The 5 Most Ridiculous Items Passengers Tried to Carry on Board in August
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Every week, the Transportation Security Administration blogs about items (mostly weapons) that agents have confiscated at airports around the country, and the agency posts some of the crazier ones on its Instagram page. To help inform travelers, TSA has created an “Ask TSA” Twitter account where curious travelers can ask if they’re allowed to carry on certain items. Below are the five most ridiculous questions asked this month — at least according to us at Team TPG.
As always, we’re grateful that the TSA remains diligent in preventing passengers from boarding aircraft with such dangerous weapons — or in some cases, cans of chili.
1. Shock Ring
Thank goodness the TSA caught this weapon before it made it on a commercial flight or there would have been a lot of surprised passengers. Shocking as it may be, powerful shock rings such as this aren’t allowed in carry-on bags — although they are permitted if they’re packed safely in a checked bag.
2. The Most Literal Nunchuks Ever
Rejoice! These nunchuks (literally, nun-chuks) look like they’re trusty travel companions and they can come on board the plane in a carry-on bag.
3. Aluminum Sculptures
Ready for a long, strange trip? These Grateful Dead fan art pieces are free to fly with you in a carry-on bag.
4. A …Dinosaur
While most of us believe that dinosaurs have been extinct for about 65 million years now, we may be wrong. Case in point: This dino has places to be and reached out to the TSA to inquire about how it could fly. Unfortunately, service dinosaurs aren’t really a thing (yet), so this one had to travel in the cargo hold. Brr…
5. “Loaded” Coffee Mug
A coffee mug’s a coffee mug, Right? Wrong. If your mug resembles a firearm (or any other weapon for that matter), it’s not allowed on board. Anything that looks like a weapon — no matter how harmless it may actually be — needs to be packed safely in your checked luggage.
What’s the strangest item you’ve seen at a TSA checkpoint?
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