even want to be on the opposing side of someone trying it for the first time—but the telescoping segments are very different in bulk, opacity and other metal characteristics on the x-ray. Should not have been ambiguous to a properly-trained operator.

sbagdon

jtodd

Aha!

lobster7

So you were allowed to fly with it?

I don't see the issue. They screened it and let it pass. Seems to me that's a good thing. Be glad you didn't have to "surrender" it.

chollie

We must have read two different OPs.

I don't see the OP making an issue, just wondering if anyone else has encountered a widespread new wrinkle in security or if this is a uniquely Dublin thing.

sbagdon

That was my first thought... that the OP would end with "I had to surrender it, or not enter the sterile area!".

kochleffel

That was my first thought. Given the weather in Ireland, they should be used to umbrellas -- or maybe that gives them some special knowledge that people in less rainy climates don't have.