I flew to the UK from our small provincial French airport last week and the sign telling you what you weren't allowed to have in your hand luggage had a new addition: "nothing smelly."

The word "smelly" in itself puzzled me as it doesn't seem a very official sort of word and I did wonder if it was a poor translation from French but I couldn't find a similar sign in French (the airport is used mainly by British ex-pats). Nor could I see a similar sign at Stansted on my way back.

I am intrigued as to what the "smelly" objects might be: dirty socks? local goat's cheese? perfume? (no examples were given). And also why would they present a danger?

Has anyone ever heard of someone being stopped for trying to take a "smelly object" on the plane with them? And if so, what was it?

Sounds a bit daft , but I did go in a Malaysian taxi that said 'Do not smoke, do not fart'

At many airports now they use dogs to sniff over luggage to check for drugs. Anything 'smelly' might obliterate the drugs smell.

"Smelly" may sound a bit colloquial but it's probably just what untrusting customs officers pay attention to... I've had my luggage taken apart for several "smelly" products that presumably they thought might be a cover for dope including cocoa (actually unsealed the pretty cans I was taking as presents and got posh Costa Rican cocoa powder all over my clothes ) and coffee. And once a little Chilean ostrich leather purse got the electronic sniffers metaphorically barking. It was slightly smelly, actually.

The smelliest import-export didn't cause any trouble strangely - a whole lovely, pongy Stilton cheese my mother brought me once for Christmas.

Kind of in line with the Malaysian story listed below..

Public transport in Singapore (neighbour of Malaysia) has signs on it saying "no durians allowed". A durian for those who don' t know, is an extremely pungent fruit native to those parts. So pungent that it has to be separately listed in signs. I can't describe what it smells like; a combination of old socks, onions and fish is what I have heard it described as.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Singapore_MRT_Fines.jpg <-- a picture of the actual signs on public transport. Note that there is a separate no eating and drinking sign- but durians deserve a category of their own.

I got stopped with my daughter's violin rosin in my hand luggage- but they allowed it through in the end! They said it was a natural material!
I also had in my pencil case an item I didn't know was in there- a clarinet screw driver- they took that off me.

They aren't smelly tho.....

We have a malaysian person in our office who brought some durians in - I can attest to the unpleasantness of the smell! And the taste is not much better.

Fortunately my Laptop does not have Windoze installed - so I should still be allowed to take that in my hand luggage.