Stupid alert: Spyderco Bug lost to an airport security waste bin

[Kerne]

I keep a Spyderco Bug on my keyring for those essential jobs like slicing my lunchtime apple, sharpening my pencil and cleaning the dirt from under my nails. Not any more. Stupidly, I hadn't taken it of my keyring when I turned up at Heathrow security two weeks ago ready to go off on my holidays. I realised just as I took the keys out of my pocket to put into the tray for the security machine - too late to save it. I tried to give it away to one of the workers there but it was "against the rules" and I had no choice but to put it in the bin. I like to think that someone has found it and it has avoided the trip to landfill...

Do I fell a prat?

Guess I'll just have to buy another one...

[boatman]

I am told that one can put such a thing, duly labelled, into hold luggage on its own. If there is time before the flight of course. My son has mentioned a SAK coming through with the suitcases.

[spandit]

Edit: just read the post properly. I'd be surprised if such a small item didn't get lost

[Silverback 1]

Don't know what the blade length on a Spyderco Bug is, but if it is less than 60mm, technically and legally you are permitted to take it on board an aircraft, there are no restrictions on SAK's in hold luggage.

[Mesquite]

Don't know what the blade length on a Spyderco Bug is, but if it is less than 60mm, technically and legally you are permitted to take it on board an aircraft, there are no restrictions on SAK's in hold luggage.

Technically and legal is no match against a carriers rules...

If they say no blades on your person whilst you fly with them then you've one of 2 choices... bin it or kiss goodbye to your flight

[sandbender]

I've done it myself, changed my mind about which jacket to take on the flight just before I left home, reached into my pocket while standing in the security queue to find a nice little Barlow knife.

[Bucephalas]

Gutted.
I had my SAk on me this last year and only realised when I was in the scanner Q. I popped it into my wifes handbag without her knowing and nobody challenged her.

[Wook]

What airports need is someone near the checkpoints with a wee stand selling packing material and offering postage. Then you could mail yourself any prohibited items.

You could probably charge £10 for a jiffy bag and still get takers too.....

[umbracanis]

Same thing happened to me last time I flew, lost a Bear Grylls, Compact Scount from my keyring, which isn't as bad a knifes as it sounds.

[sasquatch]

Must be gutting! I was extremely careful on my last trip home ensuring everything was in my suitcase on my return to avoid this. So worried about the knives I forgot some spent shell casings in my coat pocket. I chucked them in with my change and other small items and fully expected a cavity search. Nothing happened and they came home with me.

I once read about a WWII veteran that was flying a few years back and had his old John Wayne P38 on his dogtags in an American airport. They saw it and insisted he threw it in the bin if he wanted to fly. He had to bin it after all those years to keep everyone safe from his can opener. That must have been a sad day for him after having it all those years! At least a Spyderco can be easily replaced I guess.

[Bodge]

On a trip to Sweden years ago I left my Leatherman Wave on my belt, it was before 9/11 so didn't think it was a problem. It wasn't on the way out to Sweden but had it taken off me on the way back to Blighty. They popped it in a 1 meter long box and sent it in the hold. I had only taken hand luggage on this trip but had to wait in the baggage hall for my wave to arrive. It is so easily done as the clear perspex sharps bin at the check point prove.

[Robbi]

i remember years ago a thread on BB where someone had bought all the contents of those perspex boxes and was selling off the SAKs etc, i wonder if that was true.

[santaman2000]

i remember years ago a thread on BB where someone had bought all the contents of those perspex boxes and was selling off the SAKs etc, i wonder if that was true.

I think the normal procedure over here is to simply trash them. But technically they are confiscated items which means they become the property of the government to do with as they please. You can often get some good deals at government auctions of excess propertry, such as stolen property that was never reclaimed, or property confiscated from drug dealers (autos, cameras, power boats, etc.) So I suppose, why not knives from the airport bin?

[SCOMAN]

I bought 2 Leatherman original tools second hand from Amazon that had apparently been recovered from the airport. No sheaths, they were like brand new £25 - £35 if I remember correctly.

[ged]

I am told that one can put such a thing, duly labelled, into hold luggage on its own. If there is time before the flight of course. My son has mentioned a SAK coming through with the suitcases.

Yup, did that on the way to LA with my Super Swede (years ago, before all this fuss).

They were really bothered by the CO2 cylinder on my life jacket but eventually after I pointed out that there was one under every seat on the 'plane they let me hang onto it...

[Cyclingrelf]

Aaaaargh! Really hard luck - sorry to hear that. I get annoyed with our airport security, ever since I took my penknife through Singapore. They found it, they looked apologetic and explained they would have to remove it from my possession. They put it in an envelope marked with my name and put it in the hold of the plane, so I got it back at my destination. Why can't Britain do that???

[Tiley]

I've lost two SAK Soldiers to my own stupidity at security. I wish that someone would open a little stall, with a Royal Mail post box attached, just next to the security phase in an airport where customers can buy a small jiffy bag and a stamp, put in their 'unacceptable items', address it, pop it in the box and go on holiday, knowing that among the heap of bills on their return would be their favourite piece of kit. You wouldn't end up as rich as Croesus from it but it would make you a bit and, more importantly, earn you mountains of goodwill...

[sandbender]

"...they would have to remove it from my possession. They put it in an envelope marked with my name and put it in the hold of the plane, so I got it back at my destination..."

Flying out of Turkey to Amsterdam a few years back I was stopped by a large group of paramilitary looking policemen at the entrance to the airport and forced to unload all of my packed hold luggage, my Woodlore knife was wrapped up in my sleeping bag, they confiscated this and informed me that I would be able to collect it at my destination. Having seen the movie 'Midnight Express' I wasn't about to argue but was pleasantly surprised to find it waiting for me in the office of baggage reclaim section at Schiphol.

[wingstoo]

Might not get your own back but they have government auctions to sell such items by the bucket load.

http://www.police-auctions.org.uk/index.htm

[Osprey]

Flying form Aberdeen a couple of years ago, on a family holiday to canoe down the Ardeche, security spotted a SAK in my daughters coat pocket. She had taken her coat out of the hold bag at the bus stop as it was raining, and forgot to put it back in her hold bag before bag check-in.
Anyway, as suggested by Woof and Tiley in their posts above, the security staff sold us a jiffy bag so we could post it home. I can't remember the cost, but it was cheaper than a new knife. So it does (or did) happen in the UK !

[sandsnakes]

I fly about once a monnth. I found I had left my tanto folder on the keyring. So threw my keys in a my rucksack with phone, charger, loose change, basically anything metal in the one pocket. Sailed through customs going and coming back. So pretty much its the luck of the draw and possibly wearing a suit helped.

Shame you lost it though.

S

[nige7whit]

I recently had to 'donate' a Gerber Applegate folder (4.5" blade) to airport security.......

OK, it was on the way back from Afghanistan, at Bastion airport. but I had flown with it from the UK, and passed through security at Kandahar with it (in a locked Pelican case) with no problems....

So, I thought about it, queried the fact that it had been in a locked case, not on my person, then with no other choice 'donated' it. Then proceeded to check in my rifle, body armour and helmet......

Actually, it was no great loss, it wasn't that practical a knife, even in Afghanistan ! Sharpened pencils a treat though !

[boatman]

Flying out of Turkey to Amsterdam a few years back I was stopped by a large group of paramilitary looking policemen at the entrance to the airport and forced to unload all of my packed hold luggage, my Woodlore knife was wrapped up in my sleeping bag, they confiscated this and informed me that I would be able to collect it at my destination. Having seen the movie 'Midnight Express' I wasn't about to argue but was pleasantly surprised to find it waiting for me in the office of baggage reclaim section at Schiphol.

Flew back from Turkey this year with a nice sword in my hold luggage. They had the bag opened and admired it and waved it about before handing it back for repacking. Nice chaps.

[demographic]

I have a good mate in the bomb squad who was given several items that had been confiscated at check in in an airport. I assume it was something to do with him liaising with airport security as he's totally straight down the line.
Anyway...

I'd just like to say that the Leatherman Fuse someone else paid for and I now own is ace, thanks very much, whoever paid for it

[norca]

i had a leatherman micro on me keys and was told to go to over sized parcels when we got to the us we were looking for the smallest box on the cara it was ok in the luggage but not were i could use it on the plane like pocket or hand luggage

[Bigfoot]

Might not get your own back but they have government auctions to sell such items by the bucket load.

http://www.police-auctions.org.uk/index.htm

Is that site kosher? Looks iffy to me.

[Kwaidan]

Flying out from Gatwick a few tears ago security found a cheap pen knife I'd left in my rucksack. They did offer to take my details and post it back to me (for a charge) but I didn't bother.
So I thought that was the norm. Maybe no more?

[MartinK9]

I had a bungee taken at John Lenon airport - probably used it to catapult Ryan Air planes up the runway....



I'm not bitter, honest........

[Silverclaws]

Beware wallet tools, they go as well as it is too easy to forget they are there, oh and taking business flights somewhere as a normal traveller makes one the perfect target for hassle at the departure gate. Trying to explain that if someone is going to cause a problem in flight, the likelihood is they would dress to blend in, just means in the UK you get even more hassle for being aware of security, only the UK though as it seems other countries employ something called common sense. But this seems to be something Britain is good at, the jobs worth scenario where sense flies happily out the window. One thing I have discovered with British gate security, is complain, say anything other than making noises of co operation and they will single you out for as much hassle as they can give, as it seems they like to display their power and will do so on the innocent with impunity. But try explaining whilst they give you hassle they miss the covert just means you get more.

[ged]

Might not get your own back but they have government auctions to sell such items by the bucket load.

http://www.police-auctions.org.uk/index.htm

Is that site kosher? Looks iffy to me.

I'm definitely suspicious:

http://webwhois.nic.uk/cgi-bin/webwh...OIS+Submit.y=0

but then I'm always suspicious of '.org' domains which appear to be run along commercial lines.