A woman flying from Los Angeles to Philadelphia was put on the TSA’s naughty list after nearly 90 prohibited items were found in her carry-on luggage.
A Transportation Security Administration officer was conducting a routine X-ray inspection at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday when he noticed what appeared to be several prohibited items and tagged the woman’s bag, officials said in a statement .
The officer opened the bag in front of the passengers and was surprised to see what it contained: 82 fireworks, three knives, two replica guns and a can of pepper spray – none of which are allowed in carry-on luggage.
While TSA officers sometimes see strange items inside passengers’ luggage, the discovery surprised even the longest-tenured officers, officials said in a news release.
“The number of prohibited items found in a single carry-on bag is extremely concerning,” Jason Pantages, federal security director for LAX TSA, said in a statement. Let this incident serve as a reminder to all travelers to double check the items in their luggage before heading to the airport.”
TSA officers contacted Los Angeles World Airports Police, who went to the Terminal 4 security checkpoint and interviewed the passenger. The airport police bomb squad also responded and the explosives were confiscated.
According to Transportation Security Administration regulations, fireworks and other explosives are absolutely not allowed on airplanes. Replica guns and knives, on the other hand, are allowed in checked baggage.
Pepper spray is more complicated. The TSA says a 4-ounce container with a security seal is generally allowed in checked luggage, but larger cans of self-defense spray containing more than 2 percent tear gas are not allowed in checked luggage.
Some airlines do not allow the use of any type of pepper spray, so travelers should contact their airline before traveling.
If travelers are confused about what can be stored in a checked or carry-on bag, they can check out the “What Can I Bring?” feature in the MyTSA app. They can also send pictures of items to X or @AskTSA on Facebook for help.
