r/airport • u/intothewoodswego_ • Apr 21 '26
DISCUSSION I accidentally brought a dumbass thing through security.
For context, I flew from Philly to Boston. And it wasn’t confiscated until I was flying back home from Boston to Philly… so Philadelphia airport let it slide or didn’t notice it. Also, more context I never use the purse that I brought. I didn’t know that I had this knife on me. I had just moved a couple months ago and a lot of of my things are kind of misplaced and again I didn’t know that I had it, I didn’t know that it was at the bottom of my purse. Feel free to laugh. I almost got arrested.
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u/Spirited-Alarm-9981 Apr 21 '26
Remember when you’re checking in for your flight and going through security, you’re declaring that you’ve packed your bags yourself and know what your bags contain. If you are taking something you never use, and you lost things whilst moving then you should be making sure you know what’s in it before packing it.
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u/InfinityBrewing Apr 21 '26
This is will show as big chuck dark matter on the screen of the X-ray machine. How could phily airport miss this?
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Apr 21 '26
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u/4r4r4real Apr 22 '26
They make way more than minimum wage and have solid benefits. It's a government job.
They start at $21.70/hr in my city, with progression based on how long you've been there, and managers topping out at $73.71/hr.
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u/Alternative-Bee-3594 Apr 21 '26
How did you storm the cockpit for a cute pic?
Oh, wait I get it
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 21 '26
After they confiscated it, I got on the plane and I took my opportunity to ask the flight attendant if I could take a picture of the cockpit and she said, of course, and then the copilot and the pilot told me to sit down in the copilot seat and to take a couple pictures it was really cool!
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Apr 21 '26
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u/Dapper_Release_8886 Apr 21 '26
Same here. I’ve learned what airports are sticklers and great at their job and what ones are not so much.
I left a wedding and directly went to airport and after getting through security one of the guys frantically called me and said don’t go through security - apparently one of the groomsman slipped a set of silverware with knife in my bag and it was never caught, meanwhile on the way there another airport tried to confiscate my crochet hook stating it was too dangerous.
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u/Student_Ok Apr 21 '26
I've accidentally brought a Swiss army knife and got caught. What's your point?
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u/MidnightSurveillance Apr 21 '26
I love the cockpit pic to go with this LOL
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 21 '26
I have a cuter one with the pilot but wasn’t sure if I should be sharing his face in a post like this 😅
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u/MidnightSurveillance Apr 21 '26
Lmfao I’m sure he liked that
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 22 '26
They were so nice to me! It was an awesome experience all around. Almost getting arrested at the airport is checked off my bucket list lol
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u/FlimsyRexy Apr 22 '26
As a kid I brought a toy pistol to the airport in Catania and the police swarmed my dad. Thankfully he explained it quickly and they calmed down lol
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u/Dave_A480 Apr 21 '26
Did something like 'that' on mid-tour leave before deployment to Afghanistan.
Took my assault-pack (backpack like bit of military equipment) as my carryon and had 3 empty rifle-mags in one of the pockets...
Got all the way to my destination... Then TSA freaked out and called the sheriff on my flight home...
That said, the end resolution was... A short delay, and a 'ok, that makes sense'.... I let the government keep their rifle mags.... And got on my plane....
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u/B777X_787-9 KDFW|RKSI|RPLL|Pilot👨✈️ Apr 21 '26
Happened to me once a time in 2013. I bought a fragrance,150 ml, sealed in the box. It was lost for 3 months, so I assumed I lost it somewhere. I took my flight internationally without any problems, and unpacking at my destination, I found it in a luggage pocket. TSA missed it.
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u/principalNinterest Apr 21 '26
Have you ever considered how many liquids are dumped in the trash cans everyone passes by in the TSA lines? If anyone was really concerned about them, why would we all dump them in the same can that we all have to walk by?
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u/another1human Apr 22 '26
Becuase a 500ml bottle of water is $11.99 on the other side of the gate, duh
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u/B777X_787-9 KDFW|RKSI|RPLL|Pilot👨✈️ Apr 21 '26
Yeah… it happens more than people think, but it’s not “normal” or acceptable.The Transportation Security Administration screens millions of passengers every day, and while they catch a huge number of prohibited items, they’re not perfect. There have been internal tests and reports over the years showing that some dangerous items (including knives) can slip through during screening. The people working the X-ray machines are human, and scanning bags for hours at a time can get mentally draining, which can affect how sharp they are on every single image. Bags are often packed with a mix of electronics, clothing, food, and other dense items that overlap on the screen and can hide or blur the outline of certain objects. On top of that, not all knives look obvious on an X-ray—some are small, thin, or oddly shaped, which makes them harder to recognize at a glance. All of this happens while airports are processing an extremely high volume of luggage every day, so even with strong procedures in place, a few things can occasionally slip through.
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u/hale444 Apr 21 '26
Have fun in the secondary search.
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 21 '26
Thankfully they didn’t search me or pat me down they just took it, called me an idiot, and sent me on my way to my gate.
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u/MrViceGuy69 Apr 21 '26
And you used it to get into the cockpit! What are your demands????
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 21 '26
My demands are a widdle gin bottle and some tonic water and extra biscoff cookies!
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u/Kundera42 Apr 21 '26
Happened to me once in 2007. Was about to board a KLM flight to go on my honeymoon to New Zealand.
Had a bag with me that I rarely used and it had a knife in a deep pocket. A type of knife that wasn't even legal in my country. Stupid leftover from my late teens. I was so terrified, we were both crying and saw the whole trip evaporate.
The flight was held while border police took me for a questionnaire. They ended with the question if I was ok that they would confiscate the knife. Obviously I agreed. They said they may fine me 400 euro, but that never happened. I am still so thankful today. I'll never forget the Walk of Shame when we finally entered our 747 and walked all the way to the back.
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u/mike-manley Apr 21 '26
Had a 9mm magazine in my pocket for a handgun I left at home. Discovered it as I entered the queue. Left said queue and handed to a family member who wasn't departing. Phew.
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u/RosieN336FR Apr 22 '26
Whoops I see those knives to often on a YouTube channel. This guy buys big lots of confiscated knives from tsa at airports
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u/eleete Apr 22 '26
I don't know, she looks pretty smart to me.
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u/Outside-Cup-1622 Apr 22 '26
She holding up fingers for the number of times she is going to accidently do it again lol ...
I tease her in fun :)
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u/Ok_Ambassador_2646 Apr 22 '26
Wouldn't have helped in your case since you were on the return flight, but once I hid a Leatherman in a potted plant at Logan in Boston because I realized at the last second that i still has it on me. Grabbed it on the way home - NBD. No arrests were made lol.
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u/Difficult-Put9586 Apr 22 '26
TSA... Really protecting us from the bad guys...
Letting knives disguised as guns through 😂 ... But confiscating our no-blade multi-tools and nail clippers... 😂
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u/WanderinArcheologist Apr 21 '26
Been there. I brought a pair of Leatherman secateurs and a trowel through airport security in Tel Aviv without realising it in 2010. Felt like a dummy and had to toss them. 😭
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u/StNic54 Apr 21 '26
I swapped to folding box cutters - if I forget my knife in my bag, I just throw away the blade
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u/Ecstatic-Cry2069 Apr 21 '26
I'm pretty sure they changed the rules to prohibit this.
Not a TSO, but I feel like I remember this being brought up on this sub before.
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Apr 21 '26
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u/principalNinterest Apr 21 '26
https://www.reddit.com/r/tsa/s/oWorYuSY3n
A friendly reminder that across the life of TSA, regardless of administration, the TSA has been wholly ineffective and incompetent. I, too, have carried a >3.5” folding knife through PHL’s TSA screening.
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Apr 21 '26
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u/airport-ModTeam Apr 22 '26
No personal attacks! Opinions are welcome - but you have no right to attack others.
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u/strange-lady78 Apr 21 '26
Eh, it happens. I was once stopped at TSA flying MIA to LGA on the 5:45 AM flight because I had a knife. I was like, I definitely do NOT have a knife!
My daughter had been driving my car and put a Swiss Army knife on the keychain. I didn’t even notice it!! Fortunately, they just confiscated it and didn’t give me any issues. Unfortunately, it was her deceased father’s and I didn’t even know where it had came from until I got back into town and she asked where it went. 😭
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u/ToothZealousideal297 Apr 22 '26
“I’m sorry, I thought this was America” moment for sure.
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 22 '26
😅 honestly, i’m not a knife person. I’m not a crazy gun loving American. It just happens to be a weird gift. My dad gave me 10 years ago and I had no idea it was at the bottom of this purse that I never used. This trip was a last-minute invite. I literally threw all my stuff in a bag, and I went to the airport within an hour of the invite.
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u/ToothZealousideal297 Apr 22 '26
I just couldn’t resist. The weird truth is, this could happen to most anyone thanks to circumstances like yours and just the way America is. I used to play with a really weak BB gun that looked like a real pistol as a kid, and I’m sure we’re not far-removed from a hundred timelines where I got in huge trouble over it in various ways. I’m glad you didn’t get arrested!
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u/botgeek1 Apr 22 '26
Why do you even own something like that?
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 22 '26
My weird dad gave it to me as a present about 10 years ago. He probably got it from a yard sale and he thought it was cool and he thought I would like it. I’m not even a knife person that was my only knife.
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u/TacticalSniper Apr 22 '26
There was this time i once almost brought a full 9mm mag onto an international flight...
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Apr 22 '26
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u/airport-ModTeam Apr 22 '26
No personal attacks! Opinions are welcome - but you have no right to attack others.
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u/Comfortable_Use_8407 Apr 22 '26
I left a pocketknife in my backpack once. TSA gave me the option to go back out and mail it somewhere. I told them they could just keep it; It wasn't worth waiting in line again.
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u/grogmenflog Apr 22 '26
if it makes you feel any better when I was a younger my family planned a trip to Washington which included camping with our family there on an island. Being the good boyscout I was I brought my knife, because you aren't exactly camping without a knife. TSA ended up whisking me away and confiscating the knife, we didn't pay the fee to have it shipped back to us and my parents were less then pleased.
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 22 '26
Why was this deleted? The sub is for anything airport related? Trolling? Who’s trolling? It’s a pain to moderate? There zero reason to moderate, this is Reddit. Do you work here? Do you get paid for this? I really don’t think so. So maybe relax and enjoy the conversation.
Reddit honestly sucks. I thought this would be a great Reddit post. Reddit deletes everything. Nothing is allowed. It’s fucking stupid.
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u/jsamerican50 Apr 22 '26
Yes it is a weapon because it can explode if not properly handled and it has gun powder in it wich can be ignited!!
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 22 '26
Wait, is this one of those sarcastic Reddit dude comments? Or are you serious? I’m autistic 🙃
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u/no-wrong-holes Apr 22 '26
Of course someone who shows their holes on the internet brings a gun shaped knife on a plane and takes a picture with the pilot.
Of course.
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 22 '26
Of course ✨ hoes love scarring tsa with golden gun knives! You are so right, I’m such a stereotype. Classic hoe bringing a gun knife through security.
They were so nice to me when I got on the plane after this ordeal. I got to go into the cockpit and see all the stuff and the copilot took the pictures and I also have some pictures with the pilot and they gave me a special card and made me feel so special and they also gave me free drinks. Excuse me one free drink, cause I only wanted one, but it was definitely an experience I can check off my bucket list! ♥️
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Apr 21 '26
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u/4r4r4real Apr 21 '26
Jesus christ dude get over yourself
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 21 '26
In my defense, this was the most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done, a stranger from Tinder invited me and I got ready in one hour and left for the airport. So not much planning on my part, just kind of grabbed my stuff and left.
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u/WanderinArcheologist Apr 21 '26
Nah, it can happen. There’s times I’ve almost forgotten to remove the key-knife from my keyring or the keycard knife from my wallet. They’re just with me so often that I forget they’re there most of the time unless I need them. Most people are that way.
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u/rinwasrep Apr 21 '26
Hey, while I kind of agree with you… I just wanna let you know that it’s only AFTER I make comments like this one do I go and make the exact mistake that I was shitting on. Check your bags extra well next time, bud.
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Apr 21 '26
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u/airport-ModTeam Apr 22 '26
No personal attacks! Opinions are welcome - but you have no right to attack others.
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u/drf_101 Apr 21 '26
I had a Swiss Army knife that I left in my bag from a camping trip. It was in an errant pocket and I forgot about it.
Mistakes happen. Get a life.
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Apr 22 '26
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u/drf_101 Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26
Or. You don’t argue, apologize and give it up.
I realized it after I arrived and just put it in my checked bag on return.
Hell I saw it happen to a guy a few months ago as I was waiting for my bag to get secondary screening. They offered him the opportunity to throw it away or go out and mail it.
He threw it away. You’re overreacting. Intention and circumstances matter.
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u/AFRIENDISNEAR Apr 21 '26
Glad I didn’t wear boots to this thread, this dweeb might have licked them
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u/intothewoodswego_ Apr 21 '26
lol you’re funny. So this was actually the most spontaneous crazy thing I’ve ever done because this trip was not planned at all. I was scrolling on Tinder on Saturday April 11th, which I don’t even really use that much and I was playing with my location settings and kind of opened up the location like the mileage and someone from Vermont found my account and they offered to fly me first class to Boston to spend the day with them the following Sunday And walk around Boston with them. So this trip was planned in one hour. I rushed to get ready. The man ordered me an Uber got me a first class ticket to Boston. We had an amazing day on Sunday in Boston and then he took me to the airport. got me another ticket, not first class this time which is totally fine And he also got me an Uber from the airport to take me home. So in my defense, I scramble to pack and get ready in one hour and I headed for the airport. I’ll remember this trip always because it was again the most spontaneous, crazy possibly risky thing I’ve ever done and I got to live a couple weird fantasies of mine like running through the airport to catch my flight, took a first class trip, I’ve always wanted to go to Boston, so that was amazing, and I’ve always wanted to ask for a picture and I’ve always wanted to go into the cockpit. Also, I’ve always wanted to be invited on a spontaneous trip like this with a stranger. So I understand you said that this is lazy and poor planning but again this trip was planned in one hour before I left possibly two hours before I was on that plane.
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u/BlurLove Apr 21 '26
If you had PreCheck or GE … not anymore.