Aussie traveller risked $2,100 fine packing personal item for a 'good time'
While packing for her overseas holiday to visit family, 28-year-old Andy decided last minute to throw her vibrator into her hand luggage. Little did she know the decision could have cost her $2,100.
The Sydney woman travelled to Abu Dhabi at the start of the month and told Yahoo News she noticed extra security as she was exiting the international airport. She admitted it felt unusual at the time, but after the 14-hour flight, she shrugged it off and walked through to greet her brother. It was only later that she realised she could have had a run-in with authorities.
"I was talking about the security with my brother and he said, 'You know they have those extra scanners there on the lookout for contraband'," she recalled to Yahoo News. When she asked what items were considered illegal, suggesting possibly cigarettes or alcohol, her brother replied: "You know, like sex toys".
"It kind of took me a hot minute to remember, he was so blasé about it... but I was like, hold on, I had a vibrator in my bag."
Andy believes she managed to get away with carrying the item into the country purely because of its unconventional shape, with the palm vibrator mostly flat and designed to look inconspicuous.
"At least it doesn't look like a straight-up dildo," she joked. "I dodged a bullet because the scanner must not have picked up what it was."
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Despite being able to laugh about it now — with her and her vibrator safely home in Australia — Andy has since warned travellers to be more vigilant of local laws in international countries before jetting off on holiday.
"It's a country that grounds itself in religion, so it's fair enough," she said. "Just take note of it when you go overseas when you're actually stopping over in places like Abu Dhabi and anywhere in the Middle East. Maybe just double-check the laws of what they consider illegal."
Sex toys are a prohibited good in several Middle Eastern and Asian countries. The United Arab Emirates, such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Maldives all have strict laws on sex toys. Travellers caught buying, selling or having the items in their possession can face criminal action, with Andy dodging a $2,100 fine in Abu Dhabi.
So the question is — was it worth it? Andy's answer was a resounding no.
"Listen, probably not, no," she laughed. "The UAE has very different laws so I'd rather not get fined or kicked out of the country just for having a good time.
"Be on the safe side, don't take it."
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