Items confiscated by Airport Security

[Conchman]

I have had lighters confiscated in the US, Bahamas, and Canada. This is very common, if they see them, they will take them.

It's knee-jerk reaction to 9/11, I am sure common sense will come back sooner or later.

Confiscating batteries is ridiculous, I agree. Sometimes you have to prove that an item works, like a radio.

I am sure thats just a miscommunication to the guards.

[tondra]

So, based on this thread, I should put any lighters and razors in my checked baggage as well as batteries. I wanted to bring a small cassette player down for the maid so should that go in checked baggage too? I planned to put my care packages for a school and free clinic in the checked baggage as well. Would that be safe there? I have purchased an FAA approved carry-on that is zippered open easily and all contents are in clear, plastic compartments (hoping to keep my things from being riffled through). Any other suggestions I may have missed?

Gee, so much to think about for my first trip, as well as making sure my pesos aren't marked.

Thanks for all the tips.

Tondra

[ricktoronto]

I know you can bring batteries so given the high cost and low pay they must have needed them more than you did.

I had a lighter taken as I stupidly put it in the little coin tray - I was told they were not allowed. Of course they were selling cartons of duty free cigarettes with lighters tapes to the box after security/passport control.

I sling a computer bag with a laptop, 2 batteries, aircraft and AC power supply and two external drives and they don't even open it so it must have been a special case for them to examine your bag to begin with.

[Hillbilly]

Not to worry about the cassette player. Enjoy!

HB

Just remember: NOTHING that cuts, lights a flame or sticks will get on board.

[ricktoronto]

Originally posted by Hillbilly
Not to worry about the cassette player. Enjoy!

HB

Just remember: NOTHING that cuts, lights a flame or sticks will get on board.

They were selling them in January at SDQ.

[Jim Hinsch]

The policy flying out of Santo Domingo is different than that flying out of Miami, and Miami also changed policy daily for a while.

Out of Miami, you can carry lighters. Out of Santo Domingo, no lighters, no matches, and it doesn' t matter to them if they light or not (no gas). I collect them and they took the one I was carrying on my person so now I carry one that doesn't look like a lighter and mount it to my keychain.

They do not sell lighters anymore once past immigration when leaving Santo Domingo.

Batteries? That's a new one. For a while, they did not allow alkaline batteries out of Heathrow, but that was pre-911.

In Santo Domingo, they typically have a basket filled with all the nail clippers, razor blades, scissors, anything that looks like it could be used as a weapon which means anything with a point, ... You are told this AFTER you have already checked your luggage. The entire airport once past Customs is now all non-smoking as well but they still have ash trays. They sell electronic appliances past customs, and all those items use batteries (mostly rechargeable). I don't recall if they sell alkaline batteries o nicad's that look like alkalines (as in AAA, AA, C, D sizes). Every laptop has a battery, I doubt the would take one of those (US$100-150 to replace). Watches also have batteries, as do pagers, pen lights, cordless mice, ...

I would have complained and made a scene, but it was probably policy that day. I know the lighter thing came about from the guy that tried to ignite some plastic explosives hidden in the sole of his shoe with matches and for a short time, was also disallowed in Miami.

I always ask now at the counter what I can and can't carry and if they give me crap at security, I'll call they airline rep that told me different and make them retrieve my checked bag. Else I won't get on the flight and they will have to remove my bag anyway. I fell asleep once during boarding and woke up just before they shut the door. Security then proceeded to practically strip me. I guess I was being too slow to put my shoes back on and the gate agent threatened to lshut the door, leaving without me. I reminded them of the policy of not flying with passenger baggage without the passenger on international flights, and pointed out that they had already picked the "random" searches, that I had cleared security, and that I was doing the best I could. This was in Miami.

[andy a]

Cruising along at low altitude in a craft that would drift down slowly even if disaster struck, with each passenger having his own parachute anyway, might allow some of the fun to be brought back to air travel.

All the bags could be "carryon" if desired, with no additional hour of waiting at the baggage carousel, nor inconvenience of "lost" bags.

Much of the slower speed could be recouped by the less lead time required for checkin.

Germany is already building them, even bigger than before. At least one hangar for them has already been built. They are intended for heavy freight, but why not let the dirigibles carry people, maybe 1000 at a time.

BTW, they use helium this time.

[kjdrga]

I have a really nice kit of nail clippers, from Brookstone and I had forgotten to place them in my checked luggage. And so as someone mentioned it is after you've checked the luggage they discover these in my carry-on well the inspector woman wouldn't take them away from me. I told take them then, of course not wanting to part with them... she told me to go back to the agent counter and mail them to myself in the U.S. Well the AA agent said he didn't know how to do that and gave me a note to take over to the AA service desk which then proceeded to give me a pass to the baggage area below the airport. I proceed to run outside asking a million people where the baggage area was, this nice fella helped me through the maze of the underworld of the airport. I passed through a customs area where agents were ripping open fedex box and checking contents. All the way down to the area where they place the bags in the boxes to load them onto the aircraft. In the mean time, agents at the front desk had called ahead to them to pull my bag. Found my bag, opened it and shoved the nail kit inside. Then proceeded to try to find my way out running half the time to get onto the plane in time.

Never in my life would I have thought post 9/11 that they would let a non-worker down there, but I must have looked innocent enough... I just couldn't believe the women wouldn't take them from me... I'm glad I still have them, but for now on my next trip down there I'll leave them behind.

[mobrouser]

last january at La Romana, there were tables set up for luggage inspection prior to checking your suitcase. people were randomly being asked to open their suitcases , not just their carry on.

aerosol cans of any type--shave cream, pit juice, hair spray were being confiscated, as well as batteries and assorted other things. they did not ask me, or anyone in my party, to hand over anything, however people in the lines to the left and right of me were.

i have not flown through there since to see if the procedure has changed.

mob

[michelle2504]

My husband and I flew out of La Romana last April and they opened all of our suitcases took my hairspray and my husband's shaving cream.

As they were giving my husband the third degree(he's Dominican) I glaced behing me and I saw a Dominican man who was travelling alone pass some money to the men checking the suitcases, and lone and behold he was waived thru and did not get his suitcase checked.

Makes you wonder what he might of had in his suitcase?



Michelle