I used to carry a pocket knife on the plane. In fact all of my life, including every day to school as a kid, I carried a knife. It came in handy for opening boxes, cutting string, even trimming my fingernails. 
Of course that all changed a while ago and now I find myself donating knives that I offer when I arrive at airport security. Which is why I find the following story so funny. I was in Lumbumbashi, DR Congo and met up with Marc Myburgh, a colleague from Hands at Work. We connected with an older couple, Papa & Mama Mwamba – He is a chemist with Geka Mines and she runs a clinic. We shared supper that night. At the end of our time, Papa Mwamba gave Marc an artistic ‘conversation piece‘ from his time working in the local Copper Mine. A deadly piece of jagged heavy copper ore. It looked like some epic medieval weapon, forged by mountain dwarves at Mordor.
Heavy and lethal
Once we got to the airport, we ran the customary quadruple check security line. We had to send a runner to about 6 different places in and around the airport to find certain bureaucrats in small rooms. Everyone affixed signatures and stamps to our passport and papers. Then we sailed smoothly through airline security with our carry-on luggage. Marc held the heavy jagged copper club in hand. The only comment from the security guard was admiration. Nobody else blinked an eye. Safety first!
What do you remember getting away with on the airplane?
Mark Crocker