executive forced to smash two bottles of Australia's best known wine, worth $3000

[Ban Hammer 14,286]

A BREWERY executive was on the verge of tears when he had to smash two bottles of Australia's best known wine, worth $3000, at the airport.

Neil Grant, the southern region general manager with Fosters Australia, ran foul of the tough security rules at Melbourne's Tullmarine airport as he was about to board an Emirates flight to the UK.

"I was going to conferences in Scotland and Ireland, and grabbed a 1980 and an '82 Grange from my personal cellar," Mr Grant said.

He estimated the two bottles were probably worth about $3000.

But he'd forgotten about the 100ml liquid rule applying to carry-on luggage, and although the precious Grange slipped through Customs he came unstuck at the final security check.

"I had the lady from hell, who said 'No sir, this is going to be bloody destroyed' even though the Emirates people were happy to find my baggage and pack it for me," he said.

"I said 'this is like a work of art, it's irreplaceable, do you know what you're doing here'.

"She had them in her office and I said I wanted to put them in the wheelie bin myself.

"I was worried that they'd just go downstairs and someone would open the bin and there's two bottles of Grange, so I smashed them.

"I thought if I'm not going to be able to drink them, nobody is.

"I'm still in mourning over it."

Mr Grant said he wanted to take the Grange overseas to share with others at the conferences and show off some of Australia's best produce.

"They were just totally inflexible about anything we suggested to get it fixed," he said.

"I offered to open it there and then and let everyone have some, but they said 'No sir, you can't do that here'."

link

Edited December 31, 2007 by charlesandnessa

[Jenn! 918]

####### is wrong with him. i'd have drunk 'em both on the spot.

This is a travesty.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Now there's some...yawn...exciting news.

[Ban Hammer 14,286]

Now there's some...yawn...exciting news.

i got some more

[*julez* 124]

How unreasonable of security to not allow the airline to find his luggae and place it is the stow. Some people are ridiculous. Must have been a nice little power trip for that woman.

[Nessa 23]

####### is wrong with him. i'd have drunk 'em both on the spot.

This is a travesty.

[almaty 19]

should have chugged them and then barf

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Aww, poor rich guy.

[JODO 2]

####### is wrong with him. i'd have drunk 'em both on the spot.

This is a travesty.

Yep.. a shame...

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Let's think about this. It is well-publicized that you can't bring liquids in large amounts on a plane, but he tried to anyway. I would be willing to bet that he knew he wasn't supposed to do it before he got to the line, but he thought he could talk his way out of it. Then, he openly admitted that he VOLUNTARILY smashed the bottles.

Either way, I don't feel sorry for him. That's what he gets for being hedonistic and spending that much money on wine.

[*julez* 124]

I personally appreciate fine wine and think it stinks that they wouldn't allow the airlines to move the bottles into his luggage.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I personally appreciate fine wine and think it stinks that they wouldn't allow the airlines to move the bottles into his luggage.

I appreciate fine wine, too. I wouldn't spend $3000 on it, though. There are also signs leading to the security point telling you what you can't have and I bet his bottles were included in those signs.

Plus, you know that sucker could afford more wine. Seriously, I don't feel sorry for some rich wanker having to smash a bottle of expensive wine. It kind of has a karma feel to it, if you ask me.

Edited January 2, 2008 by AnewKINDofFEELIN

[russ 1]

I personally appreciate fine wine and think it stinks that they wouldn't allow the airlines to move the bottles into his luggage.

Yeah, well we also have new rules starting for Li-Ion batteries. I can see this being a big pain for me, as I routinely travel with more than the 8 grams of lithium allowed under rules that took effect yesterday. (I work for one of the largest resellers of these things).

The gist of the rule is no more than two such batteries. I typically travel with about 10 of them. (2 in cell phones, 4 for laptops, 2 for a radio, etc.) You are not allowed to check any of them. Vacation would be even worse (my cameras and video equipment use these as well, that's another 8 batteries).

Since batteries are not labeled with how much lithium they contain, I can see a lot of equipment being confiscated by TSA in the next few months.

[lucyrich 20]

I personally appreciate fine wine and think it stinks that they wouldn't allow the airlines to move the bottles into his luggage.

Yeah, well we also have new rules starting for Li-Ion batteries. I can see this being a big pain for me, as I routinely travel with more than the 8 grams of lithium allowed under rules that took effect yesterday. (I work for one of the largest resellers of these things).

The gist of the rule is no more than two such batteries. I typically travel with about 10 of them. (2 in cell phones, 4 for laptops, 2 for a radio, etc.) You are not allowed to check any of them. Vacation would be even worse (my cameras and video equipment use these as well, that's another 8 batteries).

Since batteries are not labeled with how much lithium they contain, I can see a lot of equipment being confiscated by TSA in the next few months.

But note that the rule only applies to SPARE batteries. That is, any battery installed in a device is not covered under the prohibition, and is allowed, no matter how many of them you have, and no matter how many grams of lithium it has. You can check it or put it in your carry on. See the DOT press release for details.

The rule is specifically against SPARE batteries to avoid problems with metal objects shorting out the batteries' contacts and causing an accidental fire. The risk isn't nearly so great with batteries that are installed in a device, since the electrical contacts are enclosed and therefore not likely to touch stray metal objects.

So just be sure you've got an electronic device to hold each of your batteries.

[russ 1]

But note that the rule only applies to SPARE batteries. That is, any battery installed in a device is not covered under the prohibition, and is allowed, no matter how many of them you have, and no matter how many grams of lithium it has. You can check it or put it in your carry on. See the DOT press release for details.

The rule is specifically against SPARE batteries to avoid problems with metal objects shorting out the batteries' contacts and causing an accidental fire. The risk isn't nearly so great with batteries that are installed in a device, since the electrical contacts are enclosed and therefore not likely to touch stray metal objects.

So just be sure you've got an electronic device to hold each of your batteries.

Yes, but all of the cases of battery fires I have read about occurred when installed in devices. And I carry lot's of spares (my work laptop runs for about 45 minutes on one battery, so I carry 4 of them). My FAA APPROVED backup aircraft radio chews through batteries as well, so I carry 4 spares for that (the backup radio can provide VOR navigation, so I like having it - I've had electrical issues flying before. Though it is totally useless without batteries.)

LI-ion batteries are known to explode when shorted, and they become useless when fully discharged. For this reason, you don't see rechargeable AA cells. They are always sealed, with circuits to prevent 100% discharge, or too much current flow. They will get very hot if you short them, but they should never explode or burn. They exploding ones had manufacturing defects allowing internal shorts.

The real danger is that the individual cells are removed from the plastic housing, and then shorted. The risk of fire or the damage you can do with the high surge current is an issue then. (I'm a EE, I know a bit about this stuff). Lead-acid and NiCd cells also have high surge currents, but their energy per kg is much lower. (100lb batteries are not practical to carry on an airplane).

I would be more worried about lasers being carried on aircraft. Someone that knew what they were doing could construct something quite dangerous. (Lasers can cause lots of things to burn that normally don't.) The semiconductor laser in your DVD drive can light a match from across a room.