It’s days after Thanksgiving, snow is softly falling and you’re in a food-induced trance. So put on your comfy pants, grab a turkey leg and read about how TSA stopped a grenade monster. But first, let’s talk turkey.
It was a record breaking Thanksgiving Holiday for TSA. We screened more than 26 million passengers and crew members during the holiday travel period, from November 22 to December 2. December 1 marked our busiest day in history! For more, see how TSA screened a record-breaking number of Thanksgiving holiday travelers.
Between November 18 and December 1, found 153 firearms in carry-on bags. Of the 153 firearms discovered, 127 were loaded and 47 had a round chambered.
Don’t pack your firearm in your carry-on bag. Bringing a firearm to the security checkpoint may lead to a civil penalty of up to $13,333 or an arrest. And if you’re a TSA Pre✓® member, you could lose your status. Check out our transporting firearms and ammunition page to learn how to pack it properly.
See all firearm discoveries from November 18 to December 2 in this chart.
Not all monsters have grenades, but when they do, they can’t fly! Every day, TSA officers answer the call to keep dangerous items and monsters off your flight. When we find replicas of dangerous items like this mad Mike Wazowski, it makes our job harder and slows everything down. So just leave these items at home. Oh, and if asking nicely doesn’t work, packing replica explosives can also lead to a civil penalty or arrest.
This item was discovered by TSA officers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on November 25.
A Syracuse Hancock International Airport passenger could see a four-digit civil penalty after TSA officers discovered two inert C-4 explosive training aids in a checked bag on November 21. It might say “Inert” on the outside, but our officers aren’t going to start experimenting at the checkpoint. This is why we rely on explosives specialists which can take time and lead to delayed or cancelled flights. The passenger voluntarily abandoned the property and rebooked their flight after forgetting the items were in the bag.
Real or replica simulant explosives aren’t allowed in carry-on or checked bags.
Grenades are a no-go, Rambo! So don’t pack them, they always lead to a not so fun time. They can cause flight delays, evacuations and missed flights. Don’t be that guy!
Pictured above start on the left:
- An empty grenade discovered by TSA officers at Louisiana’s Monroe Regional Airport on December 1.
- An empty grenade discovered during X-ray screening at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on November 24.
- A novelty belt buckle grenade discovered at Louisville International Airport on November 28.
Our mission at TSA is to make sure you get to your destination safely by keeping dangerous items off planes. The most common explanation we hear from travelers for prohibited items is, “I forgot it was in my bag.” Don’t be that person. Save yourself some money and embarrassment by thoroughly checking your bags for prohibited items before heading to the airport.
Be prepared! For a list of prohibited items, be sure to use the What Can I Bring? tool. If you have questions about the security process, reach out to AskTSA on Twitter or Facebook. Our AskTSA team will happily answer even the most outlandish travel-related questions.
Want to know how many firearms we detected last year? Check out our 2018 blog post.
Also, don’t forget to check out our top 10 most unusual finds video for 2018.
Want to learn more or see the other wacky finds? Follow us @TSA on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Jay Wagner
