Baby food allowed but only if baby is present

When one doesn’t avail oneself of the pleasures of flying on a regular basis, there is a certain amount of uncertainty when planning what does and does not go in the carry-on luggage.

Specific airlines have their own rules and there are rules for in-Canada flights, rules for flights going to the United States and other rules for flying overseas. How does one keep up?

While pondering whether to put my nail file and nail scissors into my carry-on bag, I did some research and found a site that is very clear on the dis-allowed and the allowables.

For instance, ammunition is prohibited in the cabin, but it might be okay in the checked bags, but discuss it with the airline first. Ditto for avalanche backpacks, belts made from fake bullets, billiard cues, billy clubs, blackjacks, car parts, crossbows, fire extinguishers and self-inflating life rafts.

I learned that nail files and scissors are permitted as long as they meet length requirements. Mine were acceptable but any plans to carry an axe with me were nixed by the rules. Chopping firewood would have to wait until the luggage could be claimed at the baggage carousel.

The cleanliness and personal hygiene of passengers is well looked after in what is allowed in those bulging carry-on bags. That was good news for a fellow passenger who spent the full 90 minutes of the flight applying her lash extensions, combing her hair, dabbing on various shades of foundation and blush, selecting eyeshadow tones, and forming and plucking her eyebrows. Her seat mate gave me several pained looks as he tried not to gawk when she applied several dabs of perfume to her wrists and neckline.

If the flight had been longer, she might have dragged out other hygiene products such as bath moisturizers, bath oils and salts, a hair dryer and flat iron, facial cleanser and foot powder, all allowable in the cabin.

One of the rules could be construed as discriminatory against folks without teeth or with digestive problems who are forced to a diet of baby food. This baby food or formula is allowed in check-in bags only if the flyer is travelling with an infant under 24 months. I suspect a jar of mushed carrots would be ambrosia in comparison to the pretzels and cookies doled out by most airlines. Even more curious, breast milk is allowed, with or without an accompanying child.

If we had carried larger bags on board we would have been cleared for baked goods including cakes, pies and cookies, baking powder and soda, small bottles of non-alcoholic beverages, blocks of cheese, cans of tuna, chocolate spreads, coffee beans and tea leaves, butter, crackers, peanut butter, puddings, salt and sand, sandwiches, vegetables and whipped cream.

I can’t imagine why anyone would, but also cleared for carry-on are blades for blenders or food processors as long as the blades are shorter than 6 cms, and only within Canada. Maybe they could be used to chop the vegetables. GPS devices are allowed in the overhead bins but guitar strings and gas cylinders for parachutes are not, nor are hammers, hockey sticks, kayak paddles, sabres, slingshots and crowbars.

I noted that duct tape and parachutes are carry-on permissible item. Duct would come in handy for controlling the noise level of unruly children and those adults who have imbibed too much before finding their seats. And if the pilot needs to make some important repairs, duct tape might be the answer, especially if the parachute fails to open and the skydiving rig (also allowed) is stuffed behind the luggage containing the sandwiches and vegetables. For Moose Jaw Express

DJoyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net