Originally Posted by
N965VJ
I like
Ink's idea of mounting it on a piece of wood!
^
I'm glad you highlighted the "may" part because I never take anything out of my bag with the thought it "might" trigger a secondary. I (my CPA, really) don't offer anything up for closer scrutiny to the IRS; the same goes for the TSA. A good example is an electronic amplifier that's in a metal housing with fins as a heat sink. Sometimes it triggers a secondary, usually it doesn't. Why on earth would I want to futz around at the checkpoint taking it in and out of my bag, while hoping that some screener who wants be featured on the next Good Catch TSA web page doesn't go "Oooh, improvised weapon!"
I think you entirely missed the point of what I wrote. I never suggested offering "anything up for closer scrutiny" to the TSA. In fact, I was suggesting a way to
avoid further scrutiny by the TSA.
But if you think living something in a bag that a screener may think is an "improvised weapon" is a way to avoid a bag check, that is your call. However, with what the OP described, such an item would have a better chance of being checked left in a carry-on bag than taken out. I state this based on years of experience of screening. Many items passengers have removed from their carry-on I would have called a bag check if they had actually left in the bag. By removing the item, they in fact prevented further screening.