You would think that Americans would by now know that trying to carry a gun-shaped knife, a bullet-adorned gas mask, or an inert anti-tank mine onto an airliner is a very bad idea. But no. Apparently some people still haven't received the memo.
Hardly a day goes by when someone, somewhere doesn't try boarding a flight carrying something stupid. Like, say, a loaded 9 mm handgun packed into a computer. Or a baggie of weed stashed in a fake Coke can. The TSA social media team chronicles it all in the amazing, and alarming, TSA Instagram feed. You can expect TSA agents to be busy this week as 49 million people take to the skies for Thanksgiving.
Since launching the Instagram account three years ago, the TSA team has posted more than 1,000 photos and amassed 514,000 followers. Each image features a good-natured, nerdy caption. "Attention! This is not a drill… It’s just a really large wrench. Tools over 7" must be packed in checked baggage" and "I have a pen. I have a knife. Uh! Knife Pen!"
Apparently, the account left some passengers confused about whether a sword cane is OK, so now the TSA team takes questions. If you’re wondering whether a hatchet or hard-boiled egg counts as carry-on, just tweet a photo to @askTSA. But if you have to ask, maybe you ought to just leave it at home.
