When asked why light saber could not go as carry on, reply was that it could be used as a weapon. Admittedly the box containing the light saber said "realistic light saber".
Due fatigue from a long sector, Jedi mind tricks were not attempted. Force choke (Darth Vader style) was considered, but too many witnesses.
Gold! thanks for the laugh.
I traveled through Sydney International Airport last week with 4 x 4" metal clamps used for packing parachutes, they look like oversize clothes pegs made from metal with a rubber coating. The gestapo decided they were a security risk. In trying to prove this to me the security person put one of the clamps on their hand as if to say I could bring down a crew member by giving them a sort of nipple cripple on the hand with the clamp
I went straight to the boarding gate and talked to the airline rep at the customer counter about getting the clamps back. They sent someone with me back to the security screening point that had confiscated the clamps and had them send them as a "security item". This is apparently a procedure that is in place for such a situation where something is confiscated by security. The airline representative that came with me seemed annoyed that they (security staff) didn't already do this and made it clear to the security supervisor he wasn't impressed. The extensive paperwork (an A5 form with my flight number, name and destination and declaration I had to sign) seemed to be a hurdle that's the reason they don't do this very often. Funny thing was as we commenced a descent at the end of our first leg of the trip one of the cabin crew gave me the clamps and said that I should give them back to airline personnel prior to my next flight, giving me time to clamp someone prior to landing
Perhaps ask them to send the screws as a "Security Item" if they try to take them from you.