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Old 08-05-2011, 10:07 AM   #7
FlyWright
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City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
RE: Funniest times going through airport security

On a family trip in MD, my 10 year old daughter found a nice gardening set as a gift for Grandma with a small hand garden scoop/shovel, flowered gloves and lavendar lotion, Grandma's favorite scent. In our rush to the Baltimore airport, this box was placed in a large carry-on bag. TSA found the bag and initiated a complete lock-down of the secuity area with flashing lights, alarms and PA anouncement. No one was to leave the area and all were to remain stationary. Then an agent at the xray machine held up my daughter's carry-on and asked in a loud, booming voice, "WHOSE BAG IS THIS?" My little girl approached him and stated that it was hers. Then he declares, "WHY ARE YOU TRAVELING WITH THIS?" He yanks out the box with the shovel which, upon closer inspection, looked more like a menacing hooked, sharp-toothed scoop than any garden hand-shovel I'd seen before. My daughter replied, "It's a gift for my Grandma." At this point, they allowed everyone to resume what they were doing.

I approached them and explained that I was her father and if he had any questions to ask me. After they copied my drivers license and recorded a sheet full of personal information, we were allowed to place the 'weapon' in another bag and process it as checked baggage.

We still laugh about how Grandma's gift caused a lockdown at BWI. Grandma passed away last October and I have that shovel to give to my now-20 yr old daughter when she leaves for college in 2 weeks. And I still wonder if I made the no-fly list compiled by some bureaucrat.
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