France cracks down on corkscrews
Feb 7, 2009, 6:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oceanside, CA
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France cracks down on corkscrews
At CDG on Tuesday (2 Fevrier) I had my angel wings corkscrew confiscated by security. I had it in my rollaboard. The same corkscrew has been to France a couple of times in carryon, in and also the US, and Ireland (where I purchased it, specifically not getting a waiter-style corkscrew with a little knife). But thanks to the French, the world is now safe from the killer corkscrews.
I also got a lecture about how dangerous corkscrews are.
I also got a lecture about how dangerous corkscrews are.
Feb 7, 2009, 7:28 am
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Location: various cities in the USofA: NYC, BWI, IAH, ORD, CVG, NYC
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Feb 7, 2009, 12:02 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
Corkscrews??? That's ridiculous. And confiscated by the French on top of it all. Maybe he/she wanted to prevent you the malaise of drinking non-French wine after leaving the country.
I always want to say that it is easier to kill somebody with an ordinary pen than with some of the things they are confiscating.
Less than two weeks ago on my way back to the US from Germany, a German screener told me that they now allow even small Swiss Army knife type knives including the corkscrew, of course. This probably applies to all of Europe since our regulations are about the same. I believe that flying to the US from Europe a Swiss knife would definitely be a no go, which is stupid because you are allowed to bring pointed scissors up to 4 inch blade length. Those are definitely more dangerous than a Swiss knife, corkscrew or pen.
By the way, Swiss. The answer to the corkscrew problem might be the Swiss Zyliss corkscrew. It is very compact and lightweight, has a teflon-coated helix and an integrated foil cutter AND it works like a charm. The point of the helix and the foilcutter are never exposed so it is impossible to harm anyone with it. The thing is an engineering marvel. I love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-Corkscr.../dp/B00015995Q
Hope this helps!
I always want to say that it is easier to kill somebody with an ordinary pen than with some of the things they are confiscating.
Less than two weeks ago on my way back to the US from Germany, a German screener told me that they now allow even small Swiss Army knife type knives including the corkscrew, of course. This probably applies to all of Europe since our regulations are about the same. I believe that flying to the US from Europe a Swiss knife would definitely be a no go, which is stupid because you are allowed to bring pointed scissors up to 4 inch blade length. Those are definitely more dangerous than a Swiss knife, corkscrew or pen.
By the way, Swiss. The answer to the corkscrew problem might be the Swiss Zyliss corkscrew. It is very compact and lightweight, has a teflon-coated helix and an integrated foil cutter AND it works like a charm. The point of the helix and the foilcutter are never exposed so it is impossible to harm anyone with it. The thing is an engineering marvel. I love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-Corkscr.../dp/B00015995Q
Hope this helps!
Feb 8, 2009, 11:02 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Berlin and Buggenhagen, Germany
Posts: 3,509
You guys crack me up!
I thought of another possible travel "corkscrew". The famous Ah-So cork remover uses two flexible blades (not sharpened) that slide in next to the cork and pull it out. This is supposed to prevent any cork breakage or little pieces falling into the precious fluid. From what I hear, if you are skillful enough, it is even possible to replace the cork in the bottle with this instrument.
The question is whether they would view that as a dangerous instrument. I think it is not really dangerous but obviously TSA might think different.
http://www.winestuff.com/acatalog/co...ble_Prong.html
It weighs only grams.
I thought of another possible travel "corkscrew". The famous Ah-So cork remover uses two flexible blades (not sharpened) that slide in next to the cork and pull it out. This is supposed to prevent any cork breakage or little pieces falling into the precious fluid. From what I hear, if you are skillful enough, it is even possible to replace the cork in the bottle with this instrument.
The question is whether they would view that as a dangerous instrument. I think it is not really dangerous but obviously TSA might think different.
http://www.winestuff.com/acatalog/co...ble_Prong.html
It weighs only grams.
Feb 8, 2009, 3:53 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NYS
Programs: Days of Our Lives, General Hospital
Posts: 1,495
At CDG on Tuesday (2 Fevrier) I had my angel wings corkscrew confiscated by security. I had it in my rollaboard. The same corkscrew has been to France a couple of times in carryon, in and also the US, and Ireland (where I purchased it, specifically not getting a waiter-style corkscrew with a little knife). But thanks to the French, the world is now safe from the killer corkscrews.
I also got a lecture about how dangerous corkscrews are.
I also got a lecture about how dangerous corkscrews are.
Feb 9, 2009, 6:48 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale
Posts: 2,949
Y
I thought of another possible travel "corkscrew". The famous Ah-So cork remover uses two flexible blades (not sharpened) that slide in next to the cork and pull it out. This is supposed to prevent any cork breakage or little pieces falling into the precious fluid. From what I hear, if you are skillful enough, it is even possible to replace the cork in the bottle with this instrument.
The question is whether they would view that as a dangerous instrument. I think it is not really dangerous but obviously TSA might think different.
http://www.winestuff.com/acatalog/co...ble_Prong.html
It weighs only grams.
I thought of another possible travel "corkscrew". The famous Ah-So cork remover uses two flexible blades (not sharpened) that slide in next to the cork and pull it out. This is supposed to prevent any cork breakage or little pieces falling into the precious fluid. From what I hear, if you are skillful enough, it is even possible to replace the cork in the bottle with this instrument.
The question is whether they would view that as a dangerous instrument. I think it is not really dangerous but obviously TSA might think different.
http://www.winestuff.com/acatalog/co...ble_Prong.html
It weighs only grams.
There's no way the TSA would allow it on a plane though.
Feb 11, 2009, 5:35 pm
#11
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It doesn't matter if you have a special corkscrew that can't harm anyone, and it doesn't matter if you have scissors with rounded tips on the end. At certain terminals at CDG, they will take it away anyways. Especially 2E which has flights to the USA. I had a huge almost-screaming argument in French about the idiocy of confiscating rounded edge safety scissors. I called over every supervisor they had and reamed them a good one. But I still left without my scissors. 
Feb 11, 2009, 5:42 pm
#12
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Feb 11, 2009, 6:22 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Orlando
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Posts: 1,386
Could this sudden extreme danger of corkscrews on planes leaving France for the USA be in retaliation of the last US administration's 300% import tax on french roquefort cheese?
Feb 12, 2009, 2:26 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,444
Yum!!
