Airport security restrictions mean most people have had knives, scissors, or even everyday items like tweezers taken away from them after accidentally stowing them in hand luggage.
However, while it may be assumed these items might be tossed away as rubbish, this isn’t always the case.
In fact, confiscated items often end up being sold in shops or made into a display, according to a Quora user thread.
This tends to depend on where your item is confiscated, as different countries have varying legislation on what can happen to confiscated items.
“I can only speak for Texas but they have a store in Austin where they sell all the seized knives and other stuff,” wrote one user.
The Transport Security Administration (TSA) sells confiscated goods in a number of states via government run auction websites, according to another user.
Other states in America, such as Georgia, appear to allow confiscated items to form airport displays.
One person revealed: “The Atlanta airport (ATL) used to have an impressive display in Concourse E filled with animal skins, bones, etc.
“It would be worth tens of thousands of dollars on the black market – stuff that people tried to bring into the USA illegally.”
However, European countries, such as Belgium, seem to have a more relaxed policy favouring the airport traveller.
“I know in my country (Belgium), they could keep seized items for you until your return,” said a Belgian Quora user.
“If I recall correctly, it cost about 12 euros at the time. This was at least a decade ago, so I don’t know if they still do it.”
However, it was revealed recently Canada will allow knives at airports after relaxing its country wide restrictions.
New rules from Transport Canada allow blades “up to six centimetres in length” to be carried in hand luggage.
This, says the website, is “about the size of a large paper clip”, and will not be banned on domestic or international flights from the airport.
However, those flying from Canada to the US will not be allowed to carry the blades, due to a security screening agreement between the two countries.
“Knife blades of any length will remain prohibited on flights to the United States through preclearance facilities,” says the website.
