This weekend I traveled from Sydney to Coffs Harbour to attend the 10th annual Sawtell Chilli Festival. Wanting to minimise time at each airport, I packed lightly to ensure that I would be carrying less then 7kg, in a bag not exceeding 105cm in total linear measurement.
The festival was fantastic and I purchased a small quantity of pastes and sauces with which to share with chili loving friends, who could not attend. Overall quantity was less than 2 litres in sturdy glass receptacles not exceeding 200ml each.
My trouble began during the baggage screening process. The screener detected the glass sauce and paste jars, but could not identify the items. I was asked to remove some contents of the bag for a re-screen.
The screener assisted me in removing some items and then declared that I would not be able to travel with my beloved chili delights as they posed a risk to the aircraft and the safety of passengers. I then inquired what that risk might be, he informed me that the sauces could contain an oil and be flammable. I assured the screener than the items were not considered dangerous goods in accordance with the IATA dangerous goods regulations and that the only potential danger existed if consumed by the uninitiated. No MSDS was offered during purchase of the items, no label suggested that the item contained any flammable liquid, toxic or corrosive substance or any other indication of being a dangerous good.
He then consulted his supervisor who then declared, “Na, they can’t go”. I inquired to what the issue was with carrying the items as carry on. His response was that the items posed a spill hazard that could “Cause a mess” if spilled. The bag, which was still open at the time, had a plastic leak proof liner built into it and the clothing around the bottles would have served equally as absorbent material.
I was then asked if someone could collect the products prior to 6pm, to which my answer was no. He then informed me I had to work out something to get it checked in. The
VB gate staff were helpful in this process and issued me a new pass with the baggage receipt on the spot.
So after a bit of a long-winded story, I’d like to know was this team of screeners going overboard? or was there judgment bang on to prevent an air disaster?
I feel the gaseous contents of my bowel from the previous days sampling may have posed a greater risk to safety.