Tubes of Toothpaste Confiscated by Customs Officials: 28
Confiscated Toothpaste in Litres: 4.2
Have you ever noticed the nice teeth of immigration officers at Sydney Airport? Or any airport for that matter? If they’ve given you a gleaming grin as you pass through the X-ray machine, you can thank me for it here. For in the course of my travels to over 33 countries in the past decade I’ve given up gallons of toothpaste which I naively thought I could pack in my carry on for a quick swish and shine of my teeth mid-flight. Alas, it’s not my fault that toothpaste comes only in convenient sizes of 150 mL or 100 mL, with the restriction on liquids and gels kicking in at 100 mL. “But this tube is half empty!” I explain, fruitlessly. That’s ok, I think, I’ll just get some more when I arrive. Then that tube gets taken off me when I check in to fly home.
“Sir… step this way, please”
Do you have your mind blown on a daily basis by the most random things when you’re in a foreign country? Me too.
Are there aspects of travelling that drive you crazy and frustrate you? Like getting your toothpaste confiscated? Me too.
Are you a curious traveller who wants some armchair adventure to tide you over until your next trip? You’re in the right place.
Perhaps you’ve never travelled before and want some advice or example experiences on what it’s like to travel. I can help you.
Some bandwidth a day keeps the dentist away
I’m Matt (Rational Matthew on the Interwebz) and I’m a traveller and a scientist from Australia. In the past decade I’ve travelled almost non-stop for both work and fun and as often as possible combining both. I’ve backpacked in hostels and I’ve wined and dined in 5 star establishments. I’ve lived in Australia, the USA, Brazil and Finland, and slept on friends couches in many more countries. I like to wander on my own, I like to look at street art, I like to surf, I even like going on cruises. I could tell you some stories… some strange, some tall, but all (allegedly) true. In fact, I think I’ll build a website and do just that.
Though I’ve lost a lot of toothpaste and often been accused of trying to smuggle it, I started to realise that on those trips starting with confiscations I usually ended up having an awesome time. So I started to see my lost toothpaste as something of a good luck charm. Since most of those grumpy immigration officials are on minimum wage, I figure I’m doing my part by handing over my hard-earned toothpaste and watching them lob it nonchalantly into the metal receptacle. Surely it is worth some good karma which will come in handy for the trip.
Looking slightly worried in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Other things that I have lost to airport security:
- Scissors
- Pocket knife
- Two forks (my bag had apparently been used for a picnic months earlier)
- Bubble bath
- Delicious sauces
Want more? Well, how about
- View the full list of places I have been
- Subscribe to receive new articles to your inbox. It’s FREE
- Follow @RationalMatthewon Twitter
- Like Confiscated Toothpaste on Facebook. We have a good old time over there with many merry discussions.
Some of my more interesting adventures:
- Surviving the 9.0 Japanese Earthquake in 2011
- Cruising the glaciers and eating king crab in Alaska
- Watching the northern lights and dogsledding in Finnish Lapland
- Narrowly avoiding a terrorist bombing in the UK before flying to Japan and winning big in Pachinko
- Getting up close and personal with dangerous Australian Wildlife
Feeling the serenity in Glen Affric, Scotland
You have not been to the philippines… Come on over!