A woman has revealed she was once stopped by airport security after officers found a bottle of “white powder” in her suitcase – but said staff were left “red-faced” when they discovered what the substance really was.
Lana Madison, 29, was travelling with her ex-boyfriend and a few of their friends on a holiday when the incident happened. The model revealed that while going through customs at Mexico City, her suitcase was searched as officials thought the powder may be a dangerous or illegal product.
However, Lana, who has over 25,000 followers on Instagram, said she had packed the bag herself and knew that nothing was amiss. It was at that point, she said, that she had to reveal to officers that the product was a bottle of powdered lube.
She said officers were “completely confused” as they couldn’t figure out what the product was – but after a 30-minute wait, she was let go, and the bottle wasn’t seized. “Several of them huddled around, taking pictures and trying to figure out what it was and why we had it,” Lana said of airport security.
“I thought they were overreacting and needed to calm down. It’s a concentrated powder containing polyethene polymer – the same ingredient in bubble solution and slime recipes.
“We mix it with water to make it slippery and use it as a lubricant. It’s easier to pack, and one bottle makes about 11 litres of lube.” Lana said that her partner was able to communicate with the Spanish-speaking officers and, “with the added help of some hand gestures,” he could explain what was going on.
“They didn’t speak much English, but luckily, my ex-boyfriend acted as my translator. The funny part was when he actually made a fingers-in-the-air gesture to demonstrate how it can be used.
“Eventually, after a lot of discussion – and realising that we weren’t criminals – they let us keep the lube.” Although Lana and her partner are no longer together, she still uses the lube, but packs it in her checked-in luggage these days.
Last month, an airport worker revealed the most common mistake passengers make when going through security – that leads to them being stopped the majority of the time. The former check-in agent, who worked at London’s Heathrow Airport, said it’s important to empty all of your pockets before passing through security, as the scanners can detect anything that may seem suspicious. Even an extra pocket on your trousers could set the red alarm.
It’s best to learn the rules beforehand to avoid getting stopped and getting second-hand embarrassment. He told Travel Radar: “Your bags will be rejected and have to be manually searched if you don’t remove certain items – these are CAA and DfT rules we have to follow, and we have no power to change or circumvent them.”
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