Some things are just common sense. Like it should be a no-brainer that you can’t bring a firearm on an airplane whether you are legally registered in your home state or not.
But for some reason, people still try to do it.
But due to the overwhelming crowds during July 4th weekend that is expected to remain throughout the summer travel season – and a desire to speed up the lines at airport security checkpoints -- the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) felt compelled to issue a new alert on what you can’t bring through security.
The TSA still has prohibitions on what you can pack in your carry-on as you go through security.
David Pekoske, who currently serves as the head of TSA, says that although an alert sounds very official, it just serves as a reminder to passengers.
"I expect that we're going to see very, very strong demand all the way through the summertime, and that's what we're preparing for," he said.
By way of example, the TSA screened almost 2.9 million passengers on June 30, a record. It was more than 100,000 passengers more than the biggest July 4th weekend travel day in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
"Planning ahead and packing properly can facilitate the TSA security screening process and ease a passenger's travel experience at the airport," John Essig, TSA's federal security director at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, said in a statement.
The TSA said it is just a matter of due diligence. Passengers should know what’s in their luggage and carry on before even arriving at the airport. It’s a "Know Before You Go" scenario. "It is important to know what can be packed in carry-on and/or checked baggage before arriving at the airport," Essig said.
For instance, some people seem to think they can bring a firearm if they are legally allowed to carry a gun in the state in which they live. While they may be legally allowed to carry a gun in their home state, it doesn’t trump federal guidelines for air travel.
You also can’t bring something as benign as a water bottle. You can, however, purchase a water bottle once you get through security.
The TSA said in its July 6 alert that "the most common thing that slows down a traveler at a TSA checkpoint is having a prohibited item in a carry-on bag."
In fact, you would be surprised at what people tried to sneak on a plane. Like a knife. TSA agent DeVaughn Edwards said "It looks like a credit card to a lot of other people, but when we check wallets we find many of these. When we check bracelets, we pull them out and there's a knife in between them."
The TSA has a list of do’s and don’ts of what you can’t carry, from firearms all the way down to the amount of shampoo, on its website, TSA.gov.
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