Ever been hastled by airport security for your carry-on lights/batteries?

[bullfrog]

Flying out to Wisconsin for the a wedding and found myself trying to carefully select which lights I bring with me for carry-on....

I'm worried that some might get me hassled - the E2DL is definitely a no go. Definitely bringing my Ra Twisty and probably my C2 with M60 and SW02 (there is an open field in Wisco that is begging for the throw) :twothumbs. I'm also bringing a glo-toob lithium and 4 extra CR123s in my carry-on. Hope I don't have any issues...
Definitely not putting any lights in checked baggage - just don't trust it.

So just wondering: have any of you ever had lights taken away or had to deal with security when flying?

 

[Marduke]

The short answer is no, airport security has no grounds for taking any light short of the overly aggressive strike bezels. There are a few regulations for lithium primary cells.

The long story is contained in at least half a dozen existing threads on the topic. The search function is your friend....

 

[kelmo]

I fly with my E2D or 6PDL quite alot in my carry-on with no problems. I fly about 16 times a year domestically. I was only stopped once, the TSA screener thought my SC1 looked like a speed loader.

I have never had any trouble with my checked luggage.

YMMV

 

[CostcoAAcells]

No. I haven't had any hassle with my lights. At the most, they would swab my flashlights for explosives detection.

 

[MicroE]

I fly all the time and I have never been hassled by security for my lights. I have flown internationally with my E2DL and there has never been a question.

 

[nerdgineer]

Nope, never, and I carry several lights, but nothing bigger than a 1xAA.

 

[James Hamon]

talked to a friend in TSA cr123 are perfectly fine for flights the only batteries you cant take are batteries like car batteries which he says people try to take on more often than youd think.

 

[Paladin]

During a recent trip my Fenix L2P produced no attention, but the plastic 4AA holder was visually inspected. Guess it looked unusual on the xray scanner. I won't travel with anything I would hate to lose.

Paladin

 

[GPB]

I usually have 3 walkie talkies, 2 flashlights, and a gps in my carry on, and I never get any questions about it. I have had a number of friends who have lost digital cameras in their checked luggage. I would definately NOT put anything of value in your checked luggage.

 

[Wyeast]

I know I mentioned this before, but a friend of mine had her River Rock 1AA confiscated by security flying into Belgium. :shakehead

 

[bullfrog]

Nice to read all the responses! Well I landed in milwaukee and am sitting here waiting for a puddle jumper to green bay - is it a true sign of flashaholism that I check the forums from my bberry?

I didn't even get a second look from security with my lights and batteries. I guess I'm just paranoid!

However, should be interesting on the return out of green bay as they have always been much much more strict - they took away my little swiss army keychain thing while all the others looked past it...

 

[PhantomPhoton]

Yes. Well, hassled, no but stopped in the line and questioned yes.
A years back leaving SeaTac I had to take out every "electronic" device and they made sure every light functioned and had me remove all the cells so that they could look into the spaces in there. I think this was in 2001 but I don't really remember.
Last year I did EDC on the plane with my Gatlight Tuxedo. I'd always take it out of the holster and place it atop my jacket. Never had a problem leaving SeaTac or Portland with it but I did get stopped leaving Oklahoma City if memory serves. They asked what was and I told them it was a $300 titanium and carbon fiber flashlight. Yeah I got a kind of blank stare of disbeleif on that one. So I had to instruct the TSA officer on how to turn it on (good thing they didn't ask about the Liteflux 5 on my keychain!)

That's aobut it. I've been the lucky guy before selected for extra precautions and thus I've had everything wiped down and scanned including lights but that was never a problem due to lights, I just got the lucky random screening I'm told. (I'm a fair haired blue eyed Scandahoovian so it wans't any profiling that I'm aware of btw)

Anyway yes I have had eyebrows about lights before but it has never been a hassle. So far no problems with spare cells in carry-on. You'd be surprised at what that security theater does let me carry on though after they've made me dump my waterbottle and surrender my grape juice.

 

[climberkid]

I am PHX right now actually. They look at me funny at the security checkpoint because of all the flashlights i carry. they came in handy today though. the lights on the plane went out so i took out my D10 and my L2D and lit up the entire plane until they came back on. granted it was on the ground already but people still were scared.

 

[LumenMan]

I am PHX right now actually. They look at me funny at the security checkpoint because of all the flashlights i carry. they came in handy today though. the lights on the plane went out so i took out my D10 and my L2D and lit up the entire plane until they came back on. granted it was on the ground already but people still were scared.

Alright ! A flashaholic to the rescue !! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[king2penn]

I am PHX right now actually. They look at me funny at the security checkpoint because of all the flashlights i carry. they came in handy today though. the lights on the plane went out so i took out my D10 and my L2D and lit up the entire plane until they came back on. granted it was on the ground already but people still were scared.

So i guess its ok to bring my fenix L2D and P2D on board then? i might become a hero in an emergency :candle:

 

[southernlites]

Had a Pak-lite and an Eternalight side by side in my carry-on and was given "special" screening at DFW. I guess the Eternalight does look strange under the scanner cuz it does not look like any other typical light they might see on a daily basis.

 

[Illum]

I won't travel with anything I would hate to lose.

+1
I'll be traveling early December flying international lines
Instead of the original proposed take-on consisting
A2 Aviator
Fenix L0D-CE Q4
Inova X5
E2L [Single stage CREE]
Muyshondt Aeon

its going to be
A2 Aviator
Fenix E01-BK
Gerber Trio 3LED
SL PP 4AA Lux
Pak-lite basic

this year

 

[BriHall]

The only incident I've ever heard of was someone told me they weren't allowed to carry-on their mini-mag by "security". I have no idea why not.

Bri

 

[knightrider]

I fly with my E2D or 6PDL quite alot in my carry-on with no problems. I fly about 16 times a year domestically. I was only stopped once, the TSA screener thought my SC1 looked like a speed loader.

I have never had any trouble with my checked luggage.

YMMV

Same thing happened to me! Those SC1 and SC2s really do look like speed loaders or a revolver cylinder under their xray machines. I think I've had to have them check out my battery stash on 2 different trips in the past.

I'd be careful of really long lights that could be classified as batons. Don't want to have to leave it with them. Yeah - leave that E2DL at home for sure! Have a fun trip, Wisconsin rules - it's the coolest state with the coolest people in the US (imho ---- :wave

 

[BSBG]

As mentioned earlier, there are a few threads that beat this to death. I fly 50-75,000 miles a year, never a raised eybrow over an L1, E2D or A2, sometimes all three :devil:.

And this includes "security conscious" airports such as Heathrow, Newark and LAX.