Ditch a knife outside the airport terminal. OK, my wife did anyways....

cj65 · May 18, 2011

So,

You heard it right. My wife flew up to Sea-Tac airport to visit her mom in Washington for Mother's Day. It was Friday morning at Burbank Airport aka Bob Hope. I dropped off my beloved, and my 3 step kids at 5:30 AM for the first flight out. It went off without a hitch. I get to about Topanga Canyon on the 118 Fwy, with a frantic call from my wife that she forgot she had the Benchmade Mel Pardue 530 in her purse! The kids are already through the checkpoint, but the oldest is 13, and cool enough to wait at the gate with the two younger in tow. My beloved was escorted outside of the airport by TSA agents. One of the guys, being cool told her to ditch in a planter, and have someone (here is where I come in) pick it back up. Yes, I turned around and picked up our precious little Mel! She snapped a couple of photos of where she put it and emailed it to me, but there really are but a few planters out front anyways. LOL. The youngest boy cried a tad since mom had to get escorted out, but all was ok. They got to Sea Tac fine, and got to see her mom, and had a great time in Seattle, and my twin boys and myself went to see my mom locally in L.A. co.

My wife kept her cool, and kept her knife! It was my knife at one time, but I told my beloved one morning that I dreamed that she asked me for one of my modern folders. she immediately said, "I will take that one! It is cute!" How could I say no? The 530 is sleek, and slim and fits well inside a woman's purse. She even pocket carrys every now and then, especially when she wants my attention. It freaks out her boss when she opens the mail with it in her office.

I almost want my own 530.......

You know how it is.........

effer · May 18, 2011

About 12 years ago I was traveling first time internationally with a knife and due to unexpected cancellation company switched flights and I ended up changing flights in London UK and I was stuck there for 18 hours (was glad that I did and saw some of the city). I don't remember exactly how it happened, but I either had a knife with me on a plane or in the baggage (I got on a plane just fine), but I remember that I had a nasty looking cheapie lockback with handguard. Well it was found when I was going out through security to see the city. They asked me if I wanted to fill out some forms so I can get it back in USA, or if i just want to trash it. I didn't have any second thoughts and told security to put it in the trash. I learned my lesson at that time about traveling with knives and now keeping up with current laws. Nowadays I have a pretty good collection of quality knives and I always travel with knives costing less than $50 and leave the rest at home.

jayinhk · May 18, 2011

Glad it worked out! I lost a small custom folder with mammoth molar scales at an airport a few months ago. I went through the first security checkpoint with it and the guy who patted me down asked me what was clipped in my back pocket. I showed him one of the two small flashlights I carry, and the cops and airport security guys laughed. Right before the second security checkpoint, I realized I still had my little custom folder in my pocket. I didn't want to walk back out of the airport with it, so I decided to just leave it in my pocket and play dumb. Well, the airport security guy was on his A-game and he found a chapstick on the guy in front of me and made him take it out and show him. That's when the sinking feeling started.

I walked through the detector and he felt the knife and asked me to take it out. I took it out and was like, "sh*t." He gave me a disapproving look and asked me why I had something so dangerous on me (it had a 2.5" blade). I had a suitcase full of folders and fixed blades, but I missed the folder when disarming myself before packing, but I wasn't about to tell him that. I told him to keep it and he said "thanks!" a little too cheerfully.

A few months later, I cleared security at the same airport with four straight razors in my carry-on baggage...I didn't realize they were in there until I got home.

c.joe · May 18, 2011

Great story! Glad everything worked out.

Bob W · May 18, 2011

I'm going to start looking in planters at the airport.

Planterz · May 18, 2011

Nobody better be thinking about sticking a knife in me...

dsmegst · May 18, 2011

I think there's a career opportunity for you. Just stand outside of your local airport and collect knives... for a fee.

jimmo · May 18, 2011

After reading this. I thought - Would it not be a great idea to place FedEx or UPS self service stands near the checkpoints? So people could use the mailer envelopes to send any items to their home address vs having items confiscated?
Great story! Your wife kept her cool indeed!

kvaughn · May 18, 2011

I got stuck like that in the Hartford airport and went to the magazine/snack shop and put it under the back corner of a display.Came back through a week later and picked it up. So much for housekeeping!--KV

FlaMtnBkr · May 18, 2011

I have forgot about a knife when going to the courthouse and did the same thing, taking it outside and hiding it by a plant. But that doesn't come close to my honeymoon.

We went on a cruise and carried on all our luggage so we wouldn't have to wait on it when we got off so we used smaller bags we could carry easier. I used my man purse to carry some smaller items. I went through the metal detector and put my bags on the X ray machine and one got flagged. I figured I forgot about a knife but then I heard the guy say something about a revolver. I figured he was just being cautious and about a minute later it clicked that there was a revolver in a hidden pocket that I had forgotten about. I had got a new EDC pistol a few months earlier and put that one in my bag as a backup and completely forgot about it. The security was pretty cool about it but went through our bags and kept xraying them until they were satisfied there was nothing else in them. They then called in a sheriff officer who ran the serial # on the gun and checked my concealed carry permit. When everything was in order they then told me I might not be allowed on the ship and it would be up to the captain. In the end I got to go but I'm pretty sure my wife was going on the cruise with or without me so it was nice that I got to tag along.

silkworm · May 18, 2011

I though the same thing too when I had a Leatherman confiscated a year ago by TSA. Great idea.

Great story too. I wish more TSA agents were cool like that.

ndeezl · May 18, 2011

The TSA has already come up with a solution to the problem that they like pretty well, it's called ebay

CJ you got a pretty good lady there :thumbup:

Sulaco · May 18, 2011

Only thing I've had happen similar is I had to go to the courthouse to pick up my wedding license. I had to go through the Nazi scanning station and had a knife on me. I handed it to the deputy manning the station and told him I'd be back for it in a minute. He jested like he would keep it, but he happily gave it back as I left.

I keep a SAK in my checked luggage when I travel and then just carry it around whenever I get where I am going (done this in Africa and Europe). If I don't check luggage, I buy a SAK when I get where I am going.

HoosierQ · May 18, 2011

Indianpolis International has this feature.

Johnny Warner · May 18, 2011

Last year when returning home from LV shot show my partner realized at the
TSA security check point he had his Puma folder with stag handles when he started emptying his pockets.
The security guard lead him away and allowed him to ship it to his home address via USPS flat rate or UPS. The entire procedure took maybe 5-10 minutes. Point being I suppose not all TSA agents are azzholes.

elkins45 · May 18, 2011

The Louisville airport has an arrangement with a privately owned service that will mail you your knife for $10.

CWL · May 18, 2011

Actually, they do sell small mailing tubes in airport stores nowadays for people to send knives and other contraband back to themselves in case they brought something that they don't want to surrender. I travel a lot and have had to do this a few times.

hiwa · May 18, 2011

That's a pretty cool story. At least the TSA guys where reasonable about it. I remember getting on a plane in the 70's with an Assisted opener on me. I was never confronted by anyone. Different story nowadays.

CWL · May 18, 2011

I was carrying my BM axis lock for international flights right tup to 9/11. The rules changed that day and I had to check it in for the flight back.

RLANG · May 18, 2011

Outside of a courthouse (jury duty) a friend remembered that a Case medium stockman was in his pocket. He had taken public transit, so he looked for a place to stash his folder. Since he was 6' 5" he reached up to a ledge on an adjacent building (which was very old and grimy). Safe and sound, or so he thought. During the day the building had been power washed, probably for the first time. The stockman was gone but the ledge was spotless.

Ditch a knife outside the airport terminal. OK, my wife did anyways....

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