Wednesday 13 October 2010

Paper-Clip Alert

I was going through the security screening scanner at Fuerteventura Airport yesterday and the warning buzzer sounded. Now I had taken everything off, including belt, coins etc, so I simply couldn't fathom the cause of this.

The attendant checked me in a few seconds and waved me through.

On the flight I pondered what could have caused the machine to sound and now I know. The cause was a paper-clip which I used on my euros inside a money-belt type of thing!

One little paper-clip! There you have it.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Once when going through security at Frankfurt airport, the metal detector was set off by a packet of polo mints I had in my pocket! I think there is considerable variation in the sensitivity of these instruments, some of which is likely to be determined by the operators, and also influenced by other factors (...like how long the queue is). I'm not sure if this makes me feel 100% confident in this screens. I guess Tim that you could use your paperclip as test for other scanners at different airports (if you were really bored!).
Cheers,
J

Timothy Belmont said...

And to think that I believed I'd glide through uneventfully. :-)

Irishlad said...

Tim you could make a dangerous weapon out of a paper clip.....if you were James Bond.