It’s the March school holidays, and many families are travelling overseas.
One small toy recently led to a “$3,000 mistake” for a family travelling from Singapore to Guangzhou, China.
In an Instagram post on Sunday (March 15), local content creator Sharon Tang shared that her family of four was supposed to catch a flight at Changi Airport that morning.
During the bag screening process, however, airport security found a toy gun that her 7-year-old son had packed in his hand-carry bag.
While Sharon and her husband immediately offered to dispose of the toy so the family could continue with the trip, they were told that they had to get clearance from auxiliary police officers first.
“When the officers finally arrived, there were only about three minutes left, and the gate was already in the process of closing,” the mum of twins recounted.
“They 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.”
Sharon pointed out that the officers were “simply doing their jobs and following protocol”.
“Safety and documentation are important. But as parents watching the minutes disappear while our flight slipped away, it felt incredibly helpless,” she said.
The family ended up missing their flight and had to book one-way tickets on China Southern Airlines for $3,000.
In her post, Sharon said she shared her experience in hopes that it would act as a reminder to fellow parents.
She urged them to double-check their kids’ hand-carry bags, for a “harmless toy” can trigger security protocols.
“It was an expensive lesson, but also a valuable one, and no one is to blame,” she said.
Sharon told AsiaOne on Tuesday that the officers had confiscated the toy gun.
Reflecting on the incident, she said that she and her husband take full responsibility for what happened.
“Our son was simply excited about the trip, and we should have checked his bag more carefully,” she said.
“It was a stressful moment for our family, but we respect the security process and understand why these rules exist. At the end of the day, we’re grateful everyone is safe and that we can now look back on it as a learning experience.”
According to Changi Airport’s security and baggage restriction guidelines, firearms of any kind, including replicas and toys, are not allowed on the plane as part of international safety measures.
It is an offence if travellers fail to comply with these measures, as the safety of all passengers on the flight could be compromised, Changi Airport explained.
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