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Mule vs. Airport Security...

LEDBE
Chronos

Chronos

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
1,757
Location
Tampa, FL
Today I had a flight from Dulles to Portland, Maine. Since it was a day trip I only took along a laptop/laptop case, GPS, PDA/phone, and my Ti mule. On the return trip from Portland I noticed the Xray scanner tech discussing my items on the xray belt. One said to the other "I think it is a flashlight, what do you think...?"

Oh no...

So after a few moments of discussion they ask another security guard to search my suede sport coat. A very nice guy- they all were. I said "the light is in the side pocket clipped to an internal pocket." He smiled, said "yep, I felt its weight when I picked up your jacket." He took it out and admired it. He asked what it was made of, and I informed him it is titanium. He then took it over the the first xray tech who admired it and said "oh, yeah, that's custom. Nice light. I've seen one of these before." He handed me the light back and we chatted a bit more, then I moved on to my gate.

So who in the Portland, Maine area has another Ti McGizmo??? :):tinfoil:
 
The Mule is already traveling ! It should get a bag of peanuts
 
My PD-S attracted the same level of attention at San Francisco International airport. When I saw the TSA guy examining it, I said "You twist the head to turn it on" he mumbled "I knew it's a flashlight" (yeah, right!) and then proceeded to turn it on.

It obviously came on at low, and he seemed a little disappointed. I told him the batteries were low. :rolleyes:
 
Brings back memories of discussions I had with security at Schipol airport in Amsterdam whilst bringing back a high cap clip for my HK USP45... :green:

The wife will never let me forget that one, they ultimately stopped just short of making us bend over and cough... :ohgeez:
 
ROLF!

Yep, I figured the TSA dude was full of mule-dung. ;) In all of my travels around the globe, this is the FIRST time I've ever been stopped for a light. Funny how security-conscious Dulles is, and no problems, but in little old Portland I get special attention.:thinking: Hey Eric, my father-in-law and I found a box of high-cap 45 (1911) magazines in a box hidden in another corner of his basement. I hope to stick one in my Colt 70 Gold Cup for grins. ;)

Man, I really like this lil' mule! Its beam is about perfect for an edc. Plus I can't get it out of my seven year old son's hands most of the time.
 
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Upon entering a prison I often ecounter questions about the "stuff" in my suitcase ... :D

The Mule is perfect indoors, better than any hot spotted light ... but outside it can't fight against weak light pollution. WHich excludes it from EDC rotation, but which means lantern duty :devil:

bernie
 
bernie,

Same thing happens to me every time I enter a prison. However, they do tend to take good care of my personal items until I'm released, and even provide me a hand-signed receipt! ;)

A side-note: I noticed a great way to add a collar to the lil' mule... I had a spare aluminum Leefring for Surefire C-P-M lights. If one unscrews the lil' mule's head (the most technically challenging part of this mod... I managed to make it through unscathed) and places the Leefring upon the threads and reattaches the head, presto- rotating lanyard ring! Even with the lil' mule's head fully tightened, the Leefring rotates smoothly. And as it is Al I can only assume that the stunning Ti bodywork remains unscathed.

:thumbsup:
 
Chronos said:
Funny how security-conscious Dulles is, and no problems, but in little old Portland I get special attention.:thinking:
Click to expand...

I flew to Portland a few months after 9/11 and had the same feelings, there were special forces looking dudes all over the place with M4s at the ready. I asked the company I was visiting about it and they told me that Portland was one of the airports that the suspected 9/11 hijackers started at (initially got through security at) and they seem to be making sure that they don't have that happen again...
 
schiesz said:
I flew to Portland a few months after 9/11 and had the same feelings, there were special forces looking dudes all over the place with M4s at the ready. I asked the company I was visiting about it and they told me that Portland was one of the airports that the suspected 9/11 hijackers started at (initially got through security at) and they seem to be making sure that they don't have that happen again...
Click to expand...
Aaaah, of course! :ohgeez:
 
Man, I need to get me a night job at the FSA.

"Sorry sir I will have to be confiscating this obviously dangerous device. On your way now..."
 
I've posted this in probably 3 threads before but still cannot believe I bought an SF M6 CB ay Dulles Airport even though I couldn't carry on water.
 
Hodsta said:
I've posted this in probably 3 threads before but still cannot believe I bought an SF M6 CB ay Dulles Airport even though I couldn't carry on water.
Click to expand...
LOL I bought a SF M2, spare cells, beamshapers, and assorted accessories at (probably) the same store and flew to/from Dulles without any questions...
 
EricMack said:
they ultimately stopped just short of making us bend over and cough... :ohgeez:
Click to expand...

They were probably hoping that the flashlight you were smuggling would shoot out:eek:

The TSA inspectors in Miami routinely pick up my Ti PD-S and look it over. On occasion, they will take a peek at my spare RCR123.
 
I had a run-in with TSA in Midway, Chicago. I was transfering planes to get out into the boonies for some camping. They put my bag with a Surefire 8AX and an extra battery stick thru and all the lights and bells went off. They asked me if it was military, I said "the military use them, its a flashlight" Well that was enough for them to swab it for explosive residue and xray it. In the end they handed it over and I made the connecting flight. They just couldn't understand why I needed it to go camping. Funny thing was JFK didn't give a hoot about it when I got on the first plane.
This light just has a habit of attracting the wrong attention. I acidentially flagged down a squad car on 7th Ave in Manhattan. And I wasn't even on the street I was on the 3rd floor of the building I work in checking an empty unlit space for open windows. As they drove by they saw what they though was a burglar. Good thing the lobby radioed me the fuzz was coming up to the 3rd floor looking for a man with a flashlight. Its more fun meeting them in a lit hallway than a dark place. It could have gotten ugly if my much brighter "military" light blinded the 3 of them and their 3 cell maglites. :twak:

Sorry its not a McGizmo story someday I'd like to get a S27 and see what the NYPD make of it :naughty:
 
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