Packing your carry-on bag in a rush before heading to the airport often means you can’t be sure exactly what is inside.
But most people would expect that security agents would automatically pick up any dangerous items lurking in their luggage.
However, from hunting knives to scissors and even firecrackers – travellers have been revealing the dangerous items they have managed to accidentally sneak on to flights.
Travellers have been revealing the dangerous items they have managed to accidentally sneak on to flights
The revelations came after a Reddit user took to the online forum to ask Transport Security Administration (TSA) workers in the US what weird items people had tried to smuggle on flights, deliberat
However, most people taking to the thread have been airline passengers admitting to accidentally sneaking through prohibited items after forgetting they were even in their bags.
One of them was Reddit member SlipperyShaman, who unwittingly took a flight with a knife in his bag.
He explained: ‘A folding hunting knife with a six inch blade slipped into the liner of my hiking pack through a small rip… which was also my carry-on.
‘Didn’t realise until I landed in Cali and unpacked my bag.
‘If TSA found it, it would have appeared I was intentionally trying to hide a large knife in the lining of my pack. I mailed the knife home.’
Meanwhile Dr_Merkwurdigliebe also admitted unintentionally leaving a box cutter in his jacket pocket after making it through the scanners.
He added: ‘I was coming from a work site and accidentally left a box cutter in my jacket pocket.
‘Nearly fainted when I realized (right after I put my jacket on the conveyor belt for the X-ray).
Reddit member SlipperyShaman, who unwittingly took a flight with a knife in his bag (file picture)
‘They didn’t see it, but I was still paranoid when I got my coat back. Considered throwing it out, but then had a vision of someone else finding it and what they might do.
‘Ended up going to the bathroom and stuffing it in the bottom of my carry on before the flight. Made it through okay, but was thinking about it the whole time.’
A fellow user also had a similar experience when she also forgot to remove a bladed item from her bag.
She wrote: ‘Yeah, I’ve flown with my sewing scissors I forgot to remove from my bag. But I’m sure they must have seen some s**t.’
While swild89 added: ‘Same! I had sewing scissors and I get called by security to go through my stuff. Apparently my USB charged lighter wasn’t allowed. Scissors and needle good to go.’
Kasparian also contributed to the thread and claimed she got through security with her pepper spray, despite agents confiscating her face moisturizer because it was in a tube that was bigger than 4oz/100mls.
While TroyKoopa claimed his brother once got through the scanners despite carrying fire crackers.
TroyKoopa claimed his brother once got through the airport scanners despite carrying fire crackers (file picture)
He wrote: ‘My brother once had a bag of firecrackers in his carry on. Not intentionally but he just forgot about them, and found them in his bag when he got home. TSA never even noticed.’
While in the days when lighters were banned from aircraft cabins, applepwnz said: ‘Back when lighters weren’t allowed I used to smoke and one time I forgot to put my lighter into my checked luggage, so I put it very openly visible on top of my stuff on the conveyor figuring that they’d just throw it away (it was Bic so who cares).
‘Nope they didn’t say a word.’
And with a big bug bear of airline passengers being that they can’t take drinks through security, thatdog3 had a pleasant surprise while waiting at the gate for their flight.
They said: ‘I flew a couple weeks ago. Went through security and they pulled out a bottle of water I forgot to throw out. I apologized and went to my gate.
‘As I was rummaging through my bag I found another bottle of water. Didn’t have to spend money on a new bottle of water so that was cool.’