Airport Security
Stopped a Fruitcake Bomber
Every now
and then I see an article where someone tested airport security and was able to
sneak weapons or suspicious packages past airport security. Mrs. C and I have recently tested security
and thankfully they passed.
Last week
Mrs. C forgot and had a bottle of water in her carryon. She was snagged and the water taken
away. I thought her indiscretion might
get us off the priority check, fortunately it did not.
That priority
check thing is great, not having to take off shoes, belt or pull out computers
makes the process so much easier.
One thing I
don’t understand about the security check.
Everyone
moves along the line to the check very nicely and respectfully, then when they
reach the x-ray check machine it becomes a race to fill the crates and rush through
the people check machine. On the other
end people push and shove reaching in front of you for their bags and jackets
and stuff. Elbows are thrown and there
is much mumbling and bitching.
RELAX everyone, you will get your luggage
and possessions back. They are not going
anywhere!
Anyway, back
to the security test.
Coming home
last weekend from a NC visit to my Sister-in-law and my daughter, SIL and three
NC grandchildren, we were sure we had nothing to trip up the x-ray checking
machine.
We were
wrong.
What the
heck, there was nothing in our bag that is illegal, but our bag got pulled out of
the line anyway.
What sounded
the alarm to pull our bag?
Fruitcake.
My daughter
gave me a fruitcake and it was shaped kind of like a rectangular log. It looked explosively suspicious to the x-ray
machine. TSA let it go once it was confirmed
as a harmless fruitcake.
Some people get
outraged when stopped for something harmless.
I find it comforting that anything that looks unusual is checked.
Keep up the
good work TSA.
And everyone,
remember to declare your fruitcake.
A bag of spearmint leaves will get caught, too.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they thought semtex or some other plastic explosive was the secret ingredient in your fruit cake.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this one, even though it was just a fruitcake, it is comforting that they checked it because it looked suspicious on the x-ray, it's also good that they declared it safe and gave it back to you, had the TSA agents liked fruitcake I wonder if they would have confiscated it.
ReplyDeleteMy family jokes about there only being a few dozen fruitcakes in the world, these passed around to recipients who only store them and re-gift, and so the circle of giving goes. Wasn't there something in the news recently about the discovery of an ancient fruitcake? I might believe it except I have been through Claxton, GA a number of times and I know they take great pride in their fruitcake bakery.
ReplyDeleteThe big worry for many, i am sure, is having their items stolen before they can get through the machines. You are right about the TSA doing a great job.
ReplyDeleteDon't a lot of people consider a fruitcake a deadly weapon?
ReplyDeleteThat was funny but like you, I'd rather they check the fruitcake then let a similar looking block of plastic explosives slide through.
ReplyDeleteI miss the Claxton fruitcakes. Can't find them anymore.
The food thing confuses me. Why would a fruitcake cause concern? Is it the size? I bring granola bars and nut mixes without issue.
ReplyDeleteOk, I will admit to being a pusher to get through the TSA machines. When your ID, credit cards, money and phone are all in a plastic bin rolling away from you and hundreds of strangers milling around, I think it's cause for concern.
I think the shape looked a little bomb like to the x-ray machine.
DeleteThat's why we always drive to Chicago. My brother makes fruitcakes and gives some to Jack. Jack LOVES fruitcake and it might cause some kind of "incident" if anyone would try and take it away!
ReplyDeleteyou're right, that rectangular package could have been anything. Could have been enough C4 to blow up the entire airport and half the city besides. I'm never bothered about security checks. I'm glad they do them.
ReplyDeleteI hope that somewhere in the airport, someone is saving the rest of that possibly-used-now water, possibly by laying a paper towel over the top of the bottle if the cap was lost.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot easier years back when I used to travel, although I did once have some water confiscated. I thought that was outrageous but was told later why water had to go.
ReplyDeleteJust in the last couple days, we put our son on a plane to visit his grandma in California, along with a jar of Jenn's homemade applesauce, which he stuffed into his carry-on. The applesauce was deemed dangerous, and duly confiscated. Our son, God bless him, told the TSA agent, "My mom worked hard on that applesauce, and it's really good. At least eat it yourselves, and don't throw it out". . .
ReplyDeleteLOL on the fruitcake. I always make a point of drinking all my water in my water bottle and then refill it at a fountain on the other side. Because there's no way I'm paying $2.19 for a 16-oz bottle of water.
ReplyDeleteX ray checking ? not heard of it yet .
ReplyDeletefear has made security process so long and painful though sometimes they fail to pass the test and instead of real weapons they catch fruitcakes