Every year, flyers attempt to take some of the strangest items with them aboard their commercial aircraft. I am not talking about potentially illegal souvenirs, or the oddities that travelers are often found during the course of flying, but the items that have the potential to shut down security checkpoints and create massive delays at our favorite airports. According to various sources of the TSA, here are some of the strangest items travelers attempted to board with in 2016.
Hand Grenade Trailer Hitch Cover
The first item comes from my original home airport, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP), where I have carried several questionable items through security, including homemade tamales. However, one flyer’s item went beyond questionable and into the realm of not allowed.
In one episode, a flyer attempted to get past the checkpoint with a trailer hitch cover that looks like a hand grenade. The item was discovered in checked luggage, which led to a search by the TSA and local law enforcement. Even though the item was inert, it was still not allowed to fly.
Travelers are warned that anything that appears to be an explosive is prohibited aboard a commercial aircraft. If an explosive look-alike must travel, consider alternative options to get it to your next destination.
Negan’s Bat, Lucille
Fans of The Walking Dead are all too familiar with Negan’s bat, lovingly named “Lucille.” Although it is a formidable weapon for dispatching the undead, it does not necessarily make a good travel companion.
One flyer traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) found this out the hard way. While traveling over the Thanksgiving weekend, the traveler attempted to pack a replica bat in their carry-on bag. The bat was immediately discovered and confiscated before the traveler was allowed to board their flight.
All weapons – even replica ones – are not allowed aboard a commercial flight under TSA rules. Even though the “barbed wire” was made of rubber and the “blood” painted on, Lucille was not allowed to board the flight.
Hello Kitty Handgun
No matter how you feel about one of Japan’s greatest exports, Hello Kitty is here to stay. It seems like the mascot adorns everything now, from aircraft to…hand guns?
In all seriousness, a flyer traveling through Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Connecticut made it to the TSA checkpoint with a Hello Kitty handgun packed in their carry-on luggage. To make things worse, the adorable pink handgun was loaded – creating a major problem for the flyer, the TSA and local law enforcement.
As a reminder: guns are never allowed to fly in the main cabin as carry-on luggage. However, travelers who prepare ahead of time can pack their weapon in their checked luggage, so long as it meets airline and TSA requirements.
Teen Idol Elvis Doll
Sometimes, some of the strangest items found by the TSA are not illegal at all, but rather odd in nature. The TSA at New York’s LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) found this out the easy way when one traveler left one of their items behind.
Although the reasons why it was left behind remain a mystery, the TSA discovered a Teen Idol Elvis doll abandoned at a TSA checkpoint. The collector’s item, which has been known to fetch some money with the right audience, came complete with a replica guitar and microphone.
For those flyers who leave items behind at the checkpoint, there are options available. Travelers can look up the lost-and-found information for their airport on the TSA website to claim any items left at the checkpoint.
Movie Prop Corpse
Although the Hello Kitty handgun and Teen Idol Elvis doll were among the oddest items discovered at checkpoints, some items simply defy explanation. Once again, we find ourselves in Atlanta to discover the strangest item discovered at a TSA checkpoint.
Once featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a full-size movie prop corpse was presented to the TSA as carry-on luggage. Although it was a strange item to be allowed on a plane, carrying on a dummy isn’t necessarily against TSA or airline regulations. The dummy was screened through an x-ray machine and allowed to board its flight.
Before booking a flight for your favorite movie prop, make sure it is allowed to fly aboard your airline. While this flyer was allowed to take the “corpse” aboard their flight, others have been rebuked for pulling similar stunts on aircraft.
No matter where we fly in the New Year, these items may top the list of the strangest to pass through checkpoints at any time. I raise a toast to your adventures in 2017, with hopes your trip isn’t delayed by one of these situations.
What are the strangest items you have seen fly in your trips? Leave your strangest item questions in the comments below!
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com