Un-American....

Chalk up another one to those damn crazy merry-cans.......

/me thinks it was probably that 'explosive' cotton inside them

Hum, I guess he didn't like Survivor, I know I didn't.They are going somewhat overboard now a days. I'd be pissed if they were mine.

I heard the next survivor is the best of the survivor series. 16 people from previous shows.

But jafo: I hear you. That sucks. i would be sueing someone.

You know what's really crazy...he could have FedX'd them to himself....there's no restrictions on cargo. Why?....I don't know . A plane is a plane is a plane. I never heard of a person crashing into a building.

Yes, he'd just finished Survivor 8 in ******....and is off again soon to 'scout' locations for '9'.

This isn't the first time Dave's brought Zippos back....he has over 100 of them.....just the first time 'caution' has been a 'justification' for theft....

you can get them through in your baggage. Not your carryons. I imported some cuban cigars to america (thats illegal by the way) from england not to long ago.

Try this one Paul .... my mate who worked for Dick Barbour Racing (ex HRT engine man BTW!) did several ALMS rounds with them in the US, Le Mans, Nurburgring 1000K and arrived back from the Silverstone round to be held in the slammer before being slung back on a return flight to the Olde Dart!!
NO EXPLANATION GIVEN .... NICE PEOPLE! Probably card carrying members of the NSDAP.
Dick's legal people eventually sorted it but they never received an explanation (other than a 'mix-up in procedure!) or an apology. (of course not.) ........... needless to say Dean collected his gear and headed back to the freedom of Aus as soon as the final round was over.
Credit where it's due .... the team paid him and covered his accomadation and expenses for the month he was stuck in the UK.
Barbour wanted him back for the next few seasons..... Dean politely declined.
Maybe we should do the same on a random 1 in 10 basis here .... but use KL or Manilla as the return destination. > >

there's no restrictions on cargo.

How about that guy who shipped himself Air Freight to Texas

just the first time 'caution' has been a 'justification' for theft

Actually theft at US Airports has been a real problems for years. My mother lost a couple of professional Camera setups coming back into the US from Germany one time. She also lost another Camera going out the Colorado once.

Security checkers at US airports were not back ground checked and there were plenty of convicted thieves working the booths and also loading and unloading jets.

LA is part of America?

Seriously, LA's airport was one of the worst for a time and then seemed to be ok. I used to fly all over the USA with three rolling toolbox cases and a Spread Spectrum Analyzer and every now and then I would find where someone had tried to pop a lock. Even ended up being called down to open them up now and then, though I would rather do that then get out to the middle of nothing and find I had been ripped off for the one tool I could not get sent to me in 24 hours.

You friend should take his receipts and go to Customs and possibly the local hub for the carrier and push the fact that Zippo lighters are not considered un-save contra ban and they are in fact collectible items which I doubt very much ended up being destroyed with the legitimate contra ban. He should be reimbursed for them, and if not I would make one huge flipping stink, because if they pulled that with him can you imagine the dollar amount of stolen items claimed to be not allowed on flights without people being able to argue the point at flight time?

There is a list of items and they also should have offered to let him ship them on the spot. Explained the what and why and then where he could find the place at the airport to ship them.

Then again they hold you hostage because you don't want to miss your flight, also if they think it will serve their purpose they could sit you in a room and forget about you until your flights gone and then let you and your items loose again without doing anything else.

really sucks to read about this Jafo... for your friend and for the reality of what has become an accepted norm in my country...

land of the free, to take what you like in order to protect that freedom symmetry, indeed... *sigh*
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I had fun with being interviewed 15 minutes when I was there way before 9/11. (LA airport also). My bad that I didn't know my friends' adress in detail there, as they were about to pick me up...