Being an airport security worker has to be one of the most underrated jobs in the world. I said what I said. They work ungodly hours just to make sure people can travel, all while going through countless bags to keep everyone safe.
Of course, that also means dealing with especially dangerous or even life-threatening situations. But just as often, it means coming across some of the most unhinged things you can imagine, even live animals. So when one curious soul asked what weird items TSA officers have had to confiscate from passengers, the answers did not disappoint.
Read more: Reddit
#1
Not an airport worker, but when I was travelling back home from Chicago O’Hare, I nearly had a rifle sandbag rest confiscated (basically a big bag of sand to keep rifles steady when you shoot) because it must have looked like a big bag of substances on the xray machine. I was a little nervous when the huge black TSA guy asked “WHAT’S IN THE BAG?!”.
Image source: stubert90, Svitlana Hulko
#2
Another slightly related story: When my grandparents left us, they wanted to be cremated and then have their ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean near where they had a house. But we lived in New York. so my mom wrapped them both up, in really cheap plastic cremation urns, and put them in her carry on. The airport scanned them, took us both aside into a separate room, swiped the boxes for explosives, and tried to take them. My mom had none of that, and after yelling “you cant confiscate my parents!”, we got to keep them and continue on our flight.
Image source: scix, Kasem Sleem
#3
I don’t work at an airport, but I got my barbecue sauce confiscated in St. Louis. I had bought it in Memphis at the airport and forgot I had it.
The black chick who was working for TSA got super sassy about needing to take it because it was over 3.5 ounces or whatnot. Sad, I asked if she had to. She insisted that she did and they were going to incinerate it. I suggested they have a post work grill out and cook some chicken or ribs. I immediately realized it sounded a tad racist, she did as well, and flipped out! “Excuseeeeee meeeeee, sir! We ain’t using your sauce, its getting incinerated! Please step aside here for a random additional screening.”.
Image source: sphinctersayhuh, Addilyn Ragsdill @clockworklemon.com
It’s not surprising that working in TSA is far more difficult than it might seem. Officers deal with thousands of people every day, some carrying the most unhinged items imaginable, convinced they’ll get away with it. Even something like suspicious ashes that resemble explosives would raise alarm for just about anyone.
So much so that professionals often consider airport security one of the most high-stress jobs out there. From unruly passengers and terrible sleep schedules to the pay itself, TSA staffers deal with just about everything you can imagine. They’re also widely seen as essential workers, yet face high burnout rates in what experts often describe as a “thankless” job.
#4
I had a can of tobacco confiscated under the premises that it looked dangerous. I think the. TSA guy just didn’t want to buy his own tin.
Image source: anon, Daria Voronkov
#5
Jamaican security confiscated my belt buckle because it had two guns molded on to it. “No guns, models, or replicas allowed.” Sorry that my belt buckle could have been used to scare someone.
Image source: monkeymasher, Curated Lifestyle
#6
Last week I went to Tokyo with my girlfriend. When I was going through security when I was heading back to Okinawa (I’m an American, but I’m working in Japan for the moment), I got stopped for having the handcuffs with me. The security guards didn’t speak any English, so when a flight attendant came through, she had to ask me why I would want to bring handcuffs to Japan.
Needless to say, it was funny to see the reaction on the faces of the security guards when she translated “I bought them in Tokyo because I like it when my girlfriend restrains me during being intimate.”.
Image source: gwarster, Curated Lifestyle
From the countless replies the post received, it quickly became clear that some of the most bizarre answers involved weapons, like chainsaws, guns, and even ammunition. So why would anyone risk bringing something like that into a high-security space? According to experts, many people are simply unaware of the regulations, and more often than not, there’s no malicious intent behind it.
Other times, it comes down to cultural differences. What may be illegal to pack in one country might not be in another. While the ICAO has established global standards for airport security, individual countries can enforce their own rules, and regulations may even vary on domestic flights depending on the airline. That’s why it’s always best to double-check before heading to the airport.
#7
I had peanut butter confiscated once. Apparently it’s considered a gel or paste and it’s policy not to allow those.
Image source: Hovenbeet
#8
Not a airport worker but one time when my brothers and i were young we went to Lebanon with my dad, while in the airport for the return flight my brother forgot to metion that he bought a very real looking bb pistol that has naked girls drawn all over it. Anyways while they were x raying our bags the security officer opened my brothers bag and took out the gun and looked at us and said what is this. I will never forget the look on my dads face, he just looked at us and said ill meet you inside the plane and walked away. We spent 10 minutes trying to convince them to let us have it back but it didnt work and we didnt want to be late for the flight. Little bro was very sad that day.
#9
Once when I was around 10, my family and I were going to DisneyLand, so I thought I’d bring my pencil case with me so I could do homework on the plane. Turns out, there were scissors in there, so the guy just took them out and kept them. Granted he didn’t take the whole case, but I was 10, with my family, and going to Disney Land.
I got new ones when I came back, but still hold a grudge against that one guy.
Image source: SupaBatman, Kelly Sikkema
Of course, familiarity blind spots and simple ignorance don’t always explain everything. Everyone traveling knows, or at least should know, that liquids and gels are still, to this day, among the most commonly confiscated items at airports. And yes, it may seem silly to have such strict rules for something as mundane as a ketchup bottle or even just water, but there’s a reason behind it.
Essentially, it all comes down to the risk of liquid explosives. In 2006, authorities uncovered a plot to use everyday containers, like soda bottles, to assemble explosives mid-flight using liquid components. That’s what led to the introduction of strict no-liquids rules. Later on, the 100 ml limit was implemented, as smaller quantities are far less likely to be used to create a viable explosive reaction. The more you know.
#10
I had a bottled snake confiscated from me when arriving in NZ from Vietnam. I understood completely and didn’t argue with them as it only cost me about $4. The biggest surprise was receiving it in the mail 2 weeks later with a letter justifying it by saying the snake wasn’t endangered.
Image source: lalv91, Sh3dinja
#11
I take 100+ flights a year on business, and have carried the same basic content in my same toiletry bag for 8+ years of doing this. Never had an issue — until the time flying back from Cancun to Atlanta, the Mexican version of the TSA confiscated my tiny fingernail clippers. The reason (she says) is the one-inch file attached “could be a weapon”. Tired and frustrated, I raised my voice to argue a little bit, and am immediately ringed by three armed guards — one even pointing his rifle at me! I somehow managed to get up the gall to bend the file back and forth a few times until it snapped off, handed it to her, and put the rest of the clippers back into my bag, smiling. I still carry around that file-less clipper.
Image source: AllTheGoodIDsAreGone, Ian Talmacs
#12
A G1 Megatron. The kid was heartbroken. Forget toy gun laws, shouldn’t things like that be at least grandfathered in?
At times, though, it’s not just dangerous weapons or possible explosives that are in the line of sight for these professions. In some of these stories, toys are also often confiscated from children, which may seem quite absurd. I mean, a G1 Megatron or a Beanie Baby shouldn’t be problematic…right? Well, yes, but also no.
In certain airports, toy replicas that resemble real weapons are banned, including in many U.S. airports, as well as in places like Hong Kong and Japan. So that explains the G1 Megatron. As for the Beanie Baby, that one might have come down to it being a limited-edition item, and sometimes, human bias does come into play.
#13
Once when I was traveling out of Thailand, the boarding desk had told my family to deflate our basketball because it might burst due to high pressure. We stated we would gladly deflate the ball but we couldn’t without tools. The man promptly grabbed the ball out of my hands and I started crying. (I was 7 at the time) He walked to the side, grabbed a pair of scissors from the desk and stabbed my basketball multiple times.
Image source: Phooled, Markus Spiske
#14
When my parents were visiting me in Uganda, my dad accidentally brought a half-size machete through the security check. He had bought it before they went to the airport as a souvenir for my uncle. They found it in his carry on. They asked him what he was doing with it. When he told them, they put it back in the carry on and said make sure you check it when you get to Brussels. Have a good flight!
Image source: danrennt98, Edwin Petrus
#15
Sorry to be slightly off topic, but my brother-in-law last year brought a 9mm bullet in his pocket through the airport, doesn’t get confiscated. I unknowingly bring a 20oz tube of Aloe Vera through TSA and Heathrow security. Doesn’t get confiscated. I have a little stuffed animal in my carry-on, “What Kind of sick guy are you.”.
Image source: Swaggerdownsouth, E. Vitka
In the end, it all comes down to being aware and using a bit of common sense. Weapons, guns, or anything resembling them? That’s an absolute no. Liquids should be under 100 ml in most places, and if you’re traveling with powders, or anything close to it, like salt, prepare for your bag to be flagged, since screening machines can’t always distinguish them from potential explosives.
At the end of the day, airport security measures are there for a reason. We might not love them, but they exist to keep everyone safe. That said, we can still side-eye the more capitalistic side of air travel — yes, we know we’re overpaying for that tiny bag, thank you very much. So, what about you? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen or had confiscated at an airport? Let us know below.
#16
Undeclared guns, knives/swords, a fire extinguisher, booze, bag of raw meat (no ice or anything, just meat), and a kitten a girl tried to smuggle in her pocket. I wanted to let the kitten through SO badly, but I sadly could’t.
Image source: mooncrane, Christina Yang
#17
Once when I was doing random searches at the international gate at SFO I found a chainsaw. Yep, someone managed to get their chainsaw past the xray and almost onto the plane. He was pretty surprised when I told him he couldn’t take it on the plane. It was full of gas too, so I couldn’t even do a gate check of his bag. This was shortly after 9/11, I don’t think they do the random gate searches anymore.
Image source: calbells, Michael Fenton
#18
The guy in front of me when I was going to fly to Milwaukee had a tuba strapped to his back, and refused to take it off.
A tuba.
Image source: Shadow-Seeker, Getty Images
#19
I don’t work for the TSA but a while ago, I had a really weird (or just stupid depending on who you asked) sense of humor. Long story short: I glued a computer keyboard onto my trombone case. I just glued a qwerty on my case. A Harmless Conversation Starter, if you will. I’d had it for a couple months when i decide to go visit family. I’ll bring my trombone! Great idea! But when I get to security… Here’s how it all went down
I start seeing TSA and I slowly realize why this is bad. The keyboard is to my leg as I hold it so noone can really see it. I manage to get to the X-ray without a problem and its looking good. It’s on the belt. Fits though the hole and I’m hoping the X-ray lady sees that the keyboard serves no function and there are no explosive wires running through my case. Fingers crossed. But when she looks at me and uses her radio I know what she saw. I forgot about the mechanical lyre. The 3 or 4 bottles of slide oil and cream. And the 3 feet of metal coiled cleaning wire. So this thing looks like explosive central.
That’s when a TSA miraculously appeared. Like they only pulled him out for special occasions because he wasn’t anywhere in the terminal when I got there. And I can see why. This gentleman is 6’6 and probably 230lb of mostly muscle. He grabs me and brings me into that “additional screening” room. (I feel like this is a good time to mention I’m a nerdy overweight 16 year old band geek) So he starts interviewing me which is basically just going back and fourth between “why do you have that?”
“I don’t know”
“Is it yours?”
“Yeah but I just thought it’d be funny”
“Why do you have that?”
All the while Im watching TSA agents tear apart my case and what looks like mess up my trombone, but they literally can’t get past the keyboard. They took my everything out of the case so all that’s left is a keyboard and black cloth and they just kept swiping it with that explosive detection cloth. For like 5 minutes I watched a fat TSA lady with the most concentrated face and two pairs of gloves wipe every book and cranny on my case
Needless to say, I’m absolutely freaking out and that’s when the big dude leaves and an old gray haired guy comes in and explains that I’m not gonna be able to take my “object”. And I’m lucky he’s gonna let me fly at all.
tl;dr Electonics and Musical Instruments are on the no fly list. But only together.
Image source: edwardeddowes, Vasilis Caravitis
#20
I bought a bottle of maple syrup at the duty free when I was flying back from Canada. I had to make my connection in DC but had to switch terminals and go back through security.
TSA took the sealed bottle out of the duty free bag and would not let me pass with it. He asked me what I wanted to do with it. I said “Well, I’m not going to drink it.”
They threw it away :(.
Image source: teh_ash, Ed Vázquez
#21
My wife and I were leaving for our honeymoon. One of our friends thought it would be funny to put a large bottle of lube in my carryon. TSA guy checking bags for explosives, etc, pulls it out, tries not to smile, checks its for explosives and puts it back in our bag. Wife was mortified. I thought it was hilarious.
Image source: boredmatt, freepik
#22
Like others, I was the traveler in this case:
In 2009, flew out of one airport in TX to go to NY for a weekend and only had a backpack (with a lot of pockets) since I don’t check bags, so everything goes through the x-ray machine. No problems getting to NY. Upon my return trip, out of LaGuardia, I get pulled aside by two TSA agents about 3 seconds after my bag has been in the x-ray machine. At the time, I was working a a job in maintenance and hadn’t considered that I failed to check all of the pockets of my backpack (which I also used for work) before packing my stuff. Which led to the TSA agents asking why I had a box of approximately 100 box-cutter blade replacements and various screwdrivers in my bag. I was immediately sweating bullets, thinking I was about to get thrown in jail, but then remembered that I had my work ID in my wallet which stated my position. I apologized profusely and explained that I really, truly had forgotten and that they could do whatever they needed with them, I could just replace them for my job. Both agents were actually pretty understanding, took the stuff to properly destroy it, made me do the extra pat-down, and only delayed me about 10min from time to entering the machine. I still felt like I had been put on some list, but it wasn’t until I landed in TX later that I realized, TSA AGENTS ON MY FLIGHT OUT OF TX MISSED THEM ENTIRELY!
Figures I got lucky, but seriously, what? I thought that was the whole point of the agency. At least NY has their stuff together.
Image source: BatManNeckPunch, freepik
#23
I had a snowglobe confiscated in Charlotte 2 years ago. Even though it was still in the duty-free bag from France, THAT I BROUGHT ON THE PLANE coming from Paris to Charlotte. Nope, *now* all the sudden it’s dangerous.
Image source: snoopy63, MichalchukOksana
#24
My father worked in in customs for Air Canada and said they once arrested an Italian guy for illegally importing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fine Italian linens.
Image source: anon, Stacked white towels
#25
I was flying back to the US from Italy, and I had a jar of this really delicious salt and herb mix in the outer pocket of my backpack that was confiscated. I was pissed because I was really looking forward to using that salt, but I guess airport staff can’t be too careful, right?
Anyway, after we landed in San Francisco, I reached into my jacket pocket and found the half dozen fire crackers I had left in there a few nights earlier.
**TL;DR:** My salt was confiscated, but the firecrackers I had forgotten in my pocket were not.
Image source: HorseMeatSandwich, vvoennyy
#26
I once had my beanie baby taken away… I was 6. Apparently I may have concealed something in there for someone else…. Those bastards just wanted it since it was limited edition.
#27
When my brother and I were 12 we were flying to Minnesota to see our cousins. We both juggle so we brought our juggling clubs and they were confiscated because the could be used as a weapon. So the took both of us to a back security room and asked us a bunch of questions asking us if we knew how dangerous the clubs were.
Image source: NotAYankeesFan, Fellipe Ditadi
#28
Water in a beer can, just water nothing else.
Image source: IAMA_NOT_THE_FBI_AMA
#29
My dad was coming back from a hunting trip and accidentally brought 2 boxes of 12 Ga shot gun rounds and a box of 30-30 rounds through JFK. Best part is they wouldn’t take them. He didn’t care. He just wanted to catch his flight. But they forced him to take them and dispose of them in a safe location, aka the trunk of his car in the airport parking lot.
Image source: blkdoutstang, svetopisphoto
#30
Im not TSA but I did get through security/customs with a 6 inch auto knife, some 7.62 rounds and some 5.56… I was pretty amazed. Granted I was coming back from ‘Stan but I still had to go through 2 security checks and US customs….
Was a last minute pack due to doing patrols up untill a few hours before the first chopper leg out.
edit: since so many asked, Stan = Afghanistan.
Image source: OlacAttack, pvproductions
#31
I went to Hawaii with my family and for some reason my mom wanted to bring a block of cheese home with her. Because there are no weight or volume limits for cheese in carry on, she brought it in her purse.
While we were going through security, the TSA agent pulled her aside and said that there was something that “resembled a block of an explosive chemical” in her carry on, and that additional agents were on their way to inspect it. Long story short, it was the cheese. They let her keep it after thoroughly examining her bag for about half an hour.
TL;LR middle aged woman’s cheese mistaken for C4.
Image source: knightschool
#32
When I was in China, you are not allowed to have batteries in your luggage. I didnt have batteries, but they insisted I did, and ransacked my luggage for a solid five minutes. Then they were like nvmd and I had to repack my suitcase in the security terminal.
EDIT: misspellings :P.
Image source: MJ709
#33
Was sent by my old company to do a hardware setup in Europe. Had a few of us going over. On the way out of the door we were handed a server PSU to take with us as a box had just frazzled. Flight was delayed so had to wait ages in the airport. Had a few beers and got really bored. Finally walked up to security just in time to hear my colleague trying to explain to the clueless guard that he was in fact carrying a flux capacitor. She let him through convinced that she had seen her first flux capacitor. We were laughing so hard we got checked extra carefully!
Image source: Kodiakyuggly
#34
Not a security worker but… My family and I were visiting my aunt in Arizona, she’s a South Korean immigrant and her passion is gardening. She grew these awesome carrots that were purple and gave some to my mom to bring back home. Every time the bag went through the scanner, the agents tore apart my mom’s stuff, they didn’t find anything, then they scanned the stuff again. This happened at least five times. My mom finally just gave the lady her purple carrots, after which she was allowed to move on. Purple carrots.
Image source: starkitteh
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