thebakaronis

What you can carry on board varies by country, but also apparently by airport. Here are some of the strangest/most ridiculous situations I've encountered:

- You cannot carry a camera tripod in my carry-on luggage in Indonesia. It's apparently okay in most other countries. BTW, where else can you not carry tripods? I want to be prepared.
- I was asked to leave behind a small 2-inch allen wrench by the security staff at an Indian airport. Apparently it's a safety hazard. But that same tripod that the Indonesians had not allowed on board was fine. That allen-wrench, by the way, is used to screw the tripod mount plate onto cameras. Where else are allen-wrenches not allowed?
- In San Francisco and on some occasions in India, I've been asked to take out all my camera gear from my back-pack and place them in a separate tray. No electronic items larger than cell-phones. Even at SFO, for God's sake. Fortunately, this hasn't happened to me in the Pre-check line. At least not yet. Interestingly, I had no problems with a huge wildlife lens mounted on a camera body in my backpack when leaving Colombia. They didn't ask me to take it out even though in the X-ray machine it might have looked like a weapon.
- I was very nearly not allowed to carry a bottle of prescription shampoo in SIN (I was only in transit). I was ready to kick up a big fuss, but fortunately, one of the staff members consulted another one, they both looked at me, decided I was not a security threat and let that bottle through.

TWA884

That's not new.

petaluma1

In the US, you cannot carry collapsible trekking poles on board but you can carry a heavy collapsible tripod. Go figure.

yandosan

When I was quite into Metal Detecting I would often carry my detector aboard (in 3 pieces) to avoid the whole check-in routine.
It was entertaining to watch the reactions of the not-so-bright TSA agents fussing and scratching their heads over the metal detector going through the metal detector conveyor belt (the horror!). When push came to shove they could never come up with a legitimate reason to prevent me
bringing it aboard.

Loren Pechtel

My tripod: There's nothing anywhere on it that's even remotely sharp.

My trekking poles: I have good ones, they have tungsten carbide tips. While they aren't actually sharp they are certainly capable of drawing blood (I managed to catch a pole between my legs when I had something else in my hands.) I would think they would be capable of stabbing--not well but they could do it. I would never have considered trying to carry them on. (Moot, anyway, they don't fit. They have to be fully disassembled to even go in my suitcase.)


As for the allen wrench: Some places prohibit tools of any kind. I've lost a TSA-legal Leatherman this way.

petaluma1

However, if you use those same trekking poles as walking assists as you approach the checkpoint you can take them on board. A tripod could be swung to hit someone but so can a baseball bat which is not allowed for that very reason.

WillCAD

So can a laptop, but TSA somehow draws a line between sports equipment and other heavy objects.
https://nypost.com/2019/07/23/plane-...t-other-women/

Boggie Dog

To me what's crazy is that TSA can't figure out how to screen 4 oz of a common chemical that covers 71% of the earths surface. It's a good thing that TSA hasn't figured out that concentrated oxygen is an excellent oxidizer.

I've often wondered if TSA would freak out if I brought 4 or so ounces of gallium to the check point? Liquid at 86° F, solid at 85°F. I'm sure the airlines wouldn't be happy to have some turned loose on an aluminium airframe.

YadiMolina

At PTY, they will allow your nail clippers large or small... but only after bending off the swiveling nail file / cleaner thingy. That 2-inch long piece of pivoting flimsy steel is too dangerous to board.

mahlerfan

This past April, my lighter was confiscated at Mumbai Airport. Was told lighters must be stored in checked luggage at Indian and Chinese airports. Last year, my nail file and scissors were confiscated at Bogota-El Dorado Airport; although I had no problem going through security with them in my carry-on at Rio-Galeao.

Loren Pechtel

You would never used an unprotected trekking pole as a walking assist--it would tear up the floor. Rubber feet for them do exist, though, normally meant for when you're walking on stone. Whether they would recognize the difference between a trekking pole with capped tips and a cane I don't know. I certainly know that if I found myself needing a cane the only reason I would use my poles is to get to where there was a proper cane. The grips are very different, neither would serve well as the other tool.

petaluma1

@AskTSA re hiking poles: Hiking poles that are used as mobility aids are allowed through the security checkpoint.


I fractured my ankle this past winter and exclusively used one trekking pole as a mobility assist device. I will still use it when going places with which I am not familiar.

Dublin_rfk

At MCI I had a tsa person deny me entry with a Calumet monopole with a camera base in my back pack. No amount of explanation worked. Exited and screwed on a carved ball and wrist strap walked back using the monopole as a walking stick and no issue on the second try.