Having read through the variety of posts on this thread it is obvious that most air travellers, including some aviation professionals, are confused when it comes to the classification of security items and/or Dangerous Goods. I know from experience in a previous role dealing with DG/Security approvals that most passengers have very little or limited knowledge of the complexity of determining what's safe or not to be loaded onto an aircraft.
Firstly it is not the passenger's call to justify that their item is ok to be in their carry on baggage just because it is important for their line of work, hobby or whatever, or just because they carried it through on a previous occasion. Generally it seems that some individuals feel that their personal judgement/risk assessment on whether their item is "safe" is all that is required to take it with them. There are predetermined Security restrictions and Dangerous Goods Regulations that Check in and Security Screening staff need to enforce and it is not always possible for them to do that 100% successfully, especially when much of the process actually relies on pax being upfront and actually declaring their items. Every check in process (including self check in) clearly asks you to declare DGs or security items. As with most things, if in doubt the onus is on you to check. Ignorance is no excuse yet air travellers conveniently plead that as a defence all the time. It is well documented that this also applies when it comes to Customs and Quarantine items as well, you only need watch Border Security to see that
The guy who had his Sidchrome tool confiscated would not have had a problem if it had been checked in, end of story. Security regs say no tools (size is not an exclusion) in carry on, Security staff are right and have done their job. For the guy carrying CO2 cartridges, unless you have airline approval you are breaking the law taking them in your baggage and if you declared them when checking in as you are asked to, you would have been told that. The approval is free and only an email or phone away, simple!
No law enforcement officer or security guard worthy of their professions would ask or demand to take a firearm or ammo in their carry on, again the regulations are clear. There are always many options for these items to be carried on an aircraft with the correct approvals and handling.
Maintaining a safe operation is what those frontline people are paid to do and giving them a hard time is unjustifiable, just because it causes some inconvenience. It is a sign of the times and the world we live in that individuals consider their needs to be more important than that of everyone else
Btw, the line about repairing the broom is obviously in jest (I admit I chuckled at the image of that), but hardly fair, when she's done her job to the letter. How many potential incidents has this officer averted by being diligent, no one will ever know (or care it seems) but just wait until the moment something gets through and see what the response is!
