Embarking on a journey can sometimes feel like entering a surreal world, particularly when dealing with boarding procedures and customs in certain countries. However, this doesn’t mean you should abandon your plans, especially if you’re a sexually active traveler. To ensure a hassle-free experience while traveling with your beloved sex toys, here are essential pointers to keep in mind.
Pack Your Essentials: Confidence and Common Sense
No matter where your travels take you, remember to bring along your confidence and common sense. While customs and ground crews have the authority to inspect your luggage, they do not possess the right to hold you accountable for your personal and intimate products. Just as you are entitled to carry toothpaste, you are equally entitled to bring condoms or any other intimate items you deem necessary.
Nevertheless, exercise caution when packing your carry-on baggage. If nail clippers and tweezers can be subject to scrutiny by customs, it’s easy to understand that items like cuffs and whips might also attract attention and potential confiscation.
Navigating the Do’s and Don’ts of Traveling with Your Beloved Sex Toys
While travel brochures and customs information websites might not provide much guidance on the topic, traveling with sex toys requires a unique set of considerations. While items like dildo might be accepted without much fuss in certain places like Sweden or the UK, it’s essential to be aware of the rules and regulations, especially in countries where such items are prohibited. To ensure a smooth journey, here are some crucial tips that you should keep in mind:
Don’t Travel with Your Preferred Toys
Airport security holds the authority to confiscate items that raise safety concerns, even if you disagree with their assessment. If your favorite sex toys come under scrutiny, they might be seized without any recourse. While it might seem unjust, remember that airport security’s decisions are final. The choice often boils down to leaving your items behind to board the flight or opting to stay home.
Pack Your Intimate Items in Checked Bags
When it comes to your carry-on baggage, be cautious about including intimate products or sex toys. Airport security typically inspects hand baggage manually, and carrying sex toys in your carry-on may lead to suspicions that you intend to use them during the flight. Additionally, refrain from placing chargeable or electrical devices in your hand luggage, as the various components, wires, and metal parts can be detected during security scans, potentially leading to their confiscation.
Always Remove Batteries
Regardless of whether you believe your toys are unlikely to switch on accidentally, it’s crucial to remove the batteries before packing. Modern toys often come equipped with small buttons that can be triggered when subjected to pressure—something that’s not uncommon due to the sometimes rough handling of luggage. Airlines are concerned that battery-operated devices could activate inadvertently, potentially leading to overheating and posing a safety risk.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can ensure a worry-free and comfortable travel experience while still enjoying the pleasures of your favorite sex toys.
Ensure the Safety of Your Travel with Intimate Items
When traveling with delicate items like glass dildos, it’s essential to take precautions to prevent breakage. Wrap them carefully and place them within your clothes to absorb any shocks that may occur during transportation and baggage handling.
Avoid Wearing Metal-Adorned Lingerie
If you’re a fan of BDSM lingerie with metal components, it’s wise to steer clear of wearing them during your flight. The metal detectors at airports can be triggered by such accessories, necessitating their removal. It’s also advisable not to pack them in your carry-on for the same reason. To avoid the inconvenience of explanation or forfeiture, opt for other attire or store these items in your checked luggage.
Considerations for Piercings
Traveling with piercings, especially those made of metals that may set off metal detectors, requires some planning. While many airport metal detectors might not react to piercings, it’s prudent to remove them before boarding. If removal isn’t feasible or desirable, choose piercings crafted from materials like gold, surgical steel, titanium, or plastics that are less likely to trigger alarms. Be aware that if the alarm does sound due to other metal items (such as a belt or watch), you may still be asked to remove your piercings. In such cases, remain calm and prepared for potential security checks.
Countries with Legal Restrictions on Sex Toys
Sex toys are subject to legal restrictions in certain countries, often influenced by religious legislation, particularly in Asian nations:
Thailand: Surprisingly, sex toys and prostitution are illegal in Thailand, despite the presence of sex shops and brothels. There’s a peculiar tolerance for sexuality that contradicts conventional views. While arrests of sex shop owners occur frequently, the enforcement is inconsistent. It’s safer to leave your toys at home in Thailand.
India: India displays an ambivalent stance toward sex toys. Although some shops and even train stations sell vibrators, the law deems “sexual acts against nature” as illegal. This contradicts individual sexual rights in India, potentially leading to judgment of possessing a sex toy.
Malaysia: Malaysia exhibits similar dual standards. While brothels thrive in Kuala Lumpur, they remain officially illegal. Conservative Islamic governance has banned sex toy sales and imports.
Vietnam: Like other Asian countries, Vietnam has banned sex toys since 2011, making their import and sale illegal.
Japan: Japan features unconventional sex toys with designs such as Hello Kitty, rabbits, and dolphins, aiming to circumvent obscenity laws. Realistic dildos are better avoided due to these legal concerns.
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates: Sharia law prohibits pornography and sex toys, as they oppose strict Islamic principles. Although a Halal sex shop opened in Mecca in 2015, offering products to enhance intimacy, it refrains from selling dildos or “immoral” massage devices.
Maldives: The Maldives prohibits pornography and considers sex toys as explicit content.
United States: While sex toys are generally legal and commonplace across most of the USA, exceptions exist. Alabama deems them illegal, and Texas has a restriction of owning more than three vibrators.
Be mindful of these legal nuances when traveling to these countries to avoid any unwanted legal complications related to possessing or transporting sex toys.
