Renowned China-watcher and keen aviator James Fallows has argued that China’s airport security is at a sensible level compared to the overzealous security in the United States.
This has given rise to some passengers in China trying their luck with some truly bizarre objects, and most of these incidents seem to happen at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. The latest of these is a live turtle being smuggled inside a KFC hamburger by a Beijing man at the airport.
UPI has the story:
The man, whose last name is Li, was on his way to board a China Southern Airlines flight to Beijing when he was stopped during the x-ray screening at the airport over an “odd protrusion” that was sticking out of a KFC burger inside his bag.
Airport security soon determined the bump looked an awful lot like a turtle and decided to inspect Li’s bag.
“There’s no turtle in there, just a hamburger,” the man allegedly told authorities. “There’s nothing special to see inside.”
Once airport officials found the turtle and confronted Li, he explained that he just wanted to travel with his “beloved” turtle.
After airport authorities told the man he was not allowed to smuggle animals into planes he reportedly decided to leave his turtle with a friend while he traveled.
And this is probably not the most bizarre.
In March, a foreign woman was told she could not carry a bottle of liquid on board, so she swigged it but did not swallow. When asked to spit the liquid out, it emerged that she had been trying to smuggle tadpoles on board.
In February, a disabled man was prevented from carrying his severed leg in his luggage, and last December a woman was forbidden from wearing “anti-pervert” spiky shoes onboard.