Federal Police confiscated my flashlight

The Federal Police confiscated my flashlight... but i got it back

Last week i went on a holiday to Canberra, Australia's national capital city. My wife and kids did all the touristy things in town one of which was to visit Parliament House, Australia's version of "The White House". It has free entry and we decided to take a tour. It was a very nice tour.

However, upon entry to the building we were required to to walk through a metal detector and to have our belongings x-rayed airport style. I put my wallet, iphone, Klarus ST20 flashlight & keys (with E01) in the bin to be scanned my wife puts her handbag in another bin and it's also scanned. Sure no worries i think and comply, as you would. After we walk through, one of the operators asked me if those were my items and specifically "is that your flashlight?" pointing at the 2xAA Klarus and asks me to step aside. I comply :huh: I'm then given a thorough metal detecting and an explosives swabbing and told the flashlight will be confiscated as they are not allowed in the building. I'm fine with all this, get my flashlight ticket and off we go to enjoy our trip. Upon leaving an hour later my light was returned to me.

I'm fine with all this, i'm glad the feds were proactive and doing their job however it raises some questions from me: in my wallet i had a swiss card (with scissors, knife etc), i had my Fenix E01 on my keys right in front of them and my wife had her 4Sevens Quark tactical 1xAA in her handbag that was x-rayed. So either the police actually weren't very thorough as they missed 2 more lights and a knife and scissors, or my 2xAA light was such a size that caused suspicion, or the fact that i was carrying it on my person instead of in a bag, or that i'm a really shady looking character :tinfoil:

Has anyone else ever had any problems such as this when trying to pocket carry a light? I'm thinking about downsizing to a 1xAA...

cheers

Looks like someone has been taking his/hers job too seriously. I've never heard of a bulding (government, corporate, w/e) where flashlights were not permitted :shakehead :tinfoil:

BTW, how do you pocket-carry Klarus ST20? It's around 160mm, right?

Cheers,

Tam

Don't be ridiculous it's only 158mm

It fits in my jeans front pocket perfectly hidden. Sometimes i clip it in so the clip is visible outside, don't even feel it there.

cheers

Its a good thing you got it back. Here in America when they confiscate something they don't give it back and sell it on ebay. It really pissed me off when I heard that my local airport was involved in doing just that sort of thing. My question is -- what crime could you do with a flashlight??

Flashlight Dave said:

Its a good thing you got it back. Here in America when they confiscate something they don't give it back and sell it on ebay. It really pissed me off when I heard that my local airport was involved in doing just that sort of thing. My question is -- what crime could you do with a flashlight??

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You could break into the cabin and flash the pilot and co-pilot in the eyes, causing them to lose control of the plane. Maybe you could purposely fill it with mismatched cells and use it as a lithium hand grenade of terror! With a strike bezel or even without one, many lights can be deadly weapons in trained hands. I don't imagine being cracked in the skull with any metal flashlight would feel too great. But really though... what a joke... I've had knives and flashlights confiscated from me and never returned by government officials. That's why I don't carry expensive knives or flashlights in situations where that could happen.

My guess would be they were concerned about the volume in the battery tube being large enough to contain enough explosive to be a nuisance. This is a sign of the times in our whacked out world. As for the knife in your wallet, pre-911 I used to fly with one in my wallet all the time. I bet the Aussie Federales figured if you pulled it they would get a live target to practice on.

We should not critisize people who are doing there job. Rules are rules. If grandma gets pulled out of line for extra scrutiny because her number was selected don't complain. Those people will lose their jobs if they don't follow protocol. It's not their fault. Oops, sorry about the rant and getting off topic...

It is nice they have a mechanism to get you your property back!

You also forgot the possibility that they thought it was cool and wanted to play with it while you took your tour.

They were worried about two words "Pipe Bomb". That being said, if someone can go ape poop in Oslo (of all places) then they can start worrying about flashlights. Sad state of affairs.

kelmo said:

We should not critisize people who are doing there job. Rules are rules. If grandma gets pulled out of line for extra scrutiny because her number was selected don't complain. Those people will lose their jobs if they don't follow protocol. It's not their fault. Oops, sorry about the rant and getting off topic...

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I respectfully disagree. I work for the US Federal government and there are employees who abuse their positions. That may be what happened in this case or it could have been an employee simply following the guidelines. But, just because it is their job does not make it right. We should not give up our rights or hold someone less culpable for violating them simply because it's their job. If your job requires you to do something unethical then change jobs. I have actually changed jobs because of a policy that I believed to be unethical. Too many people in positions of authority hide behind the "it's my job" shield rather than have the courage to fight the rules and try to change them or change your employment and stand up for your beliefs outside your old position.

Having said all of that it is likely that they have a volume limitation as do most secure buildings. However, the limits should have been posted before you enter.

I wouldn't worry too much, I have a titanium hip and have had to show the scar on more than one occasion. :shakehead
Norm

kelmo said:

We should not critisize people who are doing there job. Rules are rules. If grandma gets pulled out of line for extra scrutiny because her number was selected don't complain. Those people will lose their jobs if they don't follow protocol. It's not their fault. Oops, sorry about the rant and getting off topic...

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What's sad is you're not joking, are you? We *should* criticize people -and- rules. Question 'Authority'. That's what makes us and our countries strong. It's how America was founded for Heaven sake!

I am not joking. The screeners are carrying out policy they did not make. I totally agree with you as a people it is our right and duty to question authority.

I realize there are always a certain percentage of people who will abuse their authority. My generalization does not include them.

egrep said:

What's sad is you're not joking, are you? We *should* criticize people -and- rules. Question 'Authority'. That's what makes us and our countries strong. It's how America was founded for Heaven sake!

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I agree with this. There is more and more a push to take more rights away instead of really dealing with the real problems with terrorism by holding the country of origin accountable. In NYC there is an issue surrounding pocket knives. The law is says nothing over 4" blade that locks but anything with a thumb stud or can be opened with one hand is considered to be an auto knife. The law specifically says one thing but they are enforcing something totally different. Then they change the laws to match the enforcement. I say ***** and make noise.

they are just walking all over you because they can. it wasnt even an airport.

carry a preon 2 - looks like a pen and still plenty bright .

EnduringEagle said:

[...]In NYC there is an issue surrounding pocket knives. The law is says nothing over 4" blade that locks but anything with a thumb stud or can be opened with one hand is considered to be an auto knife. [...]

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Sounds like NYC is becoming part of Germany - nearly the same stupid regulations here.

Regarding that airport thing and items being confiscated - I thought that there is an option to mail the problematic item back home? At least thats what I've read here in CPF in the past. Since the security is handled by the TSA, I assumed that there are no airport specific regulations.

Cheers
Thorsten

beerwax said:

it wasnt even an airport.

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No, it wasn't an airport. Just the seat of the federal government of Australia.

It may have be considered a item for serial pests to shine the light in the politicians eyes. Maybe they have had some dips&^t do it in the past.

But I think they really just wanted to have a play with it also. Like Ajax said.

Civil liberties aside if it was not threatening (I have seen some of those bezels around) I think you should have had the right to ask why it was not allowed in. Its good they have a system of returning items checked in also.

Norm said:

I wouldn't worry too much, I have a titanium hip and have had to show the scar on more than one occasion. :shakehead
Norm

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I'm not to happy to read that Norm , did you see that tv doco? i hope it is not one of those , fingers crossed .

Interesting experience but in answer to your question, I generally avoid areas or modes of travel where items I carry on a daily basis legally, come under any kind of scrutiny. I have over the years found knives and flashlights to be so useful at the oddest times that I can generally be found with them both at the very least and often with other useful tools. Personally I would have loved to see the section that says specifically that flashlights are not allowed, I am not so sure that they could have found it but perhaps it was an interpretation....cause it looked all mean and threatening. Kinda like we had here a while back with assault rifles...a pistol grip or detachable magazine makes it kill you even more deader, and gosh...only bad guys use black rifles.

Maybe if more people in these jobs actually stood up and questioned why they were repeatedly told to violate the basic rights of their fellow citizens and even left the job if there was no resolution, there wouldn't be enough people left to do so that someone at the top would take notice. Maybe.

Gadgetman7 said:

I respectfully disagree. I work for the US Federal government and there are employees who abuse their positions. That may be what happened in this case or it could have been an employee simply following the guidelines. But, just because it is their job does not make it right. We should not give up our rights or hold someone less culpable for violating them simply because it's their job. If your job requires you to do something unethical then change jobs. I have actually changed jobs because of a policy that I believed to be unethical. Too many people in positions of authority hide behind the "it's my job" shield rather than have the courage to fight the rules and try to change them or change your employment and stand up for your beliefs outside your old position.

Having said all of that it is likely that they have a volume limitation as do most secure buildings. However, the limits should have been posted before you enter.

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Well , you certainly don't sound like a stereotypical American , only if there were more people in the world like us!