[pothole]

A replica pistol in my hand luggage. Aged 11. Long story, was not meant to be there, was moving back to the UK from the US and I had this starting pistol thing and my mother's plan was to ask security if there was any way we could take it back. And we all forgot we had it until the alarms went off at the x-ray machine (JFK IIRC).

This was the late 80s and the security guys basically just asked us to get rid of it and my mother found a helpful store assistant in the airport who got rid for us.

Relatively little fuss, we made our plane in plenty of time, nobody died.

Could you imagine the theatre and fuss if that happened now? Zero chance of making your plane, doubt you'd escape security that day and you'd probably be profiled and pulled out for questioning every time you went through security in the US til the end of time.

I do like going back to the US, but the Nazi attitude of the security staff and the bull**************** theatre of fake security at US airports has got to the point where it's getting bad enough I think twice about travelling in and out of the country!