At Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints nationwide, 2023 provided additional proof that some air travelers still don't have a clue what is and isn't allowed to pass through airport screening.
Or at least these individuals are okay with risking the consequences. That's unfortunate for those of us would welcome the large-scale rollout of self-service security screening.
The year began with officers at Tampa International Airport uncovering a four-foot-long boa constrictor inside of a passenger's carry-on bag as it passed through the X-ray machine.
A cat was also found on the X-ray machine at Virginia's Norfolk International Airport this year.
In Boston, security officials noticed a suspicious-looking candle that turned out to be housing a passenger's weed.
At Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, TSA officers made a shocking seizure after finding 9mm rounds sewn into the lining of a traveler's shoes.
"And when asked why, the individual quickly jogged their memory back to a purchase made at a second-hand store. An innocent mistake perhaps...but still knot a good start to their travel plans," TSA noted in an Instagram post.
In one of the 2023's weirdest checkpoint discoveries, a passenger at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers was pulled aside after attempting to get through security with an empty propane tank.
Cue the King of the Hill jokes.
It's not all that uncommon for some travelers to attempt to get to their destination while concealing illegal drugs but TSA is often up to the task when it comes to making a bust.
Officers at Utah's Salt Lake City International Airport discovered two peanut butter jars stuffed with over a half pound of meth this past spring.
Officers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport recently made a head-scratching discovery when they uncovered a knife hidden inside, of all things, a loaf of bread.
Prior to that discovery, officers at Alaska's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport found a 3.5-inch knife hidden inside a passenger's prosthetic foot.
If travelers are unsure of what they can and can't bring to the security checkpoint, they can download the MyTSA mobile app or visit TSA's "What Can I Bring?" page to find out what can and can't fly.
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