TSA says airline passengers forgetting what they can’t bring on board
Mar 5, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — The Transportation Security Administration says people don’t seem to be getting the message not to try to bring a gun or other suspicious-looking items through airport security checkpoints.
TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said that guns are a pretty common site at airports. “In calendar year 2013, the TSA found over 1,800 guns at our nation’s airports,” said Melendez. “That’s almost five guns per day at airports around the country. Sixty-six of those guns were found here at Sky Harbor.”
The airport is currently on a pace to have 48 guns found here this year, but Melendez cautions that may be a low figure. “It’s early in the year,” he said.
And it’s not just guns that are being found. Melendez showed a toy grenade, as well as a perfume bottle in the shape of a grenade. Another item that looked like a grenade was actually a carrying case that has small screwdrivers inside.
“In just the past week, we’ve found a bowling pin, we found knives, a circular saw, golf clubs, baseball bats. Pretty much everything in the book that’s not allowed is what we’ve found,” said Melendez.
“Illegal items like brass knuckles and guns and loaded guns are going to cause an inconvenience for you. They could cause you to miss your flight, and could cause you to be fined up to $11,000 by the TSA,” Melendez said.
Many times passengers either forget what they have with them that they can’t bring on the plane, or don’t realize that the item is not allowed.
To find out which items are prohibited, go to www.tsa.gov.
