Customs madness and 'dangerous objects'

[Cyril Haearn]

I understood that customs employees were trained to spot suspicious individuals by their behaviour

[Cunobelin]

I got caught in the Magistrates Court!

Prior to Jury Service, I simply cleared everything out to make sure I was clear.

First morning, the Security Guy picks up my keys and indicates.....



4 cm blade, and it was confiscated.I then had to write to recover it.

It was simply part of my keys, I never even noticed it

[mercalia]

I was arrested once at Stockholm Arlanda airport for having a laser pointer without a license.

and?

[MrsHJ]

I really don't get this. I haven't been through with my bike since 2014 (no screening, travelled with the kids and loaded with the cars) but obviously like all the cars I have cooking gear and tools etc. Have they changed the way that bikes access the ferry now or introduced extra screening for vehicle passengers?

[tatanab]

Have they changed the way that bikes access the ferry now or introduced extra screening for vehicle passengers?

I tend to travel on Britanny Ferries out of Portsmouth. There is the screening area just after you leave the holding arear and enter the dock proper. I have seen random cars pulled over. For the last 2 years I've been pulled over on my pedal cycle, they assess my bags and ask about knives etc. Each time I have told them about the Swiss Army knife in my tool kit and they have scanned that bag. No problems and no confiscation. Yes, there is a big tub full of confiscated knives, generally fairly large fixed blade knives.

[simonhill]

I've set up a new post just to report good and bad experiences of ferry security. viewtopic.php?f=16&t=122907

[brooksby]

I appreciate its waaay OT, but I once got stopped on my commute. There was a NATO conference in Newport, South Wales, and senior hobgoblins were going to be driving on the M5 motorway bridge at Avonmouth. Two very bored looking police in black SWAT-style uniforms were waiting on the cycle path before you actually get onto the bridge, stopping everyone going past on a bike and making them empty out bags, panniers, etc, "to make sure you're not carrying anything that could affect the fabric of the bridge". Next to us, cars and lorries roared past unsearched, each with their big tank of petrol/diesel...

[crazydave789]

not long after the knife law nonsense came to pass I stood chatting to some coppers in the Queue for a kebab. tongue in check I referred to their lawbreaking by their open carry of their issue Gerber Multitools and how effective they are at subduing assailants.

I've carried gerbers leathermans and swisstools everyday for 30 years and a pocket knife since I was 7, I can't help wonder at the endless virtue signalling drudgery we have to endure and its actual effect for 70 years more people are killed with hammers than knives (except in modern london it seems) even the SAS use hammers in Afghanistan according to one of todays papers.

[PJ520]

it's all a bit rough on anyone who hasn't a pasty hue. One day my mate and I were riding along the Mexico-US border and went through an immigration checkpoint. "You guys US citizens?" they asked. "Yup" we both replied and rolled on through even without stopping. My mate was actually a French Canadian who hadn't bothered getting US citizenship.

Now the objects thing. I was going to Ireland with some mates who were going scuba diving there; me to do some riding around. They were not allowed to take scuba cylinders on the boat. One of the lads got quite exercised about that trying to argue how safe they were until it was pointed out to him any more strop and he wouldn't be allowed on the boat. So remember, no matter how daft it seems it's their call and if they don't like the look of your jam butty then the butty has to go.

[Slowroad]

So remember, no matter how daft it seems it's their call and if they don't like the look of your jam butty then the butty has to go.

I was really rather upset when a pot of lingonberry jam was confiscated from me on the way back from Oslo. It was for my dad, who can't fly abroad any more. You just don't think that jam is one of the liquids, gels, etc which you're not allowed to take on planes.
(Sorry about the diversion from the subject!)

[simonhill]

Well, despite all these stringent new security checks, no one has actually had anything taken off them when boarding a ferry.

I thought there was going to be an avalanche of disgruntled cycle tourists. So far it seems like nothing to worry about.

Hopefully my crossing in a couple of weeks will be uneventful.

[crazydave789]

if they don't like the look of your jam butty then the butty has to go.

in Paderborn they were more interested in the flask cup full of tea that I had for the wait than the contents of my bags, I had a four hour wait for the plane and they hand out boiling hot tea on the flight so the flask was more of a weapon than the contents.

that day I decided to test what a friend suggested. they don't allow knives on a plane in hand baggage but put a steel ruler in a pencil case plus a diamond sharpener and they have no idea what to look for.

the whole thing is a nonsense, I can break up any mobile phone and make at least 3 weapons out of it. not to mention stuff around your seat.

[whoof]

The home office web site even says carrying a locking blade knife is acceptable for example when needing to prepare food when backpacking which in my mind equates to cycle touring off the beaten track.

Do you have a link to this page. It might be useful (or probably not) if challenged. The only one I can find (Police and Gov.UK) give the following examples for 'good reasons' for carrying a knife.

Examples of good reasons to carry a knife in public can include:
taking knives you use at work to and from work
taking knives to a gallery or museum to be exhibited
the knife is going to be used for theatre, film, television, historical reenactment or religious purposes, e.g. the kirpan some Sikhs carry

https://www.police.uk/crime-prevention- ... f-weapons/

https://www.gov.uk/buying-carrying-knives

[Bmblbzzz]

As I understand it, under UK regulations, a penknife with a blade under 3" is actually allowed so in theory a Swiss Army knife is okay as is a standard nail file. However this does not seem to have filtered down to the blatant thieves at UK airports.

That's the UK law about carrying knives in public places. Regulations at ferry ports and airports are separate, and largely down to the ferry and airline operators.

[Psamathe]

Well, despite all these stringent new security checks, no one has actually had anything taken off them when boarding a ferry.....

Not a ferry but an airport (and security not customs) but I used to have a shackle attached to my camera bag (shackle as boat shackle as photo below) and airport security confiscated it on the basis it could be used as a weapon. I questioned this and they explained it could be slipped over one finger and used as a knuckle duster. Tours airport 2004. Good job I wasn't carrying a fountain pen or .....


Ian