FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Things in checked luggage that look suspicious
Old Nov 29, 2009 | 10:02 pm
  #10  
tfar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
Originally Posted by TSORon
Oh the X-Ray can see through them, but they have the same basic density as that of many explosive compounds, which is why we will pull the every single time. Go ahead and tell us its cheece, but we are still going to pull the bag.

Stacks of books and magazines can sometimes be to dense to see through, or can cast shadows that may require an additional look, but they are usually not much of an issue.

A single bar of soap is not a problem, but if one brings those packages with 6 to 10 of them stacked and wrapped then they are most likely going to get pulled. Why would anyone want to take 10 bars of soap anyway? I'm sure there are reasons, but I cant think of any.

Heavy metal objects. Magnets (many electronic devices have them), tools, metal tubes, jogging weights, barbels (yes, some folks try to carry them in their carry-on bags), anything that weighs a great deal is going to get an extra look.
Thanks! One might want to bring a certain kind of soap that is not available in the destination country. Same for chocolate. BTW, interesting for the soap. I wouldn't have thought of that.

Why the weight thing? I mean I once had a big copper saute pan as a gift in my checked luggage. I was pretty certain they might pull it and indeed they did. Still it was very easy to see that it was a frying pan. You probably mean big metal objects not because of their weight (which the x-ray can't see) but because of their density, right?

What about powders? Say I wanted to bring 2lb of finely ground almond flour. Would that throw a flag?

Till
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