✈ What Do Magic 8 Balls, Peanut Butter and Bowling Pins Have in Common? 5 Best Low-Fee Airline Cards & More From TPG ✈

May 5, 2026

Love it or leave it: TSA edition

by Tarah Chieffi, Senior writer

I love and appreciate everything the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does for travelers, but nobody wants to spend more time than necessary waiting in line at the airport.

We talk all the time about the many ways to get through TSA security checkpoints as quickly as possible, including signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and applying for a Clear+ membership. But none of that matters if you pack something in your carry-on that the TSA really wishes you’d left at home.

Take, for example, the time I brought a full-size can of mousse through security, thinking I could get away with it because it is technically a foam and not a liquid. Turns out, my mental gymnastics didn’t matter to the officer who screened my luggage, but I learned an important lesson — the best way to avoid TSA snafus (hair-related or otherwise) is to follow their guidelines to a T.

Here are a few additional items the TSA really wants you to leave at home (or in your checked luggage) to avoid unnecessary scrutiny.

Spreadable foods: Much the same as hair products, just because your item isn’t a very liquid-y liquid, doesn’t mean the TSA won’t confiscate it. This includes things like applesauce, jellies, canned vegetables and nature’s perfect food: peanut butter. If you don’t want to see your airplane snacks in the garbage can, make sure they adhere to the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule.

Sporting equipment: You may think bowling pins and canoe paddles are largely innocuous, but the TSA sees things differently. We know you would never use a cricket bat as a weapon, but they don’t, so leave large sporting equipment at home or pack it in your checked luggage.

Toys that look like weapons: This is another one I am guilty of. My youngest son has been known to travel with a prop knife instead of a stuffed animal, and we have been stopped at security for additional inspection. He was allowed to keep his comfort knife, but keep the toy guns, knives and swords at home if you don’t want the extra inspection.

Magic 8 Balls: When I asked my Magic 8 Ball if I should bring it in my carry-on bag, it told me, “My sources say no.” You may not associate a Magic 8 Ball with liquid, but it does contain some sort of mystical solution. This rule applies to similar liquid-containing items, such as gel candles and snow globes. If you aren’t 100% sure it is 3-1-1 compliant, leave it at home.

You don’t need a fortune-telling toy to tell you whether an item is TSA-compliant. Among many other handy features, the MyTSA app has a comprehensive list of items you can bring in your checked or carry-on bag. You should also follow along with the agency’s helpful (and often hilarious) posts on X and Instagram.

These additional stories help to break down what you should – and shouldn’t – bring to the airport:

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Photo Credit: EVGENIYSHKOLENKO/GETTY IMAGES.

We flew on a BANNED airline

Pakistan International Airlines has one of the most controversial reputations in aviation, from safety bans to “worst airline” lists. But after nearly six years, PIA is back in the UK, relaunching direct flights from Islamabad to Manchester. So what’s it really like to fly them today? Join Medha Imam and Nicky Kelvin as they put PIA to the test on a 9-hour Boeing 777 flight.

Watch now

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