Yesterday, In Zambia....

[gweilgi]

So there I was at the Livingstone International Airport in Zambia, leaving the Victoria Falls for Kenya and passing through the security check ... when my carry-on bag was pulled aside and opened.  

The object of their curiosity?  

My travel tupperdore of cigars.  

No, they were not interested in the 3-inch pocket knife (so much for security), the nail-clippers, the cigar cutter or the tubes.  

What they were curios about were the cigars themselves.  Two officials (carrying AK-47s) kept taking out cigars and looking at them, handling them, examining them from every conceivable angle .... turns out they had never even SEEN a cigar, had no idea what it was.  My entire stash was on the verge of being confiscated until another traveller piped up and explained to them that these were "just like cigarettes, but bigger and more expensive".  With some reluctance, they let me go through to my flight....

Anyone else who has had a similar experience?  I know that cigars are an elite pursuit these days, but this was plain ridiculous!  Surely they must know of the existence of cigars???

[Doctorossi]

[vladdraq]

hmmm, what size they were?

[El Presidente]

6 hours ago, gweilgi said:

So there I was at the Livingstone International Airport in Zambia, leaving the Victoria Falls for Kenya and passing through the security check ... when my carry-on bag was pulled aside and opened.  

The object of their curiosity?  

My travel tupperdore of cigars.  

No, they were not interested in the 3-inch pocket knife (so much for security), the nail-clippers, the cigar cutter or the tubes.  

What they were curios about were the cigars themselves.  Two officials (carrying AK-47s) kept taking out cigars and looking at them, handling them, examining them from every conceivable angle .... turns out they had never even SEEN a cigar, had no idea what it was.  My entire stash was on the verge of being confiscated until another traveller piped up and explained to them that these were "just like cigarettes, but bigger and more expensive".  With some reluctance, they let me go through to my flight....

Anyone else who has had a similar experience?  I know that cigars are an elite pursuit these days, but this was plain ridiculous!  Surely they must know of the existence of cigars???

It was just a glimpse into the future for Cigar smokers. 

"sir.....Drop the humidor and put your hands behind your head"

cuff him and call it in Starsky

"Sarsky to base we have an 898.....man with tobacco....bringing him in"

[Customsfan]

I could see that happening.  But they probably know what an  i phone-x is.   

[MrGlass]

Not with cigars themselves, but I have been pulled aside by security at the Brisbane airport who wanted to inspect my cigar cutter.  Thing was, it was in my checked in luggage, and this was after my flight.

[Ken Gargett]

not quite the same, but going into the cameroons years ago, the official spent several minutes carefully examining my passport, reading every entry. this would have been more impressive if he had not held the thing upside down the entire time.

still, better than going into zaire. was on the back of a truck with about 15 others. i was asked down to the "official hut". very friendly chap. we had a good yack. he kept looking through a book and looking at me. it was only later did i discover that it was a book of wanted photos. why he picked me from the 15, i have no idea. fortunately, i was not in it. time in a zaire prison was never high on my list of priorities.

but the most fun was out of iran into pakistan. another time...

[polarbear]

I had a 15 minute conversation with a WA security guard when he found my tobacco pipe tool buried in my carry on (I thought I'd lost it during my travels)

After explaining to the older gentleman that:
1- Someone under the age of 50 is capable of smoking a pipe- "you're to young to be a pipe smoker"
2- People still smoke pipes- "no one has smokes pipes anymore"
3- Someone under the age of 50 who still smokes a pipe actually puts tobacco in it- "c'mon, you smoke dope through it, right?"
4- You use the tool for tamping the tobacco after lighting- "I always wondered why my granddad had a callus on his thumb"
5-And for cleaning the pipe after smoking- "you have to clean them?"
He let me go, but not before confiscating the allen key set that was also in my checked luggage

I hate airports

[RijkdeGooier]

Once upon a time in the Dominican Republic I was going through a militairy checkpoint where amongst other things they were looking for arms.

My travel humidor, which was beside me on the carseat raised a few eyebrows, as it looks like a gun case. 

After inspection and a friendly chat, I was on my way again.

[Ken Gargett]

try explaining to the officials in costa rica why one has a syringe in one's carry on.

years ago, too much flying and i had clots (not DVT, a lesser though still dodgy sort). hence, for long haul flights, i now need clexane injections - day before, day of, day after. if it has done one thing, convinced me never to get involved with dodgy drugs - christ himself could not explain to me why anyone would stick a needle in themselves for fun. one injects one's gut. fortunately, i have a lot of gut. but if it is a bad one, you can have a huge dark purple bruise for months.

so i had one with me to use just before i got on the flight home. security were not happy. they spoke absolutely no english. "tu mas hermosa chica...", being my only spanish, was not much use. they were getting seriously official about it and i was about to be dragged off when one of the security people dealing with others saw what was happening. thankfully he knew about it and i was allowed through. since then, i try and make sure i use it before i hit an airport.