Rocket blower confiscated at Airport because it's shaped like a grenade!

Read about this happening a few times with the Giottos rocket blower looking like a grenade or 'projectile'. Just another joy of flying and having to deal with brainless security.
 
To be honest, although it seems pretty stupid to people like us that know what they are, im guessing security also need to consider what an already nervous fellow passenger might think it is. Wouldn't want to cause a panic at 30,000 feet eh? And not just nervous passengers. Anyone not familiar with the product might have concerns if they caught a glimpse of it whilst on a flight. Remember, not everyone is familiar with them.
 
Laudrup said:
Read about this happening a few times with the Giottos rocket blower looking like a grenade or 'projectile'. Just another joy of flying and having to deal with brainless security.
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yes agree its daft, you would have thought common sense would apply!
its not like the guy was trying to bring a fake gun onto the plane
we are going on holiday later in the year I was going to bring my air blower with me not sure now
 
LCPete said:
yes agree its daft, you would have thought common sense would apply!
its not like the guy was trying to bring a fake gun onto the plane
we are going on holiday later in the year I was going to bring my air blower with me not sure now
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I wouldn't bring the rocket blower as I wouldn't want to spend another tenner on one when they decide to bin it because it looks like a grenade or RPG or whatever ridiculous notion they come up with.
 
I walked through with a monopod in my bag the other week. Didn't even get the usual swabbing for explosives I usually get, carrying a 400/70-200 2.8/laptop/etc in my hand luggage!

I however, got a full pat down..
 
Yes, it seems daft, but while idiots use things like this as a joke on a plane after they've had 2 sherberts and found that altitude makes the effects much more pronounced, it's suddenly not as funny.
Doesn't happen? yes, it does. I've been to 3 or 4 requests for police when people decided to be 'amusing' during the flight.
In reality, the article should have made it clear, its not 'confiscated' it simply has to go in the hold. But that wouldn't make for a good story would it.
There's nothing new in this at all, in fact having it go in the hold is a good alternative, as conviction carries a hefty sentence.
My last Ch. Superintendent at Heathrow insisted that everyone caught under the Aviation Security Act was charged, no matter what, so he's lucky.

For those interested. the legislation is very clear:
S4 (2) Aviation Security Act

(2)This section applies to the following articles, that is to say—

(a)any firearm, or any article having the appearance of being a firearm, whether capable of being discharged or not;

(b)any explosive, any article manufactured or adapted (whether in the form of a bomb, grenade or otherwise) so as to have the appearance of being an explosive, whether it is capable of producing a practical effect by explosion or not, or any article marked or labelled so as to indicate that it is or contains an explosive; and

(c)any article (not falling within either of the preceding paragraphs) made or adapted for use for causing injury to or incapacitating a person or for destroying or damaging property, or intended by the person having it with him for such use, whether by him or by any other person.
 
...so...are you saying there is more to it than just

Laudrup said:
Read about this happening a few times with the Giottos rocket blower looking like a grenade or 'projectile'. Just another joy of flying and having to deal with brainless security.
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;)
 
I'm saying, the story isn't as daft as some think.
Man gets stopped by security who find something that falls under the definition of an offence. He gets to have it put in the hold, where there's no possibility of him deciding to be funny on the flight and scaring the poo out of everyone else.
Sadly, there's no detector thats going to predict that is, or isn't going to happen.
So his blower goes in the hold, he gets to go on his flight, and collect it the other end. Doesn't get nicked which is what could happen. An everyday tale of life at an airport. happens 20 or 30 times a day at Heathrow. No news, move along just another blown up(pun intended) story where someone wants to much much of nowt.
 
Yes, Laudrup, its all very daft, until some way starts waving it about on a plane. Then panics everyone, then the plane diverts, usually with a fighter escort. Then they're nicked and suddenly its not very funny or daft at all.
It went in the hold, its no big deal, except to you apparently who's outraged by proxy.
 
Oh, to add. Like most security guards, traffic wardens etc, they don't have any discretion, so like it or not, if the rules book says do x, then they do x. Not doing x means loss of job.
Employment v pleasing you? Its a tough choice I'm sure.
 
I do see what you're getting at Bernie its just frustrating that once again everyone's life gets made a little more difficult because of one or two idiots messing about
 
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I had exactly the same think happen to me at Southampton Airport last year
 
I had mine "examined" at a small Polish airport in 2007. Took a while and some unusual hand gestures for them to realise what it was.
 
Anything non-fragile goes in my hold baggage anyway - the 5kg hand baggage limit (apparently we were misinformed and it's actually 8kg) is a bit restrictive, especially when there's a laptop in the bag as well. I can see the frustration when kit gets confiscated or has to go in the hold but compared to a diversion if some pi55ed tw@ starts waving what does look like a grenade about, it's a very minor inconvenience IMO.

WE all know what a rocket blower looks like but Joe Public (and probably some Joe Security) don't. Hanging about in airport queues is a big enough PITA as it is, let alone having to wait longer because someone's not though things through - it's hardly news that rocket blowers have come under scrutiny!
 
Nod said:
Anything non-fragile goes in my hold baggage anyway - the 5kg hand baggage limit (apparently we were misinformed and it's actually 8kg) is a bit restrictive, especially when there's a laptop in the bag as well. I can see the frustration when kit gets confiscated or has to go in the hold but compared to a diversion if some pi55ed tw@ starts waving what does look like a grenade about, it's a very minor inconvenience IMO.

WE all know what a rocket blower looks like but Joe Public (and probably some Joe Security) don't. Hanging about in airport queues is a big enough PITA as it is, let alone having to wait longer because someone's not though things through - it's hardly news that rocket blowers have come under scrutiny!
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Agreed it is a matter of playing within the rules and anticipating what may happen, but sometimes you forget.

Rocket blowers should and now go in the hold luggage which is difficult if you are travelling with only hand luggage, so now in such circumstances I just don't take them or I would give them up.
 
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Bernie174 said:
Yes, Laudrup, its all very daft, until some way starts waving it about on a plane. Then panics everyone, then the plane diverts, usually with a fighter escort. Then they're nicked and suddenly its not very funny or daft at all.
It went in the hold, its no big deal, except to you apparently who's outraged by proxy.
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So you're just inventing scenarios to back up your argument? A lot of planes been escorted back to an airport by fighter jets because of Giottos rocket blowers?
 
Bernie174 said:
Oh, to add. Like most security guards, traffic wardens etc, they don't have any discretion, so like it or not, if the rules book says do x, then they do x. Not doing x means loss of job.
Employment v pleasing you? Its a tough choice I'm sure.
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I'm sure they do have discretion or people wouldn't be flying with them on their carry on.
 
At the point you go through security, you've already been to bag drop and your bags are into the myriad of conveyor belts, ready to be thrown roughly in the direction of the plane you are catching. It's not easy to get your bag back to put items in it. At which point you are then faced with a decision of bin it, or if valuable, try to post it home.
 
purpleclouds said:
I walked through with a monopod in my bag the other week. Didn't even get the usual swabbing for explosives I usually get, carrying a 400/70-200 2.8/laptop/etc in my hand luggage!

I however, got a full pat down..
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Very, very lucky to get away with that!
 
Byker28i said:
At the point you go through security, you've already been to bag drop and your bags are into the myriad of conveyor belts, ready to be thrown roughly in the direction of the plane you are catching. It's not easy to get your bag back to put items in it. At which point you are then faced with a decision of bin it, or if valuable, try to post it home.
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They even suggested with mine that I called someone and ask them to come to Southampton Airport to collect it ……. I took the easy way out and "complained" and had the Supervisor tell me I was a naughty OAP and that I did not understand.

Eventually I got them to retrieve my bag from the hold and put it in that……… it must have been one of their "kind to OAP days"

Now if I have hand bags only and can remember I do not take it ……. or it goes in the hold.

Just part of what makes flying less worthwhile
 
Beats the hell out of walking though!
 
I once traveled via Schipol hand luggage only, with my trusty Swiss army knife on my pocket. Stopped at customs and rather than make me bin it they kindly put it in a cardboard box the size of a mouse coffin and put it in the hold. When I arrived in Manchester I had to wait at the conveyor just to pick up this tiny box. Got some very funny looks...!
 
Next time I go away better not pack my Diesel aftershave, it's in the shape of a clenched fist but could be mistaken for a hand grenade :eek:
 
disagree Bernie174
The rocket blower isn't "maufactured " to look like an explosive! It doesn't even look like a rocket!
Jobsworth security IMO, with a definite lack of common sense.
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Agree or not, thats why they are not permitted through UK Security and onto aircraft.
As for 'lack of common sense', that does not come into it, they have a book of rules, it says X, so X happens, if not, and the 'passenger' is a CAA Security Inspector, or they are seen doing it by their supervisors, they are shown the door. In thier shoes, would you put your job at risk?

So you're just inventing scenarios to back up your argument? A lot of planes been escorted back to an airport by fighter jets because of Giottos rocket blowers?
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Am I? or is it you just can't see beyond your nose? I have seen plenty of diverts for innocent items that looked like something they aren't thinking they'd have a giggle. The last one I dealt with got 4 months at Uxbridge Magistrates.

I'm sure they do have discretion or people wouldn't be flying with them on their carry on.
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Answer is as above, no they don't, if they find it, and its on the list of things that aren't allowed, it goes in the hold, you sign it away or otherwise dispose of it. I don't agree with the way the airport authorities treat people, or the lack of discretion allowed, god knows I have been to 100's of calls to the search areas to deal with the results, mostly a waste of my time, but it's the rules they work under. Like them, we have to like or lump it. it ain't going to change.
 
while I agree with Bernie that there a lot of f***witts out there , the trouble is if you start confiscating anything which might be used to be 'funny' pretty soon everyone is flying naked with no hand luggage and their mouths taped shut ( after all all it takes to disrupt a flight is to loudly declare 'ive got a bomb' like that pillock the other day
 
while I agree with Bernie that there a lot of f***witts out there , the trouble is if you start confiscating anything which might be used to be 'funny' pretty soon everyone is flying naked with no hand luggage and their mouths taped shut ( after all all it takes to disrupt a flight is to loudly declare 'ive got a bomb' like that pillock the other day
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Thats not a bad idea! Although banning alcohol on board would stamp out a large number of those ones too.
 
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landwomble said:
I once traveled via Schipol hand luggage only, with my trusty Swiss army knife on my pocket. Stopped at customs and rather than make me bin it they kindly put it in a cardboard box the size of a mouse coffin and put it in the hold. When I arrived in Manchester I had to wait at the conveyor just to pick up this tiny box. Got some very funny looks...!
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Nice. I've twice had nearly everything stolen from my luggage at schipol
 
Mikesphotaes said:
Very, very lucky to get away with that!
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Tweeted them beforehand to ask and they said it'd be ok so long as it fit inside my hand luggage. I was apprehensive, I must admit! No problems flying with it in Germany/France either, though.
 
Definitely agree about the banning booze, but back on the subject of this thread.

Just a reminder, if you have a wireless remote for your camera and it is examined by airport security, please descibe it as, "This lets you make a camera take a picture without you having to press the button.", and not, "That's a wireless trigger"

Dave
 
so why are you flying to los angeles sir ? , well you see I shoot famous people for a living...
 
I've flown with a few different airlines, to the States twice and across Europe 4 times last 4-5 years, and always had the blower in the bag. Never so much as been questioned on it. I also stick my vaping gear in the camera bag too, and my Vamo looks more suspect than the blower - again, never been stopped over it. I must be lucky! I'd consider leaving the rocket blower behind in future, to save embarrassment, as it's something you don't really need unless you're going for a long trip. Just clean all your gear beforehand.
 
Is this problem peculiar to Manchester Airport? Two weeks ago I flew to Italy from there. My hand luggage (camera bag) was pulled out for a search. I didn't have a problem, but the guy went straight to my Canon 5D and pulled it out. He took one look and apologised. He said that the operator hadn't recognised the mysterious object was actually a camera.
 
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