Jenbel

A colleague has just had a small pencil sharpener confiscated (on his return flight) on the basis it had a blade in it. But he could have carried on as many glass bottles as he could fit in his carry on.

(But don't blame the TSA - this was in the UK!)

OrlandoFlyer

Same thing happened to my 11 year old grandson yesterday when travelling as a UAM to Orlando from Gatwick. They were quite OK with letting him take sharp pencils through security, which of course can do far more damage than a pencil sharpener blade (assuming that you would get apart from the pencil sharpener).

This whole security thing has gone crazy. Pure cosmetics and not much substance!

Jenbel

Shortly after my colleague flew LH, and got given a sharpener as part of a kit for keeping his child amused.

Left hand meet right hand.

Georgia Peach

A first grader was suspended for three days last year in a metro Atlanta school for playing with a broken pencil sharpener. Now he attends another school and his grandmother is trying to get the *weapons violation* off his permanent record. Why didn't the teacher use common sense and just take it away from him and explain he might hurt himself? I seriously doubt a six year old understands the fine print implications of anything sharp or pointy. Much ado about nothing
, IMO.

Fenito

OK. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard about my fellow screeners. Please tell these things are not true. C'mon guys. A pencil sharpener. I think some of these airports are just power hungry wierdos.

OrlandoFlyer

Fenito, unfortunately my post above is perfectly true. I do not care to make things up to post.

Sad what we have come to in this world of today!

GUWonder

I love the airports in Europe: "Your Gilette Mach 3 razor is prohibited for being a potential dangerous weapon." All the while, the same airport in the "secured" area sells Swiss army knives and butcher knives that look more useful to butcher an elephant than anything most of us eat on a regular basis.

Jenbel

Yep. Although I haven't yet seen scissors airside, I do love the fact that glass bottles (and indeed my unframed make-up mirror) are considered less dangerous than scissors and pencil sharpener!

Leigh

Enjoy the posts here...This is my first post but have been reading for a few weeks, and yes, I am a former Security Screener. Unfortunately, the sharpener scenerio is true. At the airport I worked at we were instructed to call "supervisor" for eye shadow pencil sharpeners!? I kid you not. Of course, I and other sec. screeners inquired after a while as to why these were prohibited items and was told that the supervisors and leads could "prohibit" anything they wanted as long as they followed the SOP and that "more was better" but "not less" according to sop but could not deviate from sop (???). Also, we were reminded that any supervisor or lead could have their own "prohibited list" and we were to remember who's list was who's on any given day!!?? Getting back to the sharpener thang, this particular supervisor told us that here son got a hold of her eye pencil "razor" and did some damage to her furniture. Needless to say, this is how procedures get screwed up in different airports. I can understand why so many people are unhappy with security but try to be understanding of the screeners, from my view, most of them really are trying to do the best they can.

CATSA Screener

Yes, this has got to be one of the most frustrating aspects of this job. Variable SOPs on different shifts can be adjusted to (although that's annoying too) but variable prohibitions is just **** confusing for travellers.

OrlandoFlyer

This kind of reasoning makes more of a joke of the TSA than it is already is. It implies that the TSA is not under control, but rather out of control. TSA personnel make up their own rules under the guise of SOPs. Crazy!

Leigh

Unfortunately, I must agree. It's the higher-ups like the FSD's that need to get this under control. How to do this is the question. When dealing with the human factor, it's quite a challenge. Funny, after being certified, we were all "welcomed" to the military. I quote "Welcome...You're all in the military now". In hind sight--Sooo, true! I'm not a military lady so to speak. I did enjoy my stint there especially my co-workers, passengers I met and even former co-workers and friends I hadn't seen in a while. (and No, I did't give any slack because I knew them) A lot of celebrities and athletes, fine looking men--one in particular and my frequent weekly travelers were awesome. Just try to remember that screeners deal with the ever changing procedures too and can be just as or more frustrated with them as you, there are reasons why procedures change. Hope this helps you in your next travel experience

Leigh

Catsa, AMEN!! I've seen this happen not only shift to shift but at any given moment during a shift. Left hand meet right hand. Good day to you! Leigh

FWAAA

Happy to report that my six year olds cleared security last week at LAX with two ominous looking pencil sharpeners. Didn't even earn a second glance from the TSA.

SDF_Traveler

Interesting, my Mach 3 razor has never been a problem at any European airport (that is typically what I use when traveling so I don't have to tote my electric shaver overseas).

What airports in Europe have done this to you? For me, no problems at AMS, BCN, LUX, or BRU (all post 9/11). Many other European airports pre 9/11. Maybe they just never found it -- or it depends upon the airport.

Ironically, the item I had the most problems with as an Albuterol Inhaler in Europe. The cannister had to be unscrewed, they had to check the area where the cannister and the 'pump' come together, put it back in, and sometimes do a test spray.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin