Unethical Life Pro Tips

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An Unethical Life Pro Tip (or ULPT) is a tip that improves your life in a meaningful way, perhaps at the expense of others and/or with questionable legality. Share your best tips you've picked up throughout your life, and learn from others!

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Tips must be unethical, tips that are ethical will be removed.
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[Request] How to get a tiny multitool past airport security? (self.unethicallifeprotips)

submitted 1 year ago by mulcahey to c/unethicallifeprotips

23 comments fedilink hide all child comments

First off: This post is about a tiny Leatherman multitool. Not a gun, not a sword, not something that can actually hurt someone. Just a small, harmless tool that is unfairly banned from planes because of onerous TSA regs. No one is going to do 9/11 with tiny pliers and a fingernail-sized screwdriver.

Now that that's cleared up...

There are 2 things I hate: Going without my keychain-sized Leatherman, and checking a bag at the airport. Unfortunately, these things are in conflict, as TSA won't let me take my precious Squirt (actual product name... ew) in my carry on. Over the years, I've probably lost half a dozen multitools to overzealous airport security, both in the US and abroad.

I've probably gotten it past security over a dozen times, but there doesn't seem to be any consistency to it. Packing it between my razor and my beard trimmer worked for a while, until it didn't. Lining it up with the handlebars of my suitcase worked a couple times. But then I lost another one.

"Did you know they sell airport-friendly Leathermans that don't have a knife?" Yes I do. Did you know that several overseas airports straight up don't care, and will take it anyway? (I'm looking at you, Philippines and Costa Rica.)

I don't need a different tool. What I really need is a reliable method to get this tiny tool past security, so that I can peacefully open beers, fix janky hotel showers, and open the occaisional package without having to buy a new Leatherman every year.

Thank you in advance for your calm, measured, and helpful responses.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No advice for you, I've only flown twice. :/ but they really should have, like, a lock box in the cabin that flight attendants can put all personal items in. That way of you're just traveling with a carry on, you don't have to choose between bringing an entire bag to check, or just foregoing some small item. Then, no danger, and you don't have to check a bag. Just give whatever small item it is to flight crew, they keep it in the cabin until you're disembarking.