So, what's the strangest/silliest thing TSA has taken from you?

[LadyBeBop]

I'm a crocheter. i've never had any problems with my crochet hooks. I know what kind of scissors are allowed and not allowed on flights.

Back when my eldest daughter worked for the airlines, my DH and I could fly free. Periodically, I would take side trips up to Chicago for the day; fly up in the morning and back at late afternoon. It's less than an hour up and back. On those trips, I leave my crocheting at home.

So, I was mortified when, after one of these Chicago days, I got home to find a not-allowed pair of scissors in my purse. It went through security, not once, but twice.

 

[delilah]

Back in the day when pharmaceutical companies were allowed to give physicians pens with product names on them, I had so many free pens in my purse it triggered an item by item inspection. Felt like telling them if they liked the Viagra pens, they were welcome to keep them. Since then, I usually do a purse inspection before I leave to be sure I don't have too many pens. I've sometimes managed to take it to the other extreme, and ended up at a CME trip with only one pen, or no pens. And, of course, it is illegal to give doctors pens these days. However, a variety of other items have made it through inspection without being removed. More than once I have had bottles of contact lens moistening drops in my purse that I forgot I had, and also finger nail clippers and nail files. One time my rosary case trigger a special inspection. Not sure how I would injure anyone with a rosary, though.

Recently, the little plastic ribbons that are sewn into the armholes of women's clothing to keep items on hangers have caused me to have a special pat down inspection. Those, and the plastic zipper pull on my pants. I know that was the case, because the TSA agent showed me what had shown up on my scan. So, I am seriously considering removing all those silly plastic ribbons, since they don't keep my clothes on the hangers, anyway.

 

[delilah]

Back in the day when pharmaceutical companies were allowed to give physicians pens with product names on them, I had so many free pens in my purse it triggered an item by item inspection. Felt like telling them if they liked the Viagra pens, they were welcome to keep them. Since then, I usually do a purse inspection before I leave to be sure I don't have too many pens. I've sometimes managed to take it to the other extreme, and ended up at a CME trip with only one pen, or no pens. And, of course, it is illegal to give doctors pens these days. However, a variety of other items have made it through inspection without being removed. More than once I have had bottles of contact lens moistening drops in my purse that I forgot I had, and also finger nail clippers and nail files. One time my rosary case trigger a special inspection. Not sure how I would injure anyone with a rosary, though.

Recently, the little plastic ribbons that are sewn into the armholes of women's clothing to keep items on hangers have caused me to have a special pat down inspection. Those, and the plastic zipper pull on my pants. I know that was the case, because the TSA agent showed me what had shown up on my scan. So, I am seriously considering removing all those silly plastic ribbons, since they don't keep my clothes on the hangers, anyway.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Ok, this thread is scaring me! We are flying in June. I haven't flown since 9/11 and this time I will have to bring my new epi pen with me.

Anyone had any issues with that?

 

[bumbershoot]

Ok, this thread is scaring me! We are flying in June. I haven't flown since 9/11 and this time I will have to bring my new epi pen with me.

Anyone had any issues with that?

Please do not worry about it. They know what epipens look like. You should have it out and separate from the 311 Baggie and you can declare it ("I have medical equipment in this bag" or something like that) and it should be fine.

 

[aubriee]

Ok, this thread is scaring me! We are flying in June. I haven't flown since 9/11 and this time I will have to bring my new epi pen with me.

Anyone had any issues with that?

Not a problem. I always travel with a Victoza pen. I just put it in a seperate quart bag, along with it's needles, contact lens solution and eye drops. I then put that bag in the same bin as my 3-1-1 bag. It's never received a second look. My mom also travels with two vials of Humalog insulin, syringes, two pens of Lantus insulin and extra needles for her pen. Again that second quart bag has never received a second look.

My sealed bath salts yes, but not the medication pens, needles, or syringes. TSA is used to seeing medication pens.

 

[supersuperwendy]

My husband is a chef and was in Florida for something and had to run to the airport right from the restaurant in his chef coat...

They took his MEASURING SPOONS!!! he was so mad!!

 

[leebee]

DD is a dancer and has to be careful when she goes to auditions. They always search her rosin bag (cream colored crystalline powder) and like to take her toe pads (they have a gel-like tip). It's a little frustrating. She's learned that if she puts these things in the 3-1-1 baggie there's no issue; if she carries them in her dance bag they always try to confiscate them. I just about died one trip, when they tried to confiscate her pointe shoes because they have an elastomeric material in the shoe structure. They cost $130 a pair, but because she has 2 different-sized feet we have to buy two pairs at once! They finally let her through after she put them on for the supervisor and fouetted in the office; I guess they believed her after they saw what she can do!!

Travelled with my sis and niece once. Niece was about 10. My sister let her pack her own travel bag.... crayons, coloring book, teddy bear, finger crochet stuff, craft scissors. CRAFT SCISSORS? TSA agent pulled the scissors out of the bag, approved them I guess, and jokingly asked DN, "Now these aren't going to be a problem, are the?" DN leveled him with a scowl and said, "Only if the teddy bear goes ballistic!" I thought they were going to confiscate HER!

Funny story... we live in a small town, and the airport in our nearby "city" is small, too. A friend had a cake server confiscated from her backpack (she forgot it was in there). They let her tag it with her name and address, but she doubted it'd show up- and forgot about it. Several months later, the doorbell rang. Two unknown ladies were standing there, delivering her cake server. Apparently TSA at BGR was clearing out the confiscated stuff and sent the server to her via a couple of passengers who were headed north!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Back in the day when pharmaceutical companies were allowed to give physicians pens with product names on them.......And, of course, it is illegal to give doctors pens these days.

It is not illegal for pharmaceutical companies to give physicians branded pens,
t-shirts, mugs, thumb drives, etc. They no longer do it because of a voluntary moratorium on branded gifts by the pharmaceutical industry.

If you have something in your carry-on which you suspect may trigger a search of your bag (such as a corkscrew without a knife), just place it in a separate bin while going through security. It makes things easier.

 

[stitchlovestink]

You are voluntarily surrendering these items. You don't have to give them to the TSA, you can check them, mail them, discard them yourself, or don't fly.

AGREED!

To be fair, no one is forcing you on the plane. You can go home and take your stuff with you if you want

This is true...Flying is NOT a right. It is also not the only form of travel. If you want to fly, you go thru security. Some of these items taken, like the measuring spoons, are ridiculous...some of the others not so much...



Okay, here are my stories....
SCARY!!! I had very strong pepper spray (given to me by a friend who is a police officer) make it thru TSA in my purse. I carry it on my keychain. I totally forgot to remove it prior to leaving for my trip and when I got to WDW and went to put my keys in the room safe, I realized it was still on the keyring!!! [ On the way home, I removed it and put it in my checked luggage where it was permitted...

I have a medical device that has a ton of wires/leads and more often then not I wear it. But on a particular trip, I didn't. All my medical stuff ALWAYS goes in my carry on! Well all those wires and leads wrapped up around a little box, I'm sure looked suspicious. So I knew when they told me they needed to search my bag what the problem was. I was polite, and told them what the device was and what I used it for and they accepted my answer quite quickly and easily.

Probably one of the funniest episodes though was when they went thru my underwear! I pack several sets of bras/undies in my carry on as I am VERY particular about them and I won't wear cheap ones from Walmart/Target if my luggage gets lost/misplaced. So I am sure to have several sets of undergarments in my carry-on. Well apparently, I packed them in a packing cube SO tightly and my bras are always underwire that caused an alarm! I always wear matching sets (fun prints ) too... DH was getting quite upset that the guy was going thru them and DD and I were laughing hysterically. (not really outloud, but we were making jokes very quietly back & forth!) I still think it was quite funny. Sometimes you have to stop and laugh at things in life!

My last funny episode I can think of with TSA was MANY years ago probably about 2003. It was a problem with DD's carry-on. We had put a bunch of shiny pennies in one of those plastic mini m&m tubes for doing pressed pennies. Well wouldn't you believe that those dumb things lined up absolutely perfect with one another!! So While going thru the scanner they appeared to be a solid metal rod and TSA was like what is that?? And I had NO IDEA at the time because I never thought about the pennies lining up! Once they opened up her case and we all saw what it was, we ALL had a good laugh and all Commented 'who would've thought that they would line up and stay that way??'

Not saying others haven't been treated rudely, because I cannot stand it when someone tells me that I did not experience something that I KNOW I did, But I guess I have been Blessed to have been treated respectfully by TSA. I choose not to argue or fight (not saying others are doing this) and I say 'Thank you'. I do seem to see some people who do like to give them a hard time just for the sake of giving them a hard time and I do not for the life of me understand why they choose to do this?? But whatever... different strokes...

 

[CPT Tripss]

DD is a dancer and has to be careful when she goes to auditions. They always search her rosin bag (cream colored crystalline powder) and like to take her toe pads (they have a gel-like tip). It's a little frustrating. She's learned that if she puts these things in the 3-1-1 baggie there's no issue; if she carries them in her dance bag they always try to confiscate them. I just about died one trip, when they tried to confiscate her pointe shoes because they have an elastomeric material in the shoe structure. They cost $130 a pair, but because she has 2 different-sized feet we have to buy two pairs at once! They finally let her through after she put them on for the supervisor and fouetted in the office; I guess they believed her after they saw what she can do!!

Travelled with my sis and niece once. Niece was about 10. My sister let her pack her own travel bag.... crayons, coloring book, teddy bear, finger crochet stuff, craft scissors. CRAFT SCISSORS? TSA agent pulled the scissors out of the bag, approved them I guess, and jokingly asked DN, "Now these aren't going to be a problem, are the?" DN leveled him with a scowl and said, "Only if the teddy bear goes ballistic!" I thought they were going to confiscate HER!

Funny story... we live in a small town, and the airport in our nearby "city" is small, too. A friend had a cake server confiscated from her backpack (she forgot it was in there). They let her tag it with her name and address, but she doubted it'd show up- and forgot about it. Several months later, the doorbell rang. Two unknown ladies were standing there, delivering her cake server. Apparently TSA at BGR was clearing out the confiscated stuff and sent the server to her via a couple of passengers who were headed north!

I'm so sorry for you DD . . . That is just not right. Having to dance to fly

 

[CPT Tripss]

Back in the day when pharmaceutical companies were allowed to give physicians pens with product names on them, I had so many free pens in my purse it triggered an item by item inspection. Felt like telling them if they liked the Viagra pens, they were welcome to keep them. Since then, I usually do a purse inspection before I leave to be sure I don't have too many pens. I've sometimes managed to take it to the other extreme, and ended up at a CME trip with only one pen, or no pens. And, of course, it is illegal to give doctors pens these days. However, a variety of other items have made it through inspection without being removed. More than once I have had bottles of contact lens moistening drops in my purse that I forgot I had, and also finger nail clippers and nail files. One time my rosary case trigger a special inspection. Not sure how I would injure anyone with a rosary, though.

Recently, the little plastic ribbons that are sewn into the armholes of women's clothing to keep items on hangers have caused me to have a special pat down inspection. Those, and the plastic zipper pull on my pants. I know that was the case, because the TSA agent showed me what had shown up on my scan. So, I am seriously considering removing all those silly plastic ribbons, since they don't keep my clothes on the hangers, anyway.

A lot of hospitals, pharmacies and other health care provider agencies prohibit the drug and medical equipment providers from distributing freebie advertising items, meals and other gifts. Big Pharma sort of capitulated . . .

 

[leebee]

I'm so sorry for you DD . . . That is just not right. Having to dance to fly

Actually, it was pretty funny, in retrospect. She just sort of said, "This is what I DO," and did it. We also joke about it being her first "paying" dance job- she earned a pair of pointe shoes!

Also forgot to mention the time my carry on was searched because it had my digital alarm clock in it. Apparently there is something in the clock that triggers all the warning systems. TSA knew the second they saw the clock that this was the issue, and nothing big, but they still had to do all the wipe tests and GCMS analysis before I could board my flight. Waste of time and money, in my opinion, and it was obvious that the TSA agents agreed with me.

 

[Nigel Channing]

A silver bullet cigar cutter keychain.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I was hoping to have Peter Mayhew pop on and tell us about the time the Airport Security Screeners tried to confiscate his relica light saber cane.

Just pondering leebee's dance shoe tale. It dawns on me that according to the checkpoint protocol pax should not touch any item until it was cleared. Good thing her DD was one of the good guys . . .

 

[LovesTimone]

When my hair was long I had it put up in a messy bun, and had in old fashion metal bobbie pins, and they made me take my hair down due to the number of pins in my hair.
They did let me keep the bobbie pins, but it was a hassle. They scanned my head like 5 times to keep checking...

Kids scissors that only cut paper, the all plastic ones with no metal... which the supervisor gave back to me, when I asked for a supervisor... He was like what in the world... give the lady the kids scissor back right now...

Sunscreen which I am still wondering about... but the sunscreen in DH bag was okay... yep they were the same thing size and ounces... we didn't say anything just shook our heads as we walked off...

I had a empty souvenir cup, insulated with the lid and straw kinda deal... it was in the bag, and still had the plastic on the top of the cup... and they tore it apart, and wiped it down with those little papers... then said your good to go... I was like unbelievable....

 

[goofy4tink]

As posters go through this thread, please remember that it was started in 2013! A lot has changed with TSA and security since then. Carry on.

 

[hsmamato2]

yeah... a lot changes,and doesn't change..... since 2013 I've forgotten half drunk bottles of water in my carryon bag utnil I was on the plane and thought about that fantastic security line....(not on purpose, just forgot it was in there and no one even looked twice after it went thru the scanner)

 

[Simba's Mom]

On one trip, I had a can of soup taken away from me. I realize that that was a liquid, but since it was in a sealed can, direct from the grocery store, I'd hoped I could keep it, but no. It was just a flavor they didn't sell back home. But the one that upset me was the blueberry preserves I'd bought at a farm stand in Connecticut. I can understand jelly, but this was a thick blueberry preserves. Again-sealed container, straight from the farm. And I LOVED that blueberry preserves from the Woodstock Orchards.

 

[larissawbb]

I had an incense holder that I bought in Epcots Japan store taken. It was cast iron and shaped like a leaf. I was told it was shaped like a knife. Seriously.......