Airport security - carrying heavy bath taps?

[joidevie]

Hi.. I'm not sure whether to risk carrying a (quite expensive) bath/shower mixer tap in hand luggage at Stansted? I remember answering lots of questions a few years ago when I carried a car part through (they let me go)..

They are quite heavy and clunky, but would only come under "blunt objects which could harm" like golf clubs etc. But then so is my laptop!

Any thoughts?

Many thanks.

[NickP]

Tour airport workers would not allow my daughter in law to take through some metal curtain wall ties that she bought  in France. She deliberately carried them by hand so she could show them to the customs people.  She had to come out of the customs area,  hand the objects back to us and we brought them over next trip in the car. It seems different people different interpretations. I would think it would be safer to put them in checked in luggage that goes in the hold of the aircraft. I often transport substantial amounts of specialist tools when I go to work and have had no problems putting  them in the hold.

[joidevie]

Kind of what I thought.. I've already crammed a hold bag with the shower mixer & some tools etc.. So I guess it's either a DHL box (great value at £22 for 30kg, but with the compensation upgrade quite expensive) or another £15 to Ryanair in June for a checked bag on the next visit..

I do know that the French airports are much less flexible, and can be very funny about anything 'bulky'..

[PaulT]

That brought back some memories - must have been about 1990 - taking some car parts to a firend in the USvia Stanstead. I had brake discs, calipers, ball joints and a whole lot more - weighed over 60 pounds - as hand luggage.

The bag went through the X-Ray machine and then it was 'whose bag is this'. 'Would you open it Sir'. The parts were looked at and the question was which make are they for. 'Rover' I replied. 'They always are for Rover' came the reply.

Thankfully the overhead locker did not collapse on the journey. Another story is that on the flight, which was less than half full, the steward was chatting to someone he knew. I asked for a drink and he brought me an armful of what I requested - presumably so that he would not be disturbed in his chat.

Paul

[Gardengirl]

''I do know that the French airports are much less flexible, and can be very funny about anything 'bulky' ''

That's interesting, as we travel on the Luton/Nimes route several times each year. The Luton end is very strict about luggage, but from Nimes it sometimes seems as though anything goes. Most English passengers, although not all, tend to stick to the rules; the French often have several items, almost never stick to the 'handbag must go inside your one piece of luggage' rule, and there seem to be various big hats or boxes too. We queued behind a French family recently, and the little boy had a whole set of plastic armour, complete with sword, as well as his ride-on case, plus parents with numerous bags. All went smoothly, and the little boy stylishly vanquished all dragons for miles around!

[bubbles]

They wouldn't let me take my boules through at Perpignan.

But, the Ryanair man at the desk kept them safe and phoned Mr. Bubbles later when he had got back home so that he could promptly turn round, go back to the airport and collect them.

Not impressed that boules are considered dangerous weapons but greatly impressed by the (gorgeous) man at the Ryanair desk.

[La Guerriere]

I'm not surprised, they cause trouble with the trolley.