Has there ever been something confiscated by TSA at the airport that annoyed you?
Well, in a Reddit thread, a fleet of travelers have voiced their frustrations with security checkpoints by revealing some of the most ridiculous items they’ve been forced to part with, and some of the more suspicious things that have gotten through.
A woman told how her husband flew ‘a few times’ with a large knife accidentally left in his carry-on luggage and ‘recently with a small knife in his pocket’.
Meanwhile, when she went through the scanner with Pop Tarts, they were confiscated and a “scented bag thing like people use in drawers” was cut open because the contents were “suspected to be explosives.”
In a Reddit thread, a fleet of travelers have expressed their frustrations with security checkpoints by revealing some of the most ridiculous items they’ve been forced to part with and some of the more suspicious things that have gotten through (stock image)
One Redditor noted that it’s not just TSA that has different rules for America, and that security checkpoints around the world are equally random.
They wrote: ‘My friend somehow got a pocket knife through US Customs, then Chinese Customs, and finally Japanese Customs… apparently the international TSA is just as useless as the American one. ‘
Knives aside, many travelers in the thread revealed that camera lenses often pose a problem for security guards.
One commenter said: ‘We are photographers who travel a lot and 90 percent of the time our camera bags are pulled and checked for gunpowder.
‘I’m now so used to the fact that we spend an extra half hour at the airport on top of the two hours, because this always happens.’
Another Redditor shared a similar story, writing, “My husband brought a professional camera with lots of lenses and they were REALLY eager to see these mysterious metal objects. They even checked them for (gunpowder?) residue.’
Other commenters had their opinions on milk in baby bottles.
One mother, who recently flew from Denver, told the TSA she felt “huuuuuuuge stinky” about her bottled breast milk.
She explained, “(At) our home airport San Francisco the TSA holes, but the breast milk wasn’t a big problem (they checked and it was all done).
“In Denver they held my milk hostage, like they didn’t know what to do with it, but at the same time they acted like it was a huge threat.
“I hovered like a hawk above that TSA line as they held my milk and stared at each other.
“Finally the head of the TSA (officer) said, ‘Yeah, it doesn’t matter, just give it back to them.’ All for nothing.’
Many travelers reveal in the thread that camera lenses often pose a problem when checked by security guards (stock image)
After reading the thread, one Redditor suggested that the biggest problem with TSA is that “every airport does things a little differently” (stock image)
In another test TSA encounter, a traveler was held over a packet of custard.
They wrote about the incident: ‘I was kept waiting for an hour by a security guard at the airport when I had a packet of custard in my bag for a very long international flight.
‘At the time I had a health condition that meant I couldn’t eat anything else and it would be the only thing I would eat for 24 hours. If I hadn’t eaten it, I would have ended up getting even sicker.
‘They wanted their manager to talk to me and put me in a separate room. After 45 minutes I ventured out of the room (nervous about my flight departure) and they had completely forgotten about me.
“Their manager came and within thirty seconds said, ‘WTF, of course you can keep your custard,’ and let me go.”
After reading the thread, one Redditor suggested that the biggest problem with TSA is that “every airport does things a little differently.”
They noted that at some airport security checkpoints they ask you to stack the bins, while at others they don’t. Some TSA agents require travelers to “stand in line and find a place in line.”
The Redditor then criticized the TSA officers for their manners.
They wrote: ‘But they act like you’re an idiot if you do something wrong or hesitate for a moment.
‘Why they can’t put up some clarifying signage is beyond me. But they are super aggro and I would pay extra to avoid them too.’
Another Redditor who works in the airline industry agreed with the issue surrounding different regulations.
They said, “I work in the airline industry and TSA is such a joke. One of my biggest complaints is that they don’t all screen the same!
“We flew out of the Minneapolis airport on Mother’s Day and were allowed to keep our shoes on AND store electronics in backpacks. Flew from Orlando a week later, shoes off, iPads out, etc.”