Airport security or lack of...

I've just recently traveled back from Italy through Milano Bergamo airport and really have to question their security measures.

After a cracking day at a local Sunday market enjoying lots of free wine and pizza, one of the pizza vendors handed me a large pizza cutting knife. Now I'm half canned when this happens so I thank him for the gift and put it in my side pocket of my shorts and think nothing else of it.

On the Monday I'm in the airport and go to check-in and my bags get weighed, nice Italian lady tells me my bag is over weight and I need to pay 30 euros or I can transfer a kilo or 2 into my hand luggage and she'll waive the fee. So I transfer some kit only to get home and find said blade still in the side pocket of my shorts which I had transferred into my hand luggage along with some other stuff, this hand luggage had gone through the x-ray machine at the airport! The blade is around 4 inches long, serrated edged with the word 'PIZZA' cut into the blade it's self!

Anyone else ever experienced this lack of security?

 

Surely it went through as a 'Cultural icon'

or some such

 

Couple of years back there was a story about a bloke who was found by cabin crew to have taken a half full plastic petrol container through security and on board as hand baggage.

Pretty sure that was Italy as well.

Found it!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk/2248706.stm

 

When my gran flew over from Oz a few years ago she thought it would be a brilliant idea to bring some home-cooking with her. Now she's a brilliant cook, so it's not something I'd usually take issue with, but we do have kitchens and a wide variety of ingredients in this country too. But no, she got it all prepared and in a tupperware box then bunged it in her hand luggage for the 24h flight over.

When I first opened our fridge after her arrival I was greeted with the most Godawful blast of garlic I've ever had the misfortune of smelling. It nearly knocked me clean out. I can only imagine, in horror, what the passengers of the plane thought when it all got caught up in the air-con and cycled around the cabin for a full day.

Barring the rules on carriage of food across borders (which I don't really understand), this must surely have been as dangerous as a blade in your pocket or petrol in the overhead! It's not like you even needed an Xray machine to detect it!

 

They let me take my goats cheese back too!!!

 

As well as the goat?!?

Shouldn't you be working or something?

 

Just leaving now....

 

"Look out Sarge,he's armed with a thin,cheap metal wheel on wooden handle!"

 

Re-read the post ya muppet. 4 inch serrated blade. Not the shite you buy out of TK Maxx.

 

Had to dash for a flight when i was on a course in 2006. Was an internal flight from Bristol to ABZ. Being in a hurry I had not checked through my hand luggage which had come straight out the back of the rover and had my dancing kit shoved in then off to the airport. got through checkin and security no dram at all apart from my boots which set the detectors off..... Got home and unpacked my dancing kit and also found the following items
1) Electrical tool kit including screw drivers, snips and a gas soldering iron amongst other things
2) Imitation leatherman
3) Fuel bottle for stove

 

Sorry mate, couldn't resist.

 

Cheers mate. Long time no see.... As you may have guessed I'm not in much these days? Why you not on TOSCA?

 

Wasn't financially worth my while. I'd have ended up breaking out about even on my civvie/TA earnings.

 

Described by Anthony Bourdain as:
"Its taste can only be described as...indescribable, something you will either love or despise. ...Your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother."[

THESE are banned from most South East asian flights and hotels because of the smell

 

"Look out Sarge,he's armed thin,cheap 4 inch(serrated) knife with Pizza written on it"