The 5 Craziest Things Passengers Tried to Sneak by the TSA in December

Jan. 01, 2018

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9 min read

The 5 Craziest Things Passengers Tried to Sneak by the TSA in December

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It’s always a joy to see just what the TSA confiscated every month. Will it be another weapon? A live animal? All of the above? Most likely, since passengers have no shame when trying to sneak things by security agents at airports. From festive handguns to cooking utensils that can be used as weapons, here's a look at what passengers tried to bring on planes with them in December.

1. "Spare" Time at the Airport

You know that sinking feeling when you realize you forgot something at a TSA checkpoint after hustling through security in hopes of making your flight? Well, the owner of this bowling ball was certainly feeling this at a Washington Dulles (IAD) TSA checkpoint. You'd think he'd notice quite a difference in weight for his carry-on luggage, but who am I to judge? Hopefully this guy had a "spare."

If you’ve noticed that your bag is a lot lighter, you may have forgotten your bowling ball at the Washington Dulles (IAD) TSA checkpoint. Hopefully this person had a “spare.” … Items left at TSA checkpoints are recorded into the lost and found log at the airport and stored in a secure TSA managed location. You can access a list of lost and found phone numbers for each airport at TSA.gov, or you can reach out to our AskTSA team via Twitter or Facebook Messenger. … #TSATravelTips #Gutterball #Bowling

A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on Dec 26, 2017 at 6:11pm PST

2. Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells

This passenger really tried to get in the holiday spirit with his green handgun and red shells. This fully-loaded firearm was found at TSA checkpoint in Fort Lauderdale (FLL) but we all know Santa doesn't pack heat. Either way, the owner of the gun faced some penalties for not properly packing this in his checked baggage by either paying a large fine or spending time in jail — hopefully next time he remembers and replaces his jingle shells with jingle bells.

This is the closest Christmas-themed firearm I could find. A green handle, and red jingle-shells. ... It was discovered in a carry-on bag at Ft. Lauderdale (FLL). Nothing can ruin your holidays like being arrested or fined up to $11,000.00 for bringing a firearm to the checkpoint. … While firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags, you can pack them in your checked baggage as long as you meet the packing guidelines: bit.ly/travelingwithfirearms … As a refresher, carry-on bags go into the cabin of the plane with you. Checked bags go into the cargo hold of the plane where passengers have no access. … When firearms are discovered at the checkpoint, we contact law enforcement and they decide what happens based on background checks, interviews and local laws. … A firearm at the checkpoint could lead to fines, arrests, missed flights or all of the above. As far as what happens to confiscated firearms, that's up to each local police department.

A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on Dec 24, 2017 at 1:13pm PST

3. Festive Ammo

Nothing says Christmas quite like the gift of ammunition, especially when it's Christmas-themed. This person was stopped at a TSA checkpoint at Washington Dulles (IAD); had he properly checked the ammunition and followed the guidelines, he would've been on his merry way and been able to give the gift of bullets to a loved one.

If you bit the bullet and decided to gift the fancy festive ammo this year, do yourself a favor and pack it in your checked bag instead of your carry-on bag. … Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. … This ammo was discovered in a carry-on bag at the Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD).

A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on Dec 21, 2017 at 6:43pm PST

4. Meat Tenderizer

Well, here's an odd one. We all know that airline meals could all use some TLC, but there's really not much more you can do on board besides add some salt and pepper to your rubbery chicken. Keep the tenderizers in the kitchen, as it can be considered as a weapon and thus have to travel in checked luggage.

People go to great lengths to get soft skin, but a face tenderizer might be a bit radical. Unless the look you’re going for is raw meat. This was discovered in a carry-on bag at Buffalo (BUF). Please pack all face tenderizers in your checked bags.

A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on Dec 18, 2017 at 6:43pm PST

5. Holiday Party Necessities

While it may look like this TSA in Boston (BOS) was getting ready for its holiday party, it is really just all the alcohol it confiscated from carry-on baggage. You can bring alcohol on board, as long as it's in the form of 3.4 ounce bottles zipped in a quart-sized plastic bag. Unfortunately, this is just a bunch of wasted booze, as all the alcohol is "destroyed" every two weeks by the agency. Sad!

What you see here isn’t the beginning of the annual office Christmas party, it’s two-week’s worth of alcohol that was left behind at Boston (BOS) checkpoints because they didn’t adhere to our liquid policies. And this picture doesn’t include the beer and wine. Alcohol is destroyed every two weeks. Here are some tips on how to travel with alcohol: … Carry-on Baggage - Travelers may carry as many 3.4 ounce bottles of liquid (mini bottles of liquor are 1.7 ounces) that fit comfortably in one, quart sized, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Comfortable means that the bag will seal without busting at the seams. One bag is permitted per passenger. … Checked Baggage - Any amount of alcohol greater than 3.4 ounces must be packed in checked baggage. Beverages with more than 70% alcohol content (140 proof), including 95% grain alcohol and 150 proof rum, cannot be packed in checked luggage. Travelers may take up to five liters of alcohol with alcohol content between 24% and 70% per person as checked luggage if it’s packaged in a sealable bottle or flask. Alcoholic beverages with less than 24% alcohol content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations.

A post shared by TSA (@tsa) on Dec 24, 2017 at 9:51am PST