Similar story - a member of my group went through security at LAX with no problems, but was stopped at Heathrow because of something suspicious in her handbag. We emptied everything out of the bag, re-scanned it, and the object was still detected.

After feeling around in the bag we discovered some fabric cutting shears had apparently been accidentally been sewn into the lining by someone on the factory line (they looked something like this if I remember correctly: http://imgur.com/ZKlsjJw).

We just cut them out, handed them over and went on our way. Was a really strange experience though.

Same with me, 10 days ago in Dubai. Unfortunately, there were TWO levels of officers who didn't have decision making authority, they had to reach out to a 3rd level who decided it was something in the bag's fabric (vs me carrying something). Unfortunately, where you are traveling to has some impact in DXB. SFO looks much better(for someone like me) than Abu Dhabi/Sharjah

TSA factors in if an item appeared to be intentionally concealed as well, I'm glad you didn't get a notice with a significant fine

The TSA has nothing to do with Heathrow where it was found, though. (I don't think in the UK anyone can be fined: if there's any belief of malice, you're likely to be dealt with under normal criminal law such as conspiracy to murder, or potentially terrorism related offences; if there's not, you can either surrender your property or return landside).

My bad, I misread it

A criminal conviction could lead to a fine.

Well yes, but you couldn't immediately receive a notice with a significant fine.

The OP's point was: they either think you're trying to bring down a plane or they don't. Punishing minor infractions is not on their menu.

Almost: the important point is they have no right to impose any fines; any punishment will be done by the British Transport Police in accordance with British law, and there are relatively few crimes of possession in the UK (drugs are an obvious one, but even then a first arrest for Class C drugs is typically dealt with by means of a police caution). Essentially: any punishment arising from a security checkpoint would be a police matter, and have nothing to do with those manning the security checkpoint.

Except for drug offenses

My friend accidentally took a multi-tool through airport screening shortly after 9/11 and had to lawyer up to get the resulting shitstorm to go away (and he's white and an American citizen)

On the other hand, I remember when I was a kid in the 90s and accidentally took my pocket knife (3" blade) through screening, and they found it but let me bring it on the plane...

I used to take my CRKT M16-14 knife on the nerd bird SJC<->SEA round trip twice a week. Nobody cared. This was mid-90s until just before 9/11. I didn't try to hide it - just tossed it in the bin with my keys etc.

https://www.copsplus.com/prodnum4396.php

Well, before 9/11 you didn't have to check your firearms. You could carry them on as long as they were in a case. Things were more reasonable back then.

> Well, before 9/11 you didn't have to check your firearms. You could carry them on as long as they were in a case.

Do you have a source for that? Because for as long as I can remember they have had to be checked, including in the 90s.

A lot of people wouldn't consider it reasonable to allow people to carry guns around, least of all on a plane.

It turns out that many people have silly -yet strongly held- beliefs. :) shrug

I can see how one might immediately jump to the conclusion that I said people bringing firearms on board an airplane is reasonable. The sentences are so close to one another. I can see how tempting it would be to do that. But just for the sake of argument, let's pretend I did say that. So... How do you feel about armed air marshals?

Absolutely not true. You haven't been able to carry a firearm onto an airplane for, pretty much, forever.

You always could, and still can, check a firearm into luggage on a flight.

Absolutely true. In the 90s, I went to a regional shooting competition with a handful of other high school kids, and we brought firearms onto the plane.

I'm sorry, but you are just wrong. The relevant US code is at https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/46505 -- it's been in place since the 50's. Security screening to detect weapons has been in place since the early 1970's, after a rash of hijackings in the late 60's. You must be mis-remembering.

I accidentally took a multi-tool (with several blades) through an airport security checkpoint 2 weeks after 9/11. It was found on my person, and confiscated. I was told I could collect it on arrival at the 'weird items' desk at London Heathrow baggage claim. When I arrived a Heathrow it was waiting for me in a padded envelope at the desk.

I was flying out of Beijing, you know... that country with terrible human rights... To be clear: there are multiple human rights issues in China, many of which are far worse than the US. Just not everything.

I flew SwissAir first class in the '90's and they actually handed out branded Swiss Army knives to passengers on the plane... The good ol' days.

My grandmother collected the silverware that airplanes handed out. Now we've got a pretty funny assortment of airline-branded metal knives.

FYI you are allowed to carry on screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers less than 7 inches long. More bulky than a multi-tool, but at least you can carry something? https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/prohibited-ite...

They can still confiscate whatever they want, regardless of the rules: https://bbs.boingboing.net/t/makers-tsa-compliant-multitool-...

They confiscated a friend's _comb_, because it opened with a switchblade-style button.

No, I'd wager the comb got confiscated because the TSA agent thought it looked cool and wanted one.

Just like iPads. http://www.wired.com/2012/12/tsa-ipads/

Once I was flying out of Stockholm, and behind me in the security check was a handyman who was just passing security to fix something on the inside. He had a small open toolbox on wheels with him, so after I went through the metal detector, they pushed his box through, which obviously beeped, since it was full of screwdrivers, knives, hammers, and a lot of other sharp metal things. And then the handyman went through, and he also set off the metal detector, so the security people started checking him and patting him down.

So noone is looking at the toolbox that I'm standing right next to. I could easily have grabbed a knife or two if I had wanted to.

And once they finished patting him down, he grabs his tools and walks on.

And I'm just standing there, gaping at the stupidity of it all.

Ooh yeah, in between times when they're actively inspecting YOU, it'd be totally trivial to hand things off and circumvent their "secure" zone. Thinking about all the ways you could sneak something through if you wanted to is always entertaining while I'm waiting.

I had a wine opener confiscated because of the 1 inch knife ... can't imagine how someone might use a wine opener to hijack a plane

The 9-11 hijackers used razor blades. So, its been done. Of course, no American passenger is going to believe that everything will be fine if they comply these days so I don't think its possible to pull off 9-11 again.

> The 9-11 hijackers used razor blades. So, its been done.

Only in the days when we didn't lock the cockpit doors. Now that the cockpit doors are locked, even an actual gun wouldn't be sufficient to hijack the plane (the cockpit doors are essentially impossible to open from the outside, at least not without equipment that would be impossible to bring on a plane and would be rather conspicuously slow to use during a flight).

There is a huge difference hijacking protocol between now and 9/11.

Post 9/11 passengers are not going to allow a guy with a razor blade hijack a plane, or even several guys with razor blades. Passengers and crew members now fight back and have the advantage of numbers.

>Passengers and crew members now fight back and have the advantage of numbers.

Yeah, but what if _everyone_ on the plane were a hijacker?

Wait...

The cockpit door is kept locked now, so it's moot. The pilot will land, SWAT team will storm the plane. Done.

See #2: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/hey_wait_a_m...

A stab in the jugular will get the job done.

But of course you can break the plastic knife and fork they give you and still stab someone in the jugular.

You could even sharpen the headphones connector.

Or repurpose any of the other things you can buy after the security line: http://www.terminalcornucopia.com/

I'm sure i'm on some watch list for visiting that site now, but it's still fantastic that somebody put all together. It's like an anarchist cookbook that isn't designed to maim bored teens!

Very similar story about MIA. I flew out of ATL with a pocket knife, and lost it at MIA on the way back. Also conversely, ATL wouldn't let me carry-on my pool cue and forced me to check it, but at YUL on the way back, they had no problem with it.

I think it's more of a roulette of circumstances more than a pattern of compliance/negligence, but it is curious to have 2 MIA data points.

Flying out of London Gatwick, I once had a pack of torx driver bits confiscated "because they're dangerous tools, you see". But they failed to confiscate the 8" flathead screwdriver that was also in the bag, much to my amusement when I found it during unpacking.

I also flew Oslo->Lisbon->Sao Paolo->Rio de Janeiro->Lisbon->Oslo about five years ago with a 7" soldering iron in my hand luggage.

Then there was the time when I had my bag very thoroughly searched flying out of Geneva because of a highly suspicious loaf of bread.

I have passed through TSA on four different flights (across two trips) with my multitool in my backpack. This was, of course, completely accidental on my part.

These events caused me to put together a pre-TSA personal checklist, since I can't count on getting lucky again, and I really like that multitool. (:

Same. It's basically a crapshoot if they'll find it. I've accidentally brought pocket knives, bottle openers, and multi-tools. The detection rate is about 1 in 8 if I forget to grab it out of my carry on.

Slightly off-topic, but just to clarify Miami requires everyone to go through security again for an international connection, or was this a special case?

I wonder if it's a case like domestic terminal -> international terminal without any post-security options to move between the two.

I do know that flying _back_ to the US on my last few international flights, there was a second security checkpoint I had to go through. Very silly. I had filled my water bottle at a fountain at the gate and then had to empty it right out 5 minutes later.

Whenever you transfer at different security zones, you have to go through security again. So I fly threw Japan a lot, and always have to recheck (but they are pretty fast). I'm connecting through Moscow next week to get to Europe, and I'm dreading Russian security a bit (it's pretty fast, they don't actually check much, but very disorganized).

I think the theory with this is many foreign countries don't do sufficient checks.

Based on travelling in south America, south East Asia etc, this is sometimes correct.

You have to go through security again for international flights that connect to a domestic flight, but not usually (ever?) if you've passed TSA within the US and are connecting to leave the country. That's true at every airport in the US, not just Miami.

> You have to go through security again for international flights that connect to a domestic flight, but not usually (ever?) if you've passed TSA within the US and are connecting to leave the country.

There are lots of times when with domestic -> international flights (or even domestic -> domestic, in some cases) there would be terminal transfers required that would leave the secured zone and thus require passing through security again incidentally, even without a specific policy.

Several airports where I know this was an issue have been redesigned to alleviate this, but I'm sure there are some where it is still an issue.

Flying out of Louisville, I saw the same story with the guy in front of me - except it was a clip for a pistol and he was livid because this was his return flight, meaning they missed it in Miami (I think it was Miami). I'm glad the SDF TSA caught it but it definitely didn't inspire confidence overall.

I used to carry a multi-tool on my keychain. I would routinely forget to remove it when going to the airport, and it was never flagged or even noticed. Amusingly I lost it when I was going to a club in SF and a bouncer found it during a pat-down and wouldn't let me bring it in.

I routinely bring contraband through airport security, not weapons, mind you, just silly contraband (unallowed arosols). I am almost never "caught."

This is so true. I was traveling with my partner and she decided to buy a bunch of haircare products. Like the 4 or 5 big 1L containers of shampoo and conditioner.

I told her "we need to check those bags, otherwise they'll make you throw them out". She said it would be fine. And guess what? It was. Almost 4L of liquids in her carry-on and no one said a thing.