Toy gun in boy's bag causes family of 4 to miss flight at Changi Airport, but toy sword allowed
The mother called it a $3,000 mistake.
A toy gun in her seven-year-old son's bag caused the family of four to miss their flight to Guangzhou, and they had to pay that amount for new tickets.
Content creator Sharon Tang posted about the incident on social media on March 15 in hopes that it would help other families avoid what happened to her family.
Their flight was at 8.05am that morning. While Ms Tang, her husband, son, and daughter were going through security at Changi Airport, the toy gun was found in the boy's carry-on bag.
"We immediately offered to dispose of the toy so we could continue to the gate, but we were told clearance from Aetos officers was required first," recounted Ms Tang.
"The airline was informed and said they could only hold the gate until the official departure time."
She said by the time the officers arrived, it was three minutes before departure, and the gate was already in the process of closing.
"They still had to follow procedures — discussing the situation and writing the necessary statement before clearing us. In that moment, we were panicking and pleading if things could move a little faster," said Ms Tang in her post.
"To be clear, everyone was simply doing their job and following protocol. Safety and documentation are important. But as parents watching the minutes disappear while our flight slipped away, it felt incredibly helpless."
In the end, they missed the flight and had to book new tickets.
Urges parents to pay attention to what's in children's bags
Ms Tang told Shin Min Daily News that her children packed their own luggage, usually with toys and books. They had never had any issues on their many trips before.
She said: "This incident made us realise the problems caused by not checking their luggage.
"I am sharing my experience to remind all parents to pay attention to what their children have in their luggage and check it repeatedly. Now we also know that even toy handcuffs must be reported to the authorities if they are found."
But even though her son's toy gun was confiscated, a toy sword in his bag was allowed, said Ms Tang.
According to the Changi Airport website, replica and imitation firearms, as well as toy guns resembling real firearms, are prohibited. While pointed or edged weapons and sharp objects, such as swords, are prohibited, there is no specific mention of toy swords.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
Explore more on these topics
