FainaAgain

It was in the news this morning - somebody checked in a suitcase at the international Miami, FL airport with suspicious odor. They've checked, didn't find anything prohibited. The airport did not experience any delays.

Now, what possibly could smell in a suitcase? Spilled liquids? Parfume? Oils and vinegars? Forgotten sandwich?

What could've smelled so strongly as to cause sniffing dogs and police squad to be brought to that suitcase?

toedtoes

I had a sniffing dog double check me once. That morning, before I left, I had a cat laying on my leg. When the dog went through the room, he sniffed and started to pass and then re-sniffed EXACTLY where the cat's bottom had been on my leg. I hate to think what he was smelling, but it wasn't any illegal substance. I would think that perhaps if a dog or cat had pee'd on a suitcase that it might be extremely enticing to take a second whiff.

FainaAgain

But these were people, the luggage employees, who first felt the odor. They called sniffing dogs and whoever else.

Underhill

Our small hard-sided suitcase has a perpetual smell of olive tapenade from the time that a jar smashed en route. Nothing we've tried will made the odor go away--good thing it's not a nasty smell!

lynnejoel1015

Kind of related:

From what I heard on a news report on the radio this afternoon here in SoCal:

"Today in Oxnard, a police dog was supposed to take a bite out of crime, but instead, he took a bite out of the Chief of Police. A suspect stole a vehicle and gave chase with police officers following him. When they stopped the officers chased the man and brought out a police dog, which then bit the Chief in the leg and held on until the handling unit arrived to call the dog off."

Ouch!! I wonder <b>what <i>he</i> smelled like!</b>

toedtoes

Faina, if it was the people that first smelled it, then it could have been anything. Sniffing dogs are pretty well-trained, but people don't get any training on how to distinguish smells.

If could have had mothball smells, pest control sprays (think of things that might be used in a storage/attic area), or perhaps the kids were playing with it and spilled something in it.

gail

Don't know about odors people can smell but my last air trip with checked luggage I realized that the suitcase I was using had previously been stuffed with fireworks - I was worried the residue would trigger something, but it did not.