Originally Posted by grahamb

I had a few rolls of masking tape confiscated on a flight from Manila to Bangkok last year. This was the same masking tape (minus a couple of rolls that I had used in Manila) that had flown from Sydney to Bangkok the previous week and from Bangkok to Manila that week. I questioned why they confiscated it and was told that it could be used to tape people's hands together like handcuffs. This was told to me with a straight face and with the requisite hand gestures.

Tape was actually on the Manila security list of prohibited items (along with other dangerous items like disposable razor blades) and the security person told me that he would not allow me to take them on the plane without authorisation from the airline. After he sat there for a few minutes not contacting the airline for that authorisation, I told him that he could keep the tape and walked off.

It's not only Mexico and the US that have crazy restrictions on what can and cannot be brought on the plane...

I've not yet had my disposable razor blades confiscated by Manila security but I'm secretly hoping they try it so I can find out the justification for them being on the prohibited items list...