As anybody who has worked at an airport can tell you, people try to bring all manner of absurd things on airplanes. And while we needle the TSA a lot, they do have a job to do, and it makes sense that people would rather not have their fellow passengers be armed. To help deliver the message that maybe you shouldn’t be bringing weapons onto an airplane, the TSA has started an Instagram account just in time for the Fourth of July travel season showcasing some of the weird items they run across. And there’s already a lot of weird.
It’s also pretty informative. While the TSA is excessively prone to hashtags, they do offer a note about where the item in question was impounded, and a brief explanation of why it’s not OK, although usually it’s immediately obvious. So far, Texans are confirming every stereotype you have about the Lone Star State, although Cleveland is giving them a run for their money and it took all of three days for Newark to log an entry. Although to be fair, nobody visits the Newark airport unarmed.
That said, though, there’s already a lot of stuff that defies common sense. Just for example, why bring a gun or a knife on a plane… when you can bring a knife that looks like a gun? Or, if you’re more into the nonlethal kind of ass-kicking, surely the TSA will not notice the stun-gun you’ve disguised as a pack of cigarettes.
The bizarre thing is that this account was started just last week, and it’s already full of stuff you’d think no intelligent person would try to sneak onto an airplane. And it shows no sign of stopping: The most recent photo brought us a throwing knife and bayonet from Long Beach, a dagger from Austin… and an inert grenade from Albany.