Excuse Me, Sir – What's That Shiny Object in Your Cane?

Walking stick more than meets the eye

He was planning to show off his cool cane topped with a lion head to family in Seattle but when Saeed Sanjideh got to the airport in San Jose, Calif., he discovered the walking stick was hiding something dangerous.

The retired deli owner took his special walking cane to the airport for a flight to Seattle. But, the Wall Street Journal reports, when Transportation Security Administration officials examined the cane, they found that it contained a 16-inch sword. They confiscated the cane -- sword and all -- but determined Sajideh and his wife posed no threat so they were allowed to board.

"I didn't know it had a sword in it," Sanjideh said of the unique piece that his wife bought for him at a flea market. Security officials got Sanjideh a wheelchair to help him get to the gate.

Sajideh is not alone in his surprise discovery. Since 2002, TSA officials have found more than 200 canes concealing swords or knives, the WSJ article notes. Most of those passengers were just as surprised as Sajideh to discover the sharps objects.

Sanjideh and his wife made it to Seattle -- minus the cane. Once they got there, his nephew's wife got him a new one. This time, they checked inside for any hidden surprises and found the cane is a solid.

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