One for the experts on airport security

MapisM

MapisM

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While flying back home tomorrow, I'd like to carry one spare pair of battery jumper cables that I've got onboard, for which I have a better use at home.
But I'm not boarding any bags, and I wouldn't fancy (more as a point in principle than for their actual value) being asked to throw them away when passing through airport security.
Does anyone know if such cables are allowed in the cabin, or would they think that I'm going to use them to strangle the pilot or whatever...? :ambivalence:
Thanks in advance!
 
cant say for certain, but my gut feel says they wont allow you on with them.

I had to throw a set of allen keys away a few years ago, because they wouldnt let me on with them
 
That's a 60-40 case in your favour IMHO. Certainly I've had less/more "harmful" things vetoed/allowed respectively. I had 500 cable ties disallowed because I could tie up all the passengers, and a Yamaha starter motor allowed last week that I could have hit the pilot with. More importantly, several times recently I have had no problem with several 30m drums of ordinary 10amp electrical twin cable, which would strangle the crew as nicely as your cables.

The international rules and symbols generally do not allow "tradesmans tools" fwiw, so the staff have the bullet and you're left with their capriciousness in deciding whether to fire it. Try to pick the right lane!

This answer is of no use at all, I realise!
 
jfm said:
That's a 60-40 case in your favour IMHO. Certainly I've had less/more "harmful" things vetoed/allowed respectively. I had 500 cable ties disallowed because I could tie up all the passengers, and a Yamaha starter motor allowed last week that I could have hit the pilot with. More importantly, several times recently I have had no problem with several 30m drums of ordinary 10amp electrical twin cable, which would strangle the crew as nicely as your cables.

The international rules and symbols generally do not allow "tradesmans tools" fwiw, so the staff have the bullet and you're left with their capriciousness in deciding whether to fire it. Try to pick the right lane!

This answer is of no use at all, I realise!
Click to expand...

Yep, similar experiences here. I took a hoover through as hand luggage (complete with about 8m of mains cable, I guess) - no problem. Also a decently heavy alternator. But I had a heavy stainless steel fitting (an upstand for my passerelle) rejected at Nice security, even though it had been allowed by Gatwick security two days before.

Tools are definitely a 'no'. If you do decide to take your cables through, tell them that your battery is flat in the airport car park, they might be sympathetic :D. Incidentally I have noticed that they are more likely to let 'dodgy' items through if they are packed in branded packaging. Strange I know but that's definitely been my experience.
 
Thanks folks, I suspected that it's basically a gamble, 'cause I also had some weird experiences.
Oh, well. I'll add a Learjet to the bucket list for my next life.
It would match nicely the Benetti that is already included, I reckon... :cool:
 
I had some aircraft wheels complete with inflated tyres refused at an unnamed Airport because they could possibly explode.
Someone from the bomb squad asked what the aircraft were going to use to take off again, & they eventually relented, took several hours & wasted every bodies time however, including police etc.
 
I managed to take a stainless steel bbq scrapper with a stainless steel wire brush through T5 not long ago with no problems. I put it out on display in the tray so it could be easily seen and had no worries. It will depend on the security guys on. I also take my sheets and halyards back and worth to wash them with no problems. A anew set of jump leads will probably cost less than sticking them in the hold.
 
Sorry, P, for not really having anything useful for you to go with, but my brother and I were allowed into an airplane in a London airport carrying a raymarine bronze through hull transducer similar to this:

raymarine-b744v-bronze-thru-hull-transducer-w-fairing-block-3.jpg


Things that could have been done with that don't even bear thinking...

I've sometimes wondered if our admission to the plane really told more of my brother and myself than airport security... :)
 
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I've taken all sorts through, including a drum of cable. The only time I had lots of questions asked was when I took a dinghy inflator. In the same bag was a broken hardwood stair complete with big screws sticking out, which wasn't an issue. :rolleyes:
At Bristol they will hold items they refuse at security so you can take them home again on the return leg, for a small fee. (I saw a woman charged £6 to hold on to her Molton Brown shower gel). Not sure if that's a normal thing at other airports.
I reckon your odds are good, especially if you have the original box or bag they came in. It's not tools, it's car parts guv...
 
My experience has been completely random as well.
The original packaging does seem to help all right, we had Christmas crackers refused because they were taken out of the original box.
Why terrorists would be unable to open a Christmas cracker box and reseal it was beyond me ;-)

My brother once went through with a live lobster packed in ice - they refused until he explained that it was a pet lobster.
 
It is a complete lottery which is why aircraft security is often called 'security theatre' in the UK ie it is designed to make the travelling public feel safer rather than actually make them safer. For what its worth I have got through security with lifejacket gas refill bottles (explosive devices) and paint cans in my hand luggage but had a tiny electrical screwdriver confiscated. On many occasions I have simply forgotten to take my wash pack out of my hand luggage and nobody has picked that up

In your case I would just put the cables in your hand luggage and if they're confiscated, well thats just bad luck

Apropos nothing at all, this reminds me of an incident a few months ago at security at Heathrow T5 which demonstrates how idiotic airport security can be. My SWMBO was wearing a zipped fleece on top and nothing else underneath, only a bra. A rottweiler female security officer instructed her to remove the fleece because she deemed it to be a jacket. My SWMBO complained that she was naked underneath and pulled up her fleece a little to show her. Still the security officer insisted that she took her fleece off but my SWMBO refused and meanwhile a queue of disgruntled passengers built up behind her. I then told the security officer that she was being a silly jobsworth only I might have used words a bit stronger than that whereupon the security officer said that I was being arrested for abusing her. Sensing that her husband was about to get himself banged up, my SWMBO removed her fleece and flounced through the security barrier with just her bra on much to the delight of other male passengers around. I was marched off to a room whereupon all my details were recorded and I was told that consideration would be given to prosecuting me. To be fair I have heard nothing since so maybe sense has prevailed but what a stupid waste of everybody's time
 
We've not been allowed to take two children's 2' fishing rods, no hooks or reel but on another occasion was allowed through with two fold up scooters? As said, it's a lottery
 
For the records, based on jfm 60/40 estimate, I decided to try.
In the worst case, I would have asked him to refund me at least 60% of the 15 Eur value... :D
Anyway, I just went through ok, phew!
 
I went through security at Dubai airport with a pair of coveralls in my hand luggage, the scanner detected a 5M tape measure in a pocket in the coveralls. The tape was duly confiscated and I got a grilling which implied they thought I was trying to hijack the aircraft with it. I'd simply forgotten it was there.
 
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