Shaving handles and airport security
Mar 26, 2019, 10:40 am
#16
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
If I carry a shaving handle (a piece of wood with a space for a safety razor blade), with any blade/cartridge removed (and not in my carryon luggage at all), would you consider that a weapon?
This handle has probably passed through about 40 airports before today’s confiscation and I’m wondering the actual policy (or interpretation of it) when it comes to taking parts of a blade on a BA plane?
For the record BA were beyond amazing in trying to convince security that they didn’t object to my carrying the handle of there was no blade present.
This handle has probably passed through about 40 airports before today’s confiscation and I’m wondering the actual policy (or interpretation of it) when it comes to taking parts of a blade on a BA plane?
For the record BA were beyond amazing in trying to convince security that they didn’t object to my carrying the handle of there was no blade present.
Edit: Flyertalk changed their advertisement from a flight sim, to a cartridge razor, after I posted in this thread. Google Adsense is creepy.
Mar 26, 2019, 10:49 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Brexile in ADB
Programs: BA, TK, HHonours, Le Club, Best Western Rewards
Posts: 7,067
Mar 26, 2019, 11:00 am
#18
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: B A Gold
Posts: 89
Don’t show them your Pen! At CAN in China they confiscated my Bellroy Pen that is tiny and designed to hold in centre of travel wallet. Been through 300 + airports with that including CAN 20 + times and never an issue.
My biggest shocker so far however was my son having a tennis ball 🎾 confiscated at Orlando. Still haven’t worked that one out 😂
Mar 26, 2019, 11:08 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Programs: BA, LY, QF, UA, HH
Posts: 182
The airport in this case was in Asia. I was frustrated because I passed through that exact checkpoint with that exact handle multiple times this year.
The reason given by the manager of the checkpoint was that they were confiscating the handle because it violated the policy of the airline.
As it was a handmade item of some small value, I asked them to prove this violated the policy of BA. They decided to send for BA ground staff who were very friendly in explaining to security that they were completely fine with me taking the handle in my carry-on luggage, played translator for me and were all-around lovely.
The reason given by the manager of the checkpoint was that they were confiscating the handle because it violated the policy of the airline.
As it was a handmade item of some small value, I asked them to prove this violated the policy of BA. They decided to send for BA ground staff who were very friendly in explaining to security that they were completely fine with me taking the handle in my carry-on luggage, played translator for me and were all-around lovely.
Mar 26, 2019, 1:06 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Maybe they thought you might be trying to giving someone cancer (note recent lawsuits against johnson and johnson)
Mar 26, 2019, 3:23 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: BAEC, Flying Blue, Eurobonus
Posts: 180
Mar 26, 2019, 3:59 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 285
I’m also getting that ad. Which is strange as I’ve never searched for men’s razors on this device.
Mar 26, 2019, 8:06 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
I think it comes down to a degree of interpretation by security staff as to what constitutes a weapon - could a razor with blade removed still be perceived as a threat by somebody in the spur of the moment? Plus, and as much as I dislike ‘security theatre’, I do see the logic in there being deliberate inconsistency so that people can’t find neat workarounds. A PITA for travellers but, honestly, if you’ve got away with it for years then chances of it happening again are probably slim.
Yes, do tell.
Mar 27, 2019, 12:56 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: BA Executive Club (lowly Blue but with MUCCI, apparently)
Posts: 1,186
These are, after all, the same people who told me that my 100ml bottles of grooming product were fine because I'd created labels for them myself with a label maker, but my wife's were not because she hadn't bothered to label them.
Mar 27, 2019, 3:34 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 2
Had a similar occurrence with a carabiner I had carried for about 15 years; through numerous security checkpoints world-wide; before MAD security decided it wasn't acceptable.
Think you just need to move on... realise that giving certain security people an ounce of power can create an interesting power dynamic
Think you just need to move on... realise that giving certain security people an ounce of power can create an interesting power dynamic
Mar 31, 2019, 8:23 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 1,578
- At LHR T5, a tiny pair of scissors that had been through LHR several times before: "But have you taken them through Terminal 5 before?"
- At BOM domestic security, a tiny bottle of Angostura bitters: "You have stuck this label on yourself."
- At MAD flight connections security for LHR-MAD-VLC, a set of cutlery from J given to me by the cabin crew on the A340 service: "But they GIVE this to you on the plane!" "No es possible".
- At BOM domestic security, a tiny bottle of Angostura bitters: "You have stuck this label on yourself."
- At MAD flight connections security for LHR-MAD-VLC, a set of cutlery from J given to me by the cabin crew on the A340 service: "But they GIVE this to you on the plane!" "No es possible".
Apr 1, 2019, 2:53 am
#29
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,595
St Kitts - not permitted
Though at both security checks once they found one in my liquids bag, the stopped looking for more....which I had in a different pocket of my wheelie bag.
Apr 1, 2019, 3:23 am
#30
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,041
At the same time I'm surprised that it's allowed to bring knitting needles almost everywhere
Can I bring my knitting needles onto a plane? | CreaCrafts Blog
Can I bring my knitting needles onto a plane? | CreaCrafts Blog