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

[jtowntoflorida]

Another thread gave me this idea to start a bit of a light-hearted thread.

I was once flying to a wedding and decided to just carry on the gift to make sure it made it to my destination with me. It was a fondue pot, and the fondue forks were taken by the TSA, with the remark that they were "too pokey" to be in my carryon.

Luckily, we had plenty of time and were flying from a small airport, so I was able to run back to the counter and the agent was able to retrieve my checked bag so I could slip the forks in there so the happy couple ended up with a complete fondue set.

 

[bumbershoot]

"Too pokey".


I've had nothing confiscated. I have made it on the plane with craft scissors (now...they cut Mickey head shapes, and it would be really really really hard to cut anything but paper with them) back when scissors weren't allowed at all. We got our stormtrooper blaster and a very long, hard plastic sword on in carryons thanks to a very very kind LAX TSA agent, even though such highly realistic replicas (replica of what, I ask about the stormtrooper blaster, since there is no such item to replicate) aren't normally allowed.

I have worn long, sharp hairpins, over a dozen of them, in my very long and thick hair done up in a bun, even after taking one of them out and asking if they were SURE they were allowed. This was 9/18/01 and they were FAR more concerned about my weirdly steel-tipped shoes and my underwire than to look for more than a millisecond at the actually dangerous things all in my hair...

In other words I've had some odd experiences.

 

[aubriee]

They round up letting me keep them, but I thought I was going to miss my flight when a TSA agent got obsessed with my bag of bath salts. He put the little wand with the white cloth on it in the bag and swirled it around, then he smelled them, then he ran his gloved fingers through them feeling them, then he smelled them again, then he poured some out on a piece of paper and put a few drops of liquid on them. When they didn't react the way he wanted them to, he poured out some more and put some more of the liquid on them. I finally laughed and told him they were just bath salts. He glared at me and said he wasn't sure if they would be allowed. He finally called a supervisor over, who took one look at them, gave him a disgusted look, and told him they were fine and to let me go. You could tell the TSA agent didn't like being made to look stupid. He glared at me again and said he was going to let them through this time, but I'd better not try to sneak something like that through again. They were in their original labeled bag on top in my carry on.

What's funny, is that I had orginally planned on checking a bag that trip, but at the last minute decided I could do carry on only. I had a makeup bag just below those bath salts that had mascara and lip gloss in it that I had tossed in when I was transferring stuff over at the last minute. They didn't say a word about them, even though they shouldn't have been allowed outside the 3-1-1 bag. The TSA agent was too concerned about my bath salts, which were legal. lol

 

[keishashadow]

my husband and youngest son, but they didn't keep them

pre-passports DH & DS (told it was due to same names as a bad guy on watch list) were always pulled aside for special treatment, leaving me to retrieve their bags from the belt and cool my heels while they both received a thorough once-over.

 

[hsmamato2]

let's see, my mom once had a tiny rubber keychain (about 3 inches long) in the shape of a LOTR sword taken away...(IT WAS RUBBER!) my DH has had multiple pocketknives taken(he always forgets) and we had a hard time getting a walking stick and a sand art globe through..... but my ds has accidentally brought darts,knives,and a lighter in his backpack through...... so I feel super safe

 

[cruisingkat]

Not something taken from us ,but DH has two metal hips. About half the time the wand only catches one. Both hips are the same material.

 

[dis_guy]

Not confiscated but I have a luggage scale with a circular dial that they usually want a closer look at. Maybe they're afraid I won't have to pay overweight baggage fees?

 

[Random Ninja]

"Too pokey".


I've had nothing confiscated. I have made it on the plane with craft scissors (now...they cut Mickey head shapes, and it would be really really really hard to cut anything but paper with them) back when scissors weren't allowed at all. We got our stormtrooper blaster and a very long, hard plastic sword on in carryons thanks to a very very kind LAX TSA agent, even though such highly realistic replicas (replica of what, I ask about the stormtrooper blaster, since there is no such item to replicate) aren't normally allowed.

There are cosplayers out there who refit airsoft guns into stormtrooper blasters so that may be what the TSA agent was thinking was.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

My dignity.

 

[DebbieB]

It wasn't silly but the most expensive thing was my new tube of Clinque sunscreen that cost $18. I had it in my checked bag and at the last minute decided that since it will be hot when I get there I'll put a change of clothes in my carryon and also threw in the sunscreen, it was about 5oz. Of course, they found it.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I had a TSA genius spend about 20 minutes trying to take my number keypad for my laptop. I would not back down. He kept telling me that since it did not do anything it might be a fake and claimed he had never seen anything like it. After I asked for his supervisor he gave me my bag and the keypad back.


And they sold these in the gift shop right past security...,, that is when I decided he just wanted one for free

 

[lylone]

I had a blunt ended metal nail file taken from my carry-on in Cancun before getting on a plane to come back to the states. I guess the pointed ended one was okay as they didn't take it.
This was also the trip that I had my bare legs patted down by the TSA in Atlanta when we landed. I guess the big x ray scanner wasn't good enough and someone had to check that I was clean shaven.

 

[mcraige]

I had a laser pointer taken because "someone might think you could do something with it". I also had a set of 5 screwdriver bits (not the screwdriver, just the bits) taken.

 

[aubriee]

I had a blunt ended metal nail file taken from my carry-on in Cancun before getting on a plane to come back to the states. I guess the pointed ended one was okay as they didn't take it.
This was also the trip that I had my bare legs patted down by the TSA in Atlanta when we landed. I guess the big x ray scanner wasn't good enough and someone had to check that I was clean shaven.

I've posted on here before about the TSA agent in Dallas that patted my legs down from the bottom edge of my shorts to my ankles. When I was told they were going to do a pat down I assumed it would be hips, waist, and under bra. Nope just the bare part of my legs. The parts that were covered with clothes weren't touched.

 

[wdwfan1]

They took my metal star shaped Mickey Christmas ornaments stating they could be used as weapons. I am sure they looked nice on the TSA agents Christmas tree!

 

[bumbershoot]

They round up letting me keep them, but I thought I was going to miss my flight when a TSA agent got obsessed with my bag of bath salts.

I can sort of see the issue, especially since "bath salts" is the nickname of a really nasty street drug. (who comes up with this nicknames? why is ecstasy nicknamed "Molly"? who did that to my name, and who did that to a perfectly lovely addition to a nice warm bath?)

It wasn't silly but the most expensive thing was my new tube of Clinque sunscreen that cost $18. I had it in my checked bag and at the last minute decided that since it will be hot when I get there I'll put a change of clothes in my carryon and also threw in the sunscreen, it was about 5oz. Of course, they found it.

Oh ouch. But that reminds me that DH did have something taken, and it was a brand new, purchased-on-AWESOME-sale, bottle of hair gel. Same as you, last minute luggage changes caused it.

I guess the big x ray scanner wasn't good enough and someone had to check that I was clean shaven.

If only you hadn't been. I don't know about your legs, but a few days into no shaving my legs get downright prickly!



I also want to state that we didn't really MEAN to take the scissors and plastic weapons on. I forgot about the craft scissors until the bags were entirely out of reach (at LAX flying Alaska, when you handed the bags over in one area then went over to the other to properly check in, and the bags were gone by the time we realized) and the Alaska agent encouraged me to not just throw them away. The weapons were my son's, and I was actually hoping the sword would get taken (he got the Knight's package at BBB at Disneyland and chose that one instead of the small foam one that would have fit in our luggage) but it wasn't. And the blaster was supposed to have gone in checked luggage, but on the last full day the housekeeper at DLH threw away the box we had saved all week to protect it inside the luggage. We only had soft-sided luggage, and it would have been broken in a heartbeat if we put it in there. So we gambled.

 

[pampam]

I had an empty water bottle taken. I knew I couldn't take water through, but figured I'd take an empty water bottle and fill it up at the water fountain when I got past security, but I guess even that was not allowed.

 

[4kids4karen]

.

 

[heretolearn]

When I wore glasses I packed that tiny screwdriver to tighten the screws on them. Yup, they took that. I'm not sure what they thought I would to with it. I could hardly hold on to it to tighten the screws in my glasses.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I had an empty water bottle taken. I knew I couldn't take water through, but figured I'd take an empty water bottle and fill it up at the water fountain when I got past security, but I guess even that was not allowed.

Yen, an empty water bottle is allowed through security.

I understand sometimes it's not worth it, but if you're not in a rush when a TSA employee tries to confiscate an item which is allowed, you should ask to see a supervisor. It's also a good idea to check the rules at TSA.gov so you know what's allowed.

To the poster above, your screwdriver was okay. You should have protested if you wanted to keep it.