Both of these times were carried on, not checked.

Pre 911 - 2 full sized pocket knives - I was 8 years old, and they let me walk past the metal detectors. I forgot I had them in my pocket. I distinctly remember showing my dad on the plane, and him quickly telling me to put them away.

Post 911 - A 14 foot long string hammock from Guatemala. Enough strong cord to... well.. do a lot of stuff. Interestingly enough they made me take the cord wrapping it up off because "It could be used as a strangulation device"... as if I couldn't have used any one of the 1000 strings that made it up.

second time I got a full search including the typical crotch grope...

Carrying court reporting equipment into and out of various countries in W. Europe during the 80's used to get me special attention. The worst was in Athens when I was held at gun point while I explained what everything was and that I was not trying to smuggle equipment into the country. There's no mistaking the sound of an Uzi bolt falling into place.

When I was about 12 my folks took me on a trip to England. I was into bug collecting at the time, and I brought a jar with several live caterpillars back in my carry-on. This was the early 70's and no-one even looked in my bag.

Two Tyco HO race track sets in garmet bags, from Seattle to Panama City, FL.

Back in the early 80's, not long out of college, my buddies and I came to the conclusion that the coolest toy ever in the Sears Christmas Wishbook was the slot car set with so much track that you couldn't hardly follow it with your finger.

We promptly ordered one from Sears. It never arrived.

A few months later, I was working a job in Seattle and stumbled on a Toys 'R Us, which was a very new concept. I went in the store and found an entire isle of slot car tracks, cars and accessories.
I made a call back to a bud to get the green light and bought two of the biggest sets they had, along with a few additional cars, banked track etc.

I set it up in my hotel room and had a blast for the remainder of my trip.

The two boxes fit in my garmet bag but ripped the crap out of it my the time I got home. It was worth it! We had a blast with that track.

I still have it somewhere.

I was going through security pre-9/11 at Newark airport. There was this obesse woman in front of me. Her carry on consisted of a box of cake mix.
It set off the metal detector. The $5 an hour 20 year old rent-a-cops/rental car reps let her right through. I always think of this when people whinge about TSA or claim that the govt never does a better job at anything.

A year after 9/11 I was in Rome where I received an engraved folding knife with a 6" blade as prize for a bike race. I then traveled to Spain on widebody jet and then on a prop plane to the Balearics with that knife in my bag. Not one person stopped me or questioned it. I think one cop even complimented the craftsmanship.

My daughter just took two Thoroughbred horses from JFK to Amsterdam on a 747

My father use to take Western horse saddles from US to Spain as carry on. He had a friend there that had horses and it was much cheaper to have my father buy saddles in US and bring them. It would pay for my father's plane ticket

Pre-911 I use to carry a leatherman in my laptop bag carry on, for consulting gigs. I was flying every week, out on Monday back on Friday. Never did anyone ever question it

Did they get their own aisle?


they don't look to happy when they're in steerage class

http://www.euroquestfarms.com/images...ppinghorse.jpg

That's it
They used their miles to upgrade to 1st class.
Feel sorry for the person that has to clean(Muck) those lavatories

Ok, you win. Makes flying with my cats (the kind that meow) or a muffler chump change!

I was working for a millionare at the time...300k in a plastic bag from Ralphs on a private jet.

I bought my Porsche Roof Transport (RTS) system while on a trip (they don't turn up used very often) and flew it back with me. The baggage guys actually lost it, and then found it again in Rhode Island about a day later. Apparently, it is easy to find metal bars jammed into a bright yellow ski bag, wrapped with a lot of duct tape.

Not really weird, but recently (this past christmas) I forgot I had a metal six shooter cap gun in my carry one. It went over real well. You know it will be bad when every TSA dude around starts to converge on you.