Getting stopped by airport security is no laughing matter. It can make your hair stand on end, even if you know you aren’t carrying anything illegal. What if someone planted something in your luggage when you weren’t looking? We’ve seen enough stories and movies about people doing jail time abroad for this kind of thing.

I was once stopped in very dramatic fashion by Atlanta’s airport security. It was just a few years after 9/11, so they weren’t taking any chances. Me, being naive and young, reached forward to open my bag for them. Only to be met by a loud order to “step away right now!” As a thousand thoughts ran through my mind, we soon discovered that the highly suspicious items were a few big wedding magazines I’d bought during my time in the city. Needless to say, I was allowed to put my socks and shoes back on, my luggage was released and I eventually boarded the plane.

Airport security is there to keep us all safe. Searching “suspicious” bags is all part of the parcel. But sometimes it’s a hit or miss. Someone once asked those working in the industry, “What’s the weirdest but still legal thing you found in someone’s bag?” and the answers ranged from bizarre to hilarious to downright embarrassing.

Bored Panda has put together a list of our favorites for you to scroll through while you plan your next dream trip. We also reveal the top items confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration last year. You’ll find that between the images.

#1

Not an airport security worker, but the security agents in Berlin were concerned that some rocks I had in my backpack (why buy a souvenir when you can just take a rock?) were pieces of the Berlin Wall.

Image credits: mrdarcyslaw

Airport security workers have had their hands full, quite literally, trying to juggle a bizarre list of items that passengers attempted to sneak onto planes in recent months. In January, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a video titled TSA’s Top 10 Best Catches 2024.

It showcased some of the wildest prohibited items concealed in the luggage of travelers last year. And the questionable methods used by these passengers.

“You won’t believe what people brought to the airport…” TSA captioned the video. And they might be right. Some of the items were an obvious no-no while others were a bit more “WTF?” More details below…

#2

On an episode of Border Security Australia, Brisbanes main airport had to be evacuated and bomb techs called as a grenade had been spotted on the x-ray machine. Bomb techs go in only to discover it’s a belt with a metal grenade shaped buckle. Not the smartest thing to travel with.

Image credits: Silent-Zebra

One guy thought he’d fly (high) under the radar by hiding his bag of marijuana in a peanut butter jar. He figured if he left some of the peanut butter in it, and stuffed the weed in the middle, North Carolina airport security would be none the wiser. But boy was he wrong.

Bored Panda scooped a little deeper and found the original TSA Instagram post about the incident. “When we find peanut butter it doesn’t ever smell like this. That’s why when a passenger tried to pass skunk through Asheville Regional Airport it sparked some suspicion,” the TSA captioned the post.

“For one, our OG’s know that peanut butter cannot fly unless it’s 3.4 oz or less. This goes for any liquids, gels, aerosols, creams, pastes, and lotion. A reminder to load up all your travel-size liquids in a single quart-size bag to prevent any unwanted delays,” they continued.

#3

My landlady in college was the stereotypical harmless looking little white haired grandma. She made some ceramic pistols so one of her grandkids could have them on the wall as part of a pirate-themed bedroom redesign. The world had changed since she had flown anywhere so she didn’t think twice about tucking them into a carry-on bag. Hilarity ensued.

Image credits: DancingBear2020

It seems while the TSA doesn’t take prohibited substances lightly, they do have a sense of humor. “Sorry maaaaaan, weed and certain cannabis infused products remain illegal under federal law, unless they contain .3% THC or less,” reads the post. “To put it bluntly, it’s pra-bowl-ly not the best idea to travel with your kush, if you’re looking for a fast and seamless travel experience.”

“Wrapping up, if you’re dabbling with the idea of bringing accessories, relax. We don’t want to leaf you with any questions,” the TSA quipped. “So to clear up any con-zoot-ion, you’re able to travel with residue free pipes and bongs. They can be packed in your carry-on or checked bags.”

#4

I’m not a security worker, but I have a story from the other side.

I’m asthmatic and had a peak flow meter in my carry on. This is a device you use to measure how much air you’re exhaling. This one was a long cylinder with a tapered end. It had a metal rod in it that the gauge would slide along. When my bag went through x-ray, the guard called another guard over. Elbows poked at each other, and latex gloves went on.

When the guard pulled out the peak flow meter, he looked super confused. He clearly thought he was going to be pulling out a d***o. “Um, what is this?” he asked.

“It’s a peak flow meter for my asthma,” I explained. “I blow in it. Would you like a demonstration?”

“No, ma’aam. That won’t be necessary.” But then he cracked, leaned over and asked “Do you mind if I show my friend?”

We all got a kick out of it.

Image credits: aellenhicks-2

#5

I was travelling for work once, I am a freelance technical director, and my son had put a large Jolly Roger sticker on my hard shell laptop case. He was going through his pirate phase. I was opening the case up to put the laptop in a tray for the scanner when the TSA screamed at me to stop. He activated some kind of Purple alert and in seconds I was swarmed by TSA agents and local LEOs.

After much explaining it was revealed the TSA guy saw the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones and thought I was carrying human remains.

Image credits: LOUDCO-HD

A passenger in Virginia certainly didn’t put his best foot forward when he got caught trying to smuggle a utility knife in his shoe. The TSA revealed that not only did the man have the guts to try and go through pre-check at Williamsburg International with the weapon under the sole of his foot… he also claimed to have no idea it was there.

“When asked about the knife, the man claimed that he didn’t realize that the utility knife was in his shoe. Keep in mind, this was quite a bulky item that was folded in its case, which made it even bulkier,” reads a TSA press release. Not sure about you, but I’m pretty sure I’d feel something like that in my shoe. Heck, even a tiny bit of gravel irritates me.

The TSA revealed that the man was permitted to catch his flight to Charlotte International Airport after surrendering his utility “tool” to authorities.

#6

From the other side. Early 90s.

My dorm had a pool table with a c***py cue ball. I bought one when I was home and had it in my carry on. A cue ball is apparently dense enough on the x-ray to alarm the staff.

Image credits: orthogonius

One Lego-enthusiast took his building and deconstruction skills to the next level when he stuffed a dismantled firearm, along with lego pieces, in a red combat boot. He stored the very prohibited items in a Marvel Avengers Lego set in a carry-on bag. It seems the guy totally forgot that airport security has X-ray vision.

The TSA said that the disassembled firearm parts were “artfully concealed” but were intercepted by officers at Newark Liberty International Airport. “This is an example of someone who was intentionally attempting to carry a [firearm] onto a flight,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey.

#7

Well when I was 6 I had my Dora the explora backpack on and I put one of those small sizes 8 oz water bottles in it. When my mom put the my bag up on the belt through x ray it got flagged and they pulled my 6 year old self into a room (without my parents) and did a full search of me and then the woman yelled at me to never do it again. My mother wasn’t happy.

Image credits: anon

#8

I once bought a pack of barbicans from UAE and i was travelling back to india. The pack was in my hand luggage. The security guys stopped me and they were arabs and didn’t understand english that much. They got hold of it and i enquired why. They show actions of cans exploding and one of them was like cans – *splooosshh, bphrrrooom, booom* i will never forget it.

Image credits: bananapaants

“He kept changing his story, first telling us that it was a toy… and then claiming that it belonged to his brother. Regardless of his claims, what I can tell you is that it was a fully disassembled firearm that he could easily have assembled and used on a plane,” continued Carter. “Not only does this individual face criminal charges from the police, but he also will face a stiff federal financial civil penalty that is likely to set him back several thousands of dollars.”

I still shudder to think why he felt he needed to take the weapon onto the plane…

#9

Slightly unrelated, but it’s a funny story

I was flying back from Milan. the security worker stopped my dad’s bag after the X-ray machine, and said there’s some sort of liquid or gel in there. So he searches through the bag and eventually pulls out what he saw in the machine – a jar of Nutella. Now, he’s probably a proud Italian and loves his Nutella, because I never seen a more devastated face in my life once he realized he needs to confiscate our Nutella. He started apologizing like crazy, “Oh no, I am so sorry…” and so on.

Image credits: TiBiDi

Some people have zero regard not only for the safety of other passengers but for their own safety as well. The TSA says one person tried to slither through security with two live snakes. The man hid them in a small sunglasses bag. But it gets weirder. The passenger felt the best way to get the reptiles onto the plane without being stopped was to put them in his… pants! Yikes.

#10

Not a worker but probably my bag. My friends kids decided to pack me part of their rock collection and several small crafts. Apparently not wanted to have them broken they padded out the pouch they were in with maxi pads. Security was not impressed that I had no idea what was in my bag and couldn’t explain it.

Image credits: Polyfuckery

Meanwhile, over in China, authorities were dealing with a similar but even bigger problem. A passenger who had put no less than 104 live snakes in his pants, in a bid to smuggle them across the border. The animal trafficker placed the exotic snakes in six sealed bags. Authorities discovered a number of milk snakes, western hognose snakes, corn snakes, Texas rat snakes, and bullsnakes.

#11

Not a TSA agent, but last time I flew I was bringing chalk pastels home because I do a bit of art. They asked what they were, I said they were chalk pastels in a box that was clearly labeled “chalk pastels”

The box was opened upside down, spilling all of my chalk pastels on the table and coating the entire table in bright chalk dust, which does not wash off very easily.

Image credits: DepressedBagel

#12

My grampa once tried to bring solar cells on a airplane. When TSA searched his bag after seeing something weird on the X ray and opened it up to see wires, the bomb squad was immediately called.
Being white and in his 70’s probably helped him in not getting arrested.

Image credits: cat2claw

Back in the States, a few other tools made it onto the TSA’s Top Ten Best Catches list for trying to get weapons onto flights. But the number one spot went to a man who casually carted a loaded firearm through the airport in a baby pram. Or as the TSA put it, a “pew-pew in a stroller.”

#13

So my mother is into healthy lifestyles so imagine the look on the TSA’s faces when they had to leave a note saying they had to inspect her luggage further because she thought it was a great idea to pack PROTEIN POWDER in ziplock bags lol *taste tests* hm…good choice.

Image credits: SpiritofHyrule

#14

Another slightly related story: When my grandparents died, they wanted to be cremated and then have their ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean near where they had a house. But we lived in New York. so my mom wrapped them both up, in really cheap plastic cremation urns, and put them in her carry on. The airport scanned them, took us both aside into a separate room, swiped the boxes for explosives, and tried to take them. My mom had none of that, and after yelling “you cant confiscate my parents!”, we got to keep them and continue on our flight.

tldr: dead grandparents fly for free.

Image credits: scix

#15

When me and my family went to Florida some police dogs were barking like hell at my dad and he was immediately taken into a room very quickly. Turns out dogs are good at sniffing out bananas as well as d***s.

#16

One time I was flying somewhere and I had made this really really awesome toasted turkey sandwich. I was really excited about it because I hadn’t had a sandwich in probably a year (food sensitivities coupled with a rare brand of “safe” bread leads to sandwiches being few and far between.) I said on the way there that they’d better not flag my sandwich. When we went through TSA, guess what? They flagged. my damn. sandwich. I got it back, at least, but I’m never going to forget that they tried to take my sandwich.

They probably just thought it looked good and took it themselves.

#17

S*x toys are pretty common but my favorite are the college girls traveling with their parents. When they realize we need to search their bag you can see the panic take over and silently beg us to not let their parents see what they have.

#18

French security workers once thought I had a bomb but it turns out you just don’t get Terry’s chocolate oranges in France!

#19

I traveled through the states a few years back. Bought one of those 4 inch long pieces of the golden gate bridges (old strands of the cables: [LINK] – I’m a bridge engineer, so it fits).

Anyway, given it’s a solid lump of metal I knew that it’d get pinged in the X-ray, so I purposely packed it into my carry on so I could explain it.

Sure enough, lots of action when my bag goes through the machine. Questions of “what’s in your bag”. Looks of disbelief when I say “a piece of the golden gate bridge”. They pull it out – SWIPE IT FOR EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL (seriously?) – before saying (once it had come back as a negative test), “this is heavy, you might attack someone with it. Go put it in your checked luggage”.

FFS.

#20

My buddy had one of those switchblade combs. Let’s just say TSA was not amused.

#21

From the passenger side – the missus got me a Jerry-can bag thing – essentially a 20l jerry can, cut in half with a hinge and wheels added. I checked everywhere i could to make sure it was allowed to go on the plane.

The only problem was every time i went through security, the agent pulled it out and made me unpack it because the scanning machine couldn’t resolve the contents clearly enough.

So, unpacked, and re-packed three times on the way there, and three times on the way back.

Without fail they all said it was a cool bag though.

#22

Back in the 90’s, my friend who was a professional square dance caller and traveled all the time to call dances would get hassled all the time going through security. At that time square dance music was exclusively on vinyl 45’s. He had a special suitcase that held the nearly 200 records he traveled with. It weighed a ton when loaded but in the X-ray nothing shows up. Our local airport got to know him quickly, but he got real tired deplaning in new cities and having to explain again what it was.

#23

Not a security guard, but once my jacket was flagged because they had seen a ton of loose pills in my pocket. I got paranoid that someone had put them there only to remember that I had been putting my tiny crafted paper rolls in my pocket. I explained I made them out of anxiety and showed them the slip of paper from which I made them. They laughed, unrolled the “pills” and kept some.

Image credits: Status-Complaint

#24

Passenger here. I used to work for a tech firm that made very strange electronics for the government/military. I’d occasionally fly with a small weird box that is filled with electronics and slabs of strange materials. Ok to x-ray, but looks decidedly odd in an x-ray machine (like contains odd shaped pieces of metal that are totally opaque to x-rays).

Couldn’t be checked because it’s delicate. So I’d pull it out of carry-on and put it in a tray. They’d always want to check it and know what it was. It wasn’t dangerous, but actually saying what it was in a security line could cause trouble.

I’d just pull out Id and paperwork, and point to the property tags on it and say “it’s (military agency) property, it’s harmless, it’s very delicate, and costs about a years salary. You guys examine it however you want – Worst case I’ll just get paid to make another one and double the profit.”

Nobody ever wanted to touch it.

#25

Obligatory “sorry for being late to this” and “not an airport worker”.

Before getting my desk job, I used to be a police officer and once had to fly to do an investigation in a remote part of the country. Sent in the appropriate forms to the airline to advise them I’d be flying with my sidearm and equipment, all secured properly of course, and would have my badge and credentials with me to support that I was, in fact, a police officer travelling on-duty.

Low and behold, the day of my flight comes and I walk into the airport – pistol, ammo, expandable baton, handcuffs, badge and ID in my carry on as advised by the company – and I walk up to the service desk to let them know who I am and what I’m carrying. After a quick conversation with the supervisor they take me to a separate screening desk where they run all of my bags through the x-ray.

Security stops dead. “Sir, you can’t carry this on the plane.”

I’m surprised because I followed the regulations they’d given me for the pistol. Maybe I needed to ship the ammo separately and had just misread the form? “What do you mean?” I looked to the supervisor for help.

Security guy shakes his head. “No, the gun is good to go, but you can’t have the baton on the plane.”

WHAT!?

I can have a semi-automatic pistol and 25+ rounds of ammunition in my carry on, accessible to me in my airline seat, but I can’t have a 21″ metal stick weighing like 2 lbs!? I asked them in a much more professional way and they confirmed, yes, that is correct.

It was then that I realized security/ policing is a screwed up world and traded it for a desk and telling people what to do with their money.

#26

I was living overseas. Came home for the holidays and I was given an engraved bottle opener that looks like a large bullet. At the end of my trip, I put it in my checked luggage (it was in an enclosed wooden box, so it didn’t register).

Fly out of local airport. My laptop bag goes through the X-ray machine. Gets flagged for explosives. (Not uncommon as I frequently work with them). Bag gets swabbed, I’m on my way.

NY, transferring to international terminal, carry on bag goes through X-ray. No issues.

London. Transferring terminals. Carry on bag goes through X-ray. No issues.

Final destination. Entering the country, carry on bag has to go through X-ray. No issues. My checked luggage on the other hand gets flagged. Security is searching one case thoroughly. They ask me where the “gun parts” are. They show me a picture of the X-ray. Ask again about gun parts. I have no idea what they are talking about. As my case is being emptied, I small wooden box comes out. Everything clicks into place in my very tired brain. It’s examined. I explain it’s a bottle opener. I expect to get in confiscated, but show all of my ID’s in an effort to keep it. It’s decided I can.

3 days latter, I’m looking for a USB cable. Remember that carry on that tripped for explosives, and went through X-ray FOUR times? I stick my hand into the bag and think to myself “I don’t remember there being an interior pocket”. Unzip the pocket and proceed to find 15 live pistol rounds that I had placed in the bag during my visit in the US.

So much for security. The bottle opener? That’s the problem. The live Ammo? Nah… not so much. 😂.

#27

I had a bottled snake confiscated from me when arriving in NZ from Vietnam. I understood completely and didn’t argue with them as it only cost me about $4. The biggest surprise was receiving it in the mail 2 weeks later with a letter justifying it by saying the snake wasn’t endangered.

#28

When my parents were visiting me in Uganda, my dad accidentally brought a half-size machete through the security check. He had bought it before they went to the airport as a souvenir for my uncle. They found it in his carry on. They asked him what he was doing with it. When he told them, they put it back in the carry on and said make sure you check it when you get to Brussels. Have a good flight!

#29

I had a can of tobacco confiscated under the premises that it looked dangerous. I think the. TSA guy just didn’t want to buy his own tin.

#30

I take 100+ flights a year on business, and have carried the same basic content in my same toiletry bag for 8+ years of doing this. Never had an issue — until the time flying back from Cancun to Atlanta, the Mexican version of the TSA confiscated my tiny fingernail clippers. The reason (she says) is the one-inch file attached “could be a weapon”. Tired and frustrated, I raised my voice to argue a little bit, and am immediately ringed by three armed guards — one even pointing his rifle at me! I somehow managed to get up the gall to bend the file back and forth a few times until it snapped off, handed it to her, and put the rest of the clippers back into my bag, smiling. I still carry around that file-less clipper.

#31

The guy in front of me when I was going to fly to Milwaukee had a tuba strapped to his back, and refused to take it off.

A tuba.

#32

Not an airport worker, but something was found in my bag. I was going through security and they ended up running my bag through the x-ray 3 times before they finally asked what the lump of metal was that they were seeing. They showed me the image and I couldn’t tell so they went to open my bag. Right when they started unzipping it I realized what it was and blurted out “Oh that’s a Hammer!” which was immedatly met by, “Sir you cannot bring a hammer on the plane”.

#33

Not an security worker, but when i was a child and me and my family were going on vacation, i had packed up some kind of magic box in my bag with a fake eye and stuff. It was kinda spread around in the bag unfortunately. Poor security worker had to pull it all out and my mother watched in shame.

#34

Once when I was traveling out of Thailand, the boarding desk had told my family to deflate our basketball because it might burst due to high pressure. We stated we would gladly deflate the ball but we couldn’t without tools. The man promptly grabbed the ball out of my hands and I started crying. (I was 7 at the time) He walked to the side, grabbed a pair of scissors from the desk and stabbed my basketball multiple times.

#35

I don’t work at an airport, but I got my barbecue sauce confiscated in St. Louis. I had bought it in Memphis at the airport and forgot I had it.

The black chick who was working for TSA got super sassy about needing to take it because it was over 3.5 ounces or whatnot. Sad, I asked if she had to. She insisted that she did and they were going to incinerate it. I suggested they have a post work grill out and cook some chicken or ribs. I immediately realized it sounded a tad racist, she did as well, and flipped out! “Excuseeeeee meeeeee, sir! We ain’t using your sauce, its getting incinerated! Please step aside here for a random additional screening.”.

#36

Jamaican security confiscated my belt buckle because it had two guns molded on to it. “No guns, models, or replicas allowed.” Sorry that my belt buckle could have been used to scare or k**l someone.

#37

We found a Japanese guy with a bottle of pure maple syrup taped to his inner thigh in my airport. Apparently it’s hard to get in Japan and he knew it was over the size limit to carry on a flight. Pretty d**n funny IMO.

edit: Thinking back, there was another good story I just remembered. We found a pet Tarantula that a young man was trying to bring home with him while on break from college. It wasn’t allowed on the flight so my friend/supervisor offered to take care of it while he was gone. He had many exotic pets over the years and knew how to take care of them. My supervisor took care of the complete stranger’s tarantula and reunited it with the young man when he came back to town a few weeks later.

#38

I had peanut butter confiscated once. Apparently it’s considered a gel or paste and it’s policy not to allow those.

#39

Once when I was around 10, my family and I were going to DisneyLand, so I thought I’d bring my pencil case with me so I could do homework on the plane. Turns out, there were scissors in there, so the guy just took them out and kept them. Granted he didn’t take the whole case, but I was 10, with my family, and going to Disney Land.

I got new ones when I came back, but still hold a grudge against that one guy.

#40

I bought a bottle of maple syrup at the duty free when I was flying back from Canada. I had to make my connection in DC but had to switch terminals and go back through security.

TSA took the sealed bottle out of the duty free bag and would not let me pass with it. He asked me what I wanted to do with it. I said “Well, I’m not going to f*****g drink it.”

They threw it away :(.

#41

My wife and I were leaving for our honeymoon. One of our friends thought it would be funny to put a large bottle of lube in my carryon. TSA guy checking bags for explosives, etc, pulls it out, tries not to smile, checks its for explosives and puts it back in our bag. Wife was mortified. I thought it was hilarious.

#42

Oh I can do you one better. May 2000, I’m flying to Florida to propose to my fiancee. My parents know this so they wrap up a gift and say “it’s expensive, be careful with it”. I threw it in my carry on and didn’t think any more of it.

Going through security I’m tapped on the shoulder. They found something in my interesting backpack, what the hell is it. It looks like some kind of long knife. They pull it out and find my parent’s gift. I explain it’s a gift from my parents and I’m flying to the US to get engaged. They go “hold on a second” and run it through. Both the security guys start laughing and tell me “You’ll love it, congratulations and please don’t open it up on the plane”. It was a cake server with a decorative handle.

Fast forward to the end of my flight, I’d told the person sitting next to me I was going to propose. I guess word got around the plane. I had so many handshakes and best wishes as I was leaving the plane, it was pretty awesome! 20 years later, still married.

#43

I’d like to give a shoutout to the TSA worker who had to unpack my entire wolf pelt to get at the toothpaste I packed that was too big. And to the airline attendant who told me I had to check my bag bc I was the last one on, offered to let me “get my computer out” and then watched me pull out my entire wolf pelt and run down the plane with it.

#44

A used, dirty fleshlight. No joke.

#45

I was able to get my lightsaber through security.. If they had said something I would have used the force.

The most embarrassing questionable item was when my grandpa died and we were flying home. My mom had this carved piece of art that maybe looked like a blunt weapon. They pulled it out and were asking about it. My son who was about 5 at the time looked at the security officer and asked him, “Do you want to know what this is?” The security guy said yes. My son whispered to him, “It is a whale p***s!!” then started giggling. They let us take it on the plane.

It was either ivory or whale p***s… to this day I’m not 100% sure.

Edit: oops, I should have mentioned I am not airport security.. 🙁 sorry!

#46

Sorry to be slightly off topic, but my brother-in-law last year brought a 9mm bullet in his pocket through the airport, doesn’t get confiscated. I unknowingly bring a 20oz tube of Aloe Vera through TSA and Heathrow security. Doesn’t get confiscated. I have a little stuffed animal in my carry-on, “What Kind of sick f**k are you.”.

#47

Last week I went to Tokyo with my girlfriend. When I was going through security when I was heading back to Okinawa (I’m an American, but I’m working in Japan for the moment), I got stopped for having the handcuffs with me. The security guards didn’t speak any English, so when a flight attendant came through, she had to ask me why I would want to bring handcuffs to Japan.

Needless to say, it was funny to see the reaction on the faces of the security guards when she translated “I bought them in Tokyo because I like it when my girlfriend restrains me during s*x.”.

#48

A G1 Megatron. The kid was heartbroken. F**k toy gun laws, shouldn’t things like that be at least grandfathered in?

#49

Undeclared guns, knives/swords, a fire extinguisher, booze, bag of raw meat (no ice or anything, just meat), and a kitten a girl tried to smuggle in her pocket. I wanted to let the kitten through SO badly, but I sadly could’t.

#50

Once when I was doing random searches at the international gate at SFO I found a chainsaw. Yep, someone managed to get their chainsaw past the xray and almost onto the plane. He was pretty surprised when I told him he couldn’t take it on the plane. It was full of gas too, so I couldn’t even do a gate check of his bag.

#51

Like others, I was the traveler in this case:

In 2009, flew out of one airport in TX to go to NY for a weekend and only had a backpack (with a lot of pockets) since I don’t check bags, so everything goes through the x-ray machine. No problems getting to NY. Upon my return trip, out of LaGuardia, I get pulled aside by two TSA agents about 3 seconds after my bag has been in the x-ray machine. At the time, I was working a a job in maintenance and hadn’t considered that I failed to check all of the pockets of my backpack (which I also used for work) before packing my stuff. Which led to the TSA agents asking why I had a box of approximately 100 box-cutter blade replacements and various screwdrivers in my bag. I was immediately sweating bullets, thinking I was about to get thrown in jail, but then remembered that I had my work ID in my wallet which stated my position. I apologized profusely and explained that I really, truly had forgotten and that they could do whatever they needed with them, I could just replace them for my job. Both agents were actually pretty understanding, took the stuff to properly destroy it, made me do the extra pat-down, and only delayed me about 10min from time to entering the machine. I still felt like I had been put on some list, but it wasn’t until I landed in TX later that I realized, TSA AGENTS ON MY FLIGHT OUT OF TX MISSED THEM ENTIRELY!

Figures I got lucky, but seriously, WTF? I thought that was the whole point of the agency. At least NY has their s**t together.

#52

I had a snowglobe confiscated in Charlotte 2 years ago. Even though it was still in the duty-free bag from France, THAT I BROUGHT ON THE PLANE coming from Paris to Charlotte. Nope, *now* all the sudden it’s dangerous.

#53

Not airport security, but one time I was planning an ‘exciting’ visit to a lady friend and my carry on bag was full of rope, handcuffs, surgical scissors, blindfolds…yeah you get the idea.

It just all happened to be exactly the kind of bag you’d bring to kidnap someone.

Airport security told me I had to leave the scissors but let me bring everything else without even batting an eyelash.

#54

LOL so random, but as a passenger- I would keep a metal fork in my purse because the office kitchen didn’t have utensils. So I would use it, wash it, and throw it back in my purse for next time (I have ADHD, I tend to forget stuff, so putting it in my purse helped me make sure I had it). I work for an airline, so I fly a lot, since it’s free. I completely forgot it was in there, and flew probably 20 times before it finally got flagged. Strangely, the meat thermometer I threw in there when moving, cuz we forgot to pack it, and all boxes were taped up, never did.

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