Soft Weights Confiscated by Airline?

[terrylowe]

ALWAYS PRINT OUT THE TSA REGULATIONS AND TAKE THEM WITH YOU... stand up to them, too. that can be "used as a weapon" verbage is just like a police officer using, "you fit the description of someone we are investigating." i had to call a supervisor once because they wouldn't let me take a pony bottle onboard. sometimes i think those guys do that so they can divvy up their collections of "banned" items at the end of the day. if you have the printed documents from the tsa website and they don't let you on with it, you'll have to decide if you stand your ground and let it go, or stand your ground and not get on the plane until you get your way... i guess it is going to depend on how important it is for you.

for me, the planning, the money, the time, the training, and all that went into a trip for someone to make something up -- which is usually what they are doing... just to show off to others or prove a point is not enough for me to give up my gear or alter my trip.

--c

I travel to Little Cayman and stay at Head O' Bay there. There are plenty of dive weights that I could borrow, but my family and I decided to bring some extra weight down there and just leave them for the next guests. Since our checked bags were maxed out, my wife, kids and I each stuck a couple of weights in our carry-on's.

In New Orleans, when the TSA agents decided to not allow them in our carry-on, I asked to speak to a supervisor. This giant of a guy came out and greeted me with a handshake and politely worked to solve the problem. He escorted me back to the check in desk were we checked in one of our carry-on's with all of our dive weights in it (the airline decided to not charge for the extra bag...did I mention the TSA guy was big?) He escorted be back to my gate .... didn't have to wait in any lines that time. Problem solved. Customer happy. If I haul more weight down there in the future, it will go in the checked bags first time.

 

[Krazytomdiver]

I was pulled out of the security line (3) times in Japan coming back from (6) months dive guiding in Palau. Something about my regs they did not like plus my save-a-dive WP box was in question. All went well except it was very time consuming for none of the agents communicated with each other. Now I check my all my dive gear except computers & camera. No problem this time with Korean A/L especially when my bags were ten lbs overweight.....Finally a darn break in traveling! Happy Customer! Diving Cebu for six months & loving it.

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[drdaddy]

No Hassles in flying. And I always carry TSA regulations (which includes Scuba gear, including tanks) with me.

I always carry-on my regs, mask, and computers/compass. Last summer I flew USA to Canada to Japan. No problem until the domestic Japanese flight. The x-rayer knew exactly what they were and admonished a security person/girl who questioned my carrying them. He really embarrassed her.

I just got back from diving Monterey with Ashley/Dive Buddy who lives down in California. I had my wife get me to the airport an extra hour early because I knew they would search my carry-on - I had two regs (one for pony), 3 computers, and 2 compasses. The x-rayer (both ways) didn't even blink an eye! I never got searched. But I was really careful, before my flights to remove my little (very sharp) knife that attached to my reg hose and put it in check-in. I did not try to take 19cf pony in carry-on, but TSA regs say I could. Had a TSA tag in my wet BCD bag (which had a 3lb soft weight in it).

Numerous trips to and from Israel - no hassles. Except once when my smart a** son gave a power hungry security witch a hard time. Our carry-on was immediately transferred to check-in. Thank goodness this was on the way to Israel - security/baggage is so secure - I did not worry about theft to Israel. This was the only time I had any problems, and really it was payback to show my son who was boss.

 

[Nemrod]

We voted in all the people who appointed all the people who hired all the people to tell us what to do so that we can all be warm, safe and fuzzy feeling and all good inside. Now we cattle are all upset that "The Man" is poking us with his cattle prod and all we do is go MOO, MOO, MOO.

We should be rioting in the streets, turning cars over and lighting s-----t on fire, but, hey, I am just an aging hippie looking for one last stand, my Alamo.

Why are you carrying weights on a dam--g airplane anyways?

N

 

[samtihen]

Airline security always has a minor fit when I bring my big underwater camera and strobe. There is no way I could put it in checked bagged, so thankfully no serious issues yet!

 

[Airleron]

I'm taking a vintage reg with me to Coz in 2 weeks, and I can't wait to see what they think of that. No way I'm checking it either. I'm expecting an anal cavity search......

 

[bchurch52]

Just came back from Varadero, Cuba. Got called back to the customs counter because they wanted to look at my 2 lb ankle weights in my checked dive bag. Asked what kind of metal was in them, gave them a squeeze, and then put them back in the bag. I guess they didn't like the solid look on the x-ray.

 

[Rogersea]

I would never bring weight with me when I travel. Not even soft weights, as they just consume to much of my baggage allowance. Fortunately I have never had an issue with the TSA folks although I usually spend several minutes waiting as they wipe down my Video Housing for "explosive residues".. I have learned to build the time into my schedule..

Cheers

 

[Levigarrett]

At the moment I am not that keen to visit the US, and the main reason is the hassles of traveling in by air. The rules for customs and immigration, plus the TSA, make the US less enticing to visit. At the moment my partner and I would prefer to try countries that are not so heavy handed with their "security"

Be sure to scratch the UK off your list of travel destinations then. I cross the Atlantic once a week and deal with airport security as a part of my weekly routine. I assure you that nothing can compare to the goat rope that takes place at Heathrow. The TSA is nothing shy of courteous and helpful compared to the average UK checkpoint. The same goes for Birmingham and Manchester. Stick with Mexico and the Caribbean, I'd call it relatively slack there by comparison.

I generally never have issues with security and I encounter them a great deal. A little preparation goes a very long way.

 

[redacted]

Funny thing is to someone that's been trained anything can be a weapon. I can do some serious damage with my belt (strangle), ink pens (stab), a very tightly rolled newspaper (stab or jab an eye out), grandma's cane ( bludgeon), or my keys (rip a throat out). But I can carry all of these on. TSA is a joke just as is any gov't security agency..

Jim - I think you forgot to mention a keyboard with internet correction.