Handheld pinpoint metal detector allowed on Carry On bags?

[scooper77515]

I have a Garrett pinpoint, handheld metal detector i want to take while panning in Arizona. Will TSA let me bring it on my carryon?

It isn't too big, just wondering if TSA agent will be skeered of it and not let me bring it on.

 

[still looking 52]

Not sure about the correct answer, maybe best to call your airline and see what they recommend. They deal with this kind of stuff all the time.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Not sure about the correct answer, maybe best to call your airline and see what they recommend. They deal with this kind of stuff all the time.

Uh, no, I don't think they deal with handheld md'ing pinpointers "all the time".

And I'll bet you dollars-to-donuts, that if someone called the airline (in this litigious & post 9/11 age that we live in), that they'd simply say "no". After all, you might stab someone with it. After all, if you turned it on, it might interfere with the flight navigation system . (you might be about to pinpoint a coin in the airplane, thus needing to turn it on, eh ? ) . Be sure to ask them if you can take your nail-clippers on board too, right ? And your ball-point pen, etc... Can't be too safe, right ?

We all board flights all the time. With devices like cell phones (albeit turned off), pens, pencils, gameboys, flashlights, etc.... And no one thinks for a moment about "calling ahead to see if that's ok". But for some reason if it's md'ing related, we think it's somehow dangerous or illegal. Thus needing to ask ahead of time ? I bet that the dudes at the airport screening line could care less. I mean, seriously, aren't they looking for guns, weapons, explosives, drugs, etc... ?

 

[scooper77515]

I attempted to carry it on, then asked the airline rep (not TSA) and she said that the TSA agent that inspects it has the final say about if it is safe or not, and recommended that I check it (of course, she made the airline $25 with that answer!). I figured better safe than having it confiscated, so I checked the bag.

On the way home tomorrow, and mailing this back home priority mail. Cheaper to mail it priority at $9 than checking the bag at $25, and I trust USPS WAY more than I do the baggage inspectors and handlers. Also, USPS insures it included in that $9. TSA could care less if it disappeared out of my bag during the flight.

In the future, I will ship the questionable items ahead of time rather than put them in a checked bag.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I attempted to carry it on, then asked the airline rep (not TSA) and she said that the TSA agent that inspects it has the final say about if it is safe or not, and recommended that I check it (of course, she made the airline $25 with that answer!). I figured better safe than having it confiscated, so I checked the bag.

On the way home tomorrow, and mailing this back home priority mail. Cheaper to mail it priority at $9 than checking the bag at $25, and I trust USPS WAY more than I do the baggage inspectors and handlers. Also, USPS insures it included in that $9. TSA could care less if it disappeared out of my bag during the flight.

In the future, I will ship the questionable items ahead of time rather than put them in a checked bag.

scooper77415 : In-lieu of my 6/30 post answer below, how does that square with your situation ?

Why would anyone think that a flashlight, or turned-off-cell-phone, or a banana , would be any different ? All those items "might be recommended to check". Or "may not be safe". Or "might be confiscated" ? I still don't understand why a pinpointer (carrot, etc...) is somehow a "weapon" or a drug or dangerous, or explosive, or electronic (such that you'd ever dream of turning it on, any-more-so than your cell-phone), etc...

Why is there this implicit premise of "must grovel" ? You can certainly go rankle chains and ask . But ..... the mere fact of thinking you need to ask, simply implies that something is wrong (dangerous, weapons, etc...) that you needed to ask, in the first place. Lest why else would you be asking , if were benign and harmless ? Thus you have dictated (ie.: endless safe answers) your own conclusion.

Why is this ? I consider md'ing and pinpointers to be: safe, harmless, healthy, educational, nutritious, etc....

Re.: "having it confiscated". Ok, other than the initial hysteria of 9/11 (where nail-clippers were confiscated) do you know of any occasions where such a benign instrument such as a md'ing probe was "confiscated". Not that md'ing is widespread enough that you or I can find a case or non-case of such an occurrence , but ... just saying ... : That the moment the word "confiscation" is tossed out, is the moment that all-bets-are-off. No one wants to get "confiscated". So gee, the starting premise must therefore be true. Right ? But who says? Since when ? Does anyone really care ?