Taken from a travel industry newsletter:

DRIVERS of Audi vehicles are
advised to leave their car keys at
home if they’re travelling in the
US, after a passenger at Dallas
Fort Worth had his Audi key
confiscated as a “prohibited item”.
The new-style keys are designed
to minimise damage to the user’s
pockets, with a button press
releasing the shaft of the key
when it’s needed to start the car.
The screeners took the key
because of its “switchblade style”,
and its owner had to pay US$300
to get a duplicate from the dealer.

This sounds a lot like the current Mazda key.

 

doesn't sound like mine... i got the cheap looking key

 

What is the world we are living in now... if I happens to me I will pay thousands to sue those bastards.

 

That's the 05 keys, just leave it extended I guess before going through customs, that's so stupid what difference does it make if a key was dangerous, and it can be, if it was a regular key versus a 'switchblade' one it would be just as dangerous.

I think before screening passengers they need to screen the IQ levels of the screeners!

More of the story here I guess:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442853

 

But if they have IQ over 80, they will realize there are better jobs out there rather than screening.

 

hahahahahaha sick call

 

Oh FFS! I travelled through the US last year with two frickin' laptops, and got used to stripping down almost to my jocks (not a pretty sight) each time I came to an airport security screen... and missed one connection even though I arrived 90 minutes before...

The funny thing is you can still carry glass items (eg, high proof/flammable alcohols).

One day, I'll write up the story one of my American mates told me. He's an FBI reservist and gets called back every now and then, in which case he gets to carry a firearm on a plane, after a rather rigorous check-in process. Despite this, and carrying in effect a notice given to the screeners saying "I am carrying a loaded firearm" he still had his nail clippers confiscated :p :D

 

ROFLO :D

Oh... I think nail clipper is lethal and the pistol will only bruise you :p

 

Meanwhile, boogie board bags full of dope and various stashes of coke and heroin are transported by some of the many known criminals working in our airports - as John Winston would say: "Hello, hello!!"

 

Timbo,

You hit it square on, it's like getting into some exclusive club but worse!!!
Sri Lanka's weirder, same in Manila, they pat you down by hand "very!" thoroughly! (U usually have to pay extra for that:D )

Mike

 

That is the way Mercedes keys work, and it is the way they always have worked.

Seems this Home Land security issue is getting as little out of hand.
I have found that things like utility tools, keys and other such items, if they are placed in check baggage then there is no problem on the planes. If you forget to put in the checked bag, put those no no items in an airport locker and pick them up when you get back.

Just a suggestion

 

What a classic story! :D

I just told my wife, who thought it was hilarious. She carries a very small minature screwdriver to tighten up the tiny screws in her spectacle frames which have a habit of working loose and falling out occasionally. And of course, they confiscated that when she flew to the East.

Obviously the possibility of a sedate middle aged woman suddenly going beserk and attempting to unscrew the wings with a minute screwdriver was too horrific to contemplate... :o

 

Actually there is potentially a darker side to this story..

1. The person handed over the keys to their car to the screeners
2. The person also handed over identification including a home address
3. The screener could have the car keys AND that person's address
4. The car is expensive

 

The whole airport security thing errks me. It's so inconsistent.

 

...and haven't we just been told that the likelihood or airport staff having a criminal record is greater than for the general population...

 

I got this at Canberra Airport about 2 months ago!. Told them they could confiscate it off me when they could prove it was a weapon! They showed me how they could stab with it...Asked them for their keys, showed them the same stabbing motion...I still have mine:-D

Andrew

 

haha. nice stuff andrew.

Any car key could be used for stabbing. Holding it just right can make it a stabbing weapon. It's more of the switchblade look I guess, but that's ridiculous. It's just a key. In that case, they mind as well tell you not to bring keys to the airport.

 

My rx8 key and keybuttonalarmopenandclosedoorsandboot thingo have had no dramas at airports, but I always get pulled aside by the metal detecting fascists because of the solid metal "city mazda valued customer if you find these keys then please return to blah blah" key ring attachment they gave me when I got the car. I think they think it is a very blunt very short butter knife or something.

 

I assume you can take a good weight ball peen hammer onboard.....!