PHOTOS: Strange items confiscated by TSA at the airport

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Millions of items pass through TSA check points across the country each year. And thousands of those items are not allowed. Here are some of the more unusual items they've seen, some of which were allowed, recently. (Photos courtesy of the TSA.)

Confiscated by the TSA This picture dates back to 2014 when a traveler tried to bring a chainsaw through the checkpoint at the Albany International Airport (ALB). We’re not exactly sure why. Zombie defense, perhaps? Lumberjack goals? … What we can tell you is that chainsaws are not permitted in carry-on bags. They may only be packed as a checked item as long as there’s no trace of fuel or fumes. If any trace of fuel is detected, the chainsaw will be treated as hazmat and will not be permitted to fly. It’s best to contact your airline prior to your flight if you’d like to travel with your chainsaw. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA If you think these scissors will cut your travel time through the checkpoint, you’ve got the wrong idea. ... Please don’t get snippy when our officers tell you that you can’t pack these ginormous ceremonial ribbon cutting scissors in your carry-on. ... These were discovered in a carry-on bag at the Nashville International Airport (BNA). And it wasn’t by “shear” luck that our officers discovered them. They’re huge. To paraphrase Douglas Adams, these scissors were big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big they were. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA We got no troubles… life is the bubbles under the sea. Unless you attempt to bring a knife through the checkpoint when you could have packed it in your checked bag. Life’s full of tough choices, isn’t it? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whether it’s a “little” mermaid knife or a big one, it cannot be in your carry-on bag. To be more Pacific, knives must be deep under the ocean… er, plane… in the cargo hold with the other checked bags. Great “catch” by our officers at @flyphf in Newport News, VA. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA We know it didn’t go down this way, but we’d like to imagine that the groom lobbed these inert well-dressed grenades over his shoulder to his groomsmen, just as bouquets are tossed to bridesmaids. We could see a conversation going something like this. … Chad: “I was so close to catching one, bruh.” … Randy: “Whatever, Chad! Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Oh wait…” … Randy & Chad: “Hahahahaha! Bruh…” … OK, back to the real world. These dapper inert grenades were wedding gifts for groomsmen. They were discovered in a checked bag at the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). … When our officers spot a potential explosive on the monitor, they cannot just open the bag and take a looksee to find out if it’s real or not. A TSA explosives specialist or a police department bomb squad must respond before the bag is ever opened. This can lead to costly evacuations, delays, and missed flights. These types of items can also lead to hefty fines and arrest. Contact your preferred shipper about your options, because they can’t travel via commercial aircraft. So even though they aren’t real, they can cause a lot of headaches. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA Verified The officer from Richmond International Airport (RIC) should change their title to Sheerlock Combs for discovering this good catch! Forget having a bad hair day, you just won’ t have a knife day if you get tangled up with a dagger at a checkpoint. Don’t get on the hairway to the danger zone and double check your carry-on bags before you arrive to the airport. We’ll get to the point, knives or daggers of any kind are not allowed in your carry-on, but if you must travel with one, consider checking it in. (TSA)

Confiscated by TSA What’s a 10 letter word for this cross-sword picture? P-R-O-H-I-B-I-T-E-D⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So What Would TSA Do? Well… we’d advise you that Knives of any length (with the exception of round-bladed butter knives and plastic cutlery) must be packed in checked bags. Or, if it’s a huge pain in the neck, you can just leave it at home. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This necklace was discovered at a security checkpoint by our officers at Dulles International Airport (IAD). For information on what you can and cannot travel with visit TSA.gov and click on the “What Can I bring?” feature on the top right hand corner. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA Ay, caramba! Don’t get all bart out of shape about forgetting your krusty ol’ sling shot in your carry-on. It's just not worth having a cow over, man. If you hate to part with it consider putting it in your checked bag instead. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This sling shot was discovered by our officers from Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU). Sling shots, or any other weapons or replicas are not allowed in your carry-on bag. So do yourself a favor and double… triple check your bags before arriving to the airport. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Save yourself the “Aw, Man!” at security and be in the know by downloading the MyTSA app! The app’s searchable database has a list of items that can and can’t go in checked or carry-on bags as well as provide wait times and TSA precheck availability. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA It’s raining…it’s pouring The old man was…. sparring? Ok, so he wasn’t but he could have? I mean let’s be real here, he must have REALLY bumped his head to think he could take this through the checkpoint. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This knuckle umbrella was no match for our officers from Dulles International Airport (IAD). Although it may appear to be a classic umbrella, it is also a potent self-defense weapon! Here’s the punchline, small personal umbrellas are A-Okay to carry-on but any items that resemble a realistic weapon of any kind are not allowed in your carry-on bags. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA In honor of #NationalLipstickDay, here's one that will make your lips a stain of RED... annnnd potentially make things RED all over!? What would you call this shade of lipstick? Hemoglobin Red? Blood Red? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ All jokes aside, you WON'T have a beautiful day if you try to bring this "lipstick" through airport security. Our officers at Nashville International Airport (BNA) recently discovered this lipstick knife in a carry-on bag at a security checkpoint. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ No matter the size, shape or intended use, knives are prohibited from being packed in your carry-on luggage. If you do have a knife that you'd like to bring along on your next trip, make sure you place it in your checked luggage. (TSA)

Confiscated by the TSA It’s #WorldSnakeDay and, before you jump on that Boa-eing constricting plane, here’s a friendly reminder that knives are not allowed in carry-on bags. That includes those cool blades with #snake themed handles. They are however, allowed in your checked bags. We’re not trying to go all Neville Flynn on you... we’re just civil serpents doing our part. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For more information on traveling with unique items, check out the “ What Can I Bring?” feature on our website. Or reach out to our AskTSA social care team on #Twitter and #Facebook. (TSA)

February 21, 2022 at 7:30 am EST

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