Ryan Air trouble

[Wayne]

Just to let people know one of my instructor team was flying back to the UK from Rodez today with Ryan air for this weekends Bow Making Course.

As a result in his hold luggage he had a GB Wildlife hatchet and a Laplander plus a couple of draw knives and a spoke shave.

He checked in fine then when his luggage was x-rayed he was stopped and was told he was carrying dangerous weapons and would not be allowed to fly and the police were called.

The French police were not impressed with having their time wasted, however Ryan Air still refused to carry the Wild life hatchet and would only allow passage if the axe was returned to the car and left behind.

I have travelled on Ryan air a dozen or more times carrying knives and axes to run Bushcraft Courses and never had an issue.

So beware if you are planning taking sharps abroad with them in the hold there maybe trouble ahead.

 

[Matt.S]

Grrrrrrrr... security numpty I wonder, or new Ryanair rules?

 

[Shewie]

Hmmm, to quote Ryan Airs website ....

WHAT ITEMS ARE PROHIBITED IN CHECKED IN BAGGAGE?

Explosives, including detonators, fuses, grenades, mines and explosives. Gases: propane, butane. Flammable liquids, including gasoline, methanol, flammable solids and reactive substances, including magnesium, firelighters, fireworks, flares. Oxidizers and organic peroxides, including bleach, car body repair kits. Toxic or infectious substances, including rat poison, infected blood, radioactive material, including medicinal or commercial isotopes. Corrosives, including mercury, vehicle batteries, and vehicle fuel system components which have contained fuel.

Guns, firearms, ammunition and weapons (including replica items), paints, Christmas crackers, items with internal combustion engines such as chainsaws, model aircraft, lawnmowers, etc., may not be carried in any baggage (whether checked or unchecked)

You must not include in Checked Baggage money, jewellery, precious metals, keys, cameras, computers, medicines, spectacles, sunglasses, contact lenses, watches, mobile phones, personal electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities, cigarettes, tobacco or tobacco products or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples.

Note: Any sharp objects in checked-in baggage should be securely wrapped to prevent injury to screeners and handling personnel.

Have they interpreted an axe as a weapon rather than a tool I wonder ? Maybe it's the luck of the draw on the day, one check-in employee might be a bit edgy about it and another might have more brains.
Are the check-in staff actually employed by Ryan Air or the airport ? I've often wondered that when abroad.

Either way it's needs to be clearer, thanks for the heads-up

 

[xylaria]

suprised ryan air didn't say you can bring any tool on but we charge a handling fee of 10quid per item.

 

[teflon]

Isn't 'jobsworth' a British trait? Seems our Health & Safety obsession is spreading to the continent.

 

[teflon]

suprised ryan air didn't say you can bring any tool on but we charge a handling fee of 10quid per item.

The 'tool' was the one who called the police. Anyway, what self-respecting terrorist would highjack a Ryanair flight?

 

[rik_uk3]

You should notify the airline if you are carrying any unusual 'Tools Of Trade' in advance of the trip and this should stop any problems.

 

[Adze]

Ryan air... barely one step ahead of Eire Air. I flew Eire air from Cork to Galway once, here's what the pilot had to say just before takeoff:

"We'll be leaving in a minute... if yez lucky Maureen will bring around the refreshments cart soon (chuckle) feck if you're really lucky we'll be landing in Galway in about an hour."

 

[jackcbr]

The 'tool' was the one who called the police. Anyway, what self-respecting terrorist would highjack a Ryanair flight?

one that might actually want to get to there destination, not 30 miles outside it.

 

[helixpteron]

one that might actually want to get to there destination, not 30 miles outside it.

I think you'll find that they have a habit of commandeering the aircraft, not sticking to scheduled destinations...

 

[sparrowfart]

Ryan air... barely one step ahead of Eire Air. I flew Eire air from Cork to Galway once, here's what the pilot had to say just before takeoff:

"We'll be leaving in a minute... if yez lucky Maureen will bring around the refreshments cart soon (chuckle) feck if you're really lucky we'll be landing in Galway in about an hour."

Gave me a good laugh that!

 

[pango]

The JobsWorth is definitely not solely a British trait. Anyone who has travelled knows that.

There's the German anecdote of a Station Master who was standing on the platform when someone spat out of the window and it hit his hat...
"If that had landed on the platform I'd have fined you 100 DM!"

I'm still absolutely mingin about a beautiful wee Swiss Army petrol stove confiscated about 5 years ago while in transit at Munich because they'd checked random In-Transit bags. A rucksac would be a good "random" sample, wouldn't it? There was still a faint whiff of petrol after I'd flushed it repeatedly and left it filled with water.

There is no rationalising with people who have neither imagination nor authority to over-ride the system, but I suspect the security chap with the calloused knuckles had his eye on it for himself as he looked the sort who would covet such a thing!

Carrying a knife in luggage these days is asking for trouble, although notifying the carrier of tools in luggage is probably a fairly safe bet, but I've carried ice-axes, crampons and knives without doing so. I think if the things are in context they're usually seen for what they are.

I'd also like to say that I've used Ryanair hundreds of times and have never had an issue with them, including getting accommodation when their flights are late or cancelled. At times £1 + taxes to Europe! I went to the Polish Tatry for £28 return!

I wish I could say the same about BA but after a 2 am argument with a particularly ignorant member of BA staff (who'd been sleeping on top of a desk in the office) over the same issue, I haven't flown with them since!

 

[bent-stick]

I was that instructor. And the numpty definitely considered all the tools 'armes'. The Laplander came under particular scrutiny. The numpty's boss was the one who reluctantly spoke to the police on the phone. It was obvious he wasn't happy but he wouldn't override the xray operator.


Here is the text of the letter to Ryanair:
==========================================
Ryanair
Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin
Ireland.

5 May 2010

Dear Sirs
On Monday I flew from Rodez to Stansted on your 14:10 flight. I teach bowmaking and other outdoor skills and I was returning to the UK to give a course in making primitive bows and arrows at the Forest Knights bushcraft school in Arundel, West Sussex.

On arrival at the airport my hold baggage was routinely scanned and the xray operator asked if she could inspect the contents. On finding my toolbag she insisted that the contents could not be placed in the hold as they were 'dangereuse'. The bag contained a number of items including two drawknives, a Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet, a folding saw, some antique wooden spokeshaves and some carving tools. At first she insisted that none of the tools could be put in the hold. I explained that I had travelled all around Europe with my tools and never experienced a problem with them in my checked baggage.

After much discussion the police were called and told that I was carrying deadly weapons, my axe was described as a 'machete' rather than the correct term 'hache'. Luckily the police had more sense than your agents in Rodez and said that carrying 'outils' was not an offence and I had a perfectly good reason to have them securely inside two bags. The xray operator conceded on most of the tools but was insistent that she had the final say and my axe (handle length about 14”) could not be taken into the hold of the plane. Despite me asking which regulation I was contravening and pointing out the prohibited items list which was clearly displayed at the side of the xray machine and requesting which category my tools came under the operator was adamant that the decision was hers to take. After much argument which I felt was going in the direction of “do as you are told or you don't fly” I took the axe back to the car and flew without it.

The pertinent facts as I see them are:
There is nothing in your T&Cs to prevent sharp tools taken in hold baggage if they are properly packed.
The tools were clearly visible in a transparent bag inside my holdall with a jacket wrapped around them.
All except one drawknife were in masks or sheaths. The axe I had to leave behind was securely masked and could not have caused accidental injury
I was fully cooperative helping them to handle the tools safely. I had to stop them several times from potentially injuring themselves by opening and unsheathing the knives in a fashion that would have earned my students a severe reprimand.


Please clarify in writing:
The the policy of Ryanair for the carriage of sharp tools in hold luggage
The procedure to be followed if an agent acts outside the T&Cs of carriage
If the agent was action outside your guidelines, please confirm that they will be properly trained.

The whole area of wild camping and bushcraft is a growing interest in the UK and US and everyone I have spoken to in that world has expressed astonishment that I was unable to carry the tools of my trade with me. I hope you can reassure me that it is not your airline's (or your destinations') policy to deny boarding to equipment which could be a lifesaver in expedition conditions.

In consequence of the actions of your agents at Rodez I have had to buy another axe in the UK to give the course next week. The receipt is enclosed. I was unable to get a direct replacement at short notice and had to drive to East Grinstead to collect the new axe in time for the course. A return journey of 66 miles. I believe the current Inland Revenue mileage rate is around 40p a mile. The details are on the enclosed compensation claim.

In closing I would like to say that the agent I encountered was an exception and all the remaining staff at Rodez did their best to handle a situation that was becoming a little heated. My French is limited and they did all they could to assist.

I would be pleased to receive your response in due course.


Yours faithfully



David Sinfield

=========================
Let's see what happens...

 

[nickg]

2 year ago I flew ryan air to norway with two belt knifes and a scandi forest axe in hold luggage - it showed clearly on the false colour scanner and the only questions I was asked were about the spare insulin pens I had there, which was fair enough. and no questions coming back at all. I dont think its the airlines responsibility - I think the airport security is undertaken by the airport controller so I think you may get a knockback from ryan. I may be wrong on that point.
Last year I flew to Sydney via Hong Kong - thence sailed to Guam, Nagasaki, Xingxiang, Shanghai and Hong Kong passing immigration when entering all those places as well as a full metal detector scan on returning to the boat. Passing through the airport security at Hong Kong on the return my wife was stopped and told she couldnt carry a dinky mini leatherman tool she had been carrying in her handbag all the time. She had forgotten she had it there and had had it with her the whole time of the holiday. It goes to show how variable the regulations can be interpreted - even in the same airport.

Incidentally on my trip to norway in february this year I was asked to open my hand luggage because they saw 3 suspicious 'cylinders' in it. Turned out to be my 'emergency' mars bars !!!

Cheers
Nick

 

[Adze]

If you really want to make the x-ray operator's eyes pop, pack a tightly wrapped bag of icing sugar, an anti static wrist band and an alarm clock. Done carefully you could make it look like this:

Apparently icing sugar and some plastic explosives are indistinguishable from each other under x-ray

Of course, this might be all the excuse needed for the customs guys to break out the rubber gloves

 

[DavidJT]

If you really want to make the x-ray operator's eyes pop, pack a tightly wrapped bag of icing sugar, an anti static wrist band and an alarm clock. Done carefully you could make it look like this:

Apparently icing sugar and some plastic explosives are indistinguishable from each other under x-ray

Of course, this might be all the excuse needed for the customs guys to break out the rubber gloves

That's a really bad idea

 

[MrEd]

That's a really bad idea

i imagine a gloved hand up your bum would be the last of your problems, a bullet in the head would be a more pressing issue lol

 

[Matt.S]

i imagine a gloved hand up your bum would be the last of your problems, a bullet in the head would be a more pressing issue lol

You're safe so long as you're not a Brazillian plumber. Or carrying a table leg in a bin-bag. Or a police armed response officer participating in a car-stop exercise. Or a control-room operative on a firearms familiarisation course.

 

[BorderReiver]

You're safe so long as you're not a Brazillian plumber. Or carrying a table leg in a bin-bag. Or a police armed response officer participating in a car-stop exercise. Or a control-room operative on a firearms familiarisation course.

Let's not get this thread closed.

 

[nickg]

Actually if you really want to make some new friends go to an airport and insist on buying a ticket for the next flight to anywhere, one way, no luggage and paying cash. It wont cost you anything cos you wont go anywhere - but you will be the centre of attention for some time!!!

Enjoy

Nick