Catching a plane is never not stressful: Even the most seasoned traveler among us can get held up at security screening. With the TSA constantly tightening its regulations and making changes, it's not uncommon to end up with a few surprises — whether its having the contents of your luggage confiscated or the need to go through additional screening — when you go through airport security.
Normally, having to spend additional time to get security clearance is not a big deal, but it can seriously mess things up if you're on a time crunch and need to head to the gate ASAP. The printable version of the TSA's list of regulation is a whopping 33 pages long, and well, ain't nobody got time to go through it all. The TSA also has a bad track record of missing dangerous objects and taking things that pose no threat.
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"The number-one tip to breeze through airport security is to dress appropriately: Avoid wearing belts, jewelry, accessories, or excessive layers," says John Bernasconi, a representative for Stratos Jets, a brand that recently conducted a study on TSA claims. "When it comes to what you can and can't bring in a carry-on, the biggest source of confusion is that some of the banned items seem arbitrary or unreasonable. But, they are obviously on the no-fly list due to security concerns and intel most passengers are unaware of."
To make your journey from the check in counter to the departure gate as smooth and painless as possible, we've compiled a list of unexpected items that are either banned or can get you stopped and searched at a screening checkpoint. (You can also always sign up for TSA Precheck to make your life a bit easier.)
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Snow Globes
Due to the TSA liquid rules, larger snow globes have to be checked. You can still bring one smaller globes, but it would have to be smaller than a tennis ball and clearly displayed in a quart-sized ziploc bag.
Due to the TSA liquid rules, larger snow globes have to be checked. You can still bring one smaller globes, but it would have to be smaller than a tennis ball and clearly displayed in a quart-sized ziploc bag.
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Books
Passengers have been reporting incidents of being asked to remove their books and magazines during a security screening. TSA has dismissed the rumors of this being a new unspoken rule, but it might be a good idea to just pull them out of your carry-on as your go through the X-rays, especially since their contents may be inspected as a new safety precaution.
Passengers have been reporting incidents of being asked to remove their books and magazines during a security screening. TSA has dismissed the rumors of this being a new unspoken rule, but it might be a good idea to just pull them out of your carry-on as your go through the X-rays, especially since their contents may be inspected as a new safety precaution.
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Magic Eight-Ball
The outlook is not so good if you're hoping to pack a Magic 8-Ball in your carry-on bag: According to the TSA's official check list, these spheres can only be transported in your checked luggage.
The outlook is not so good if you're hoping to pack a Magic 8-Ball in your carry-on bag: According to the TSA's official check list, these spheres can only be transported in your checked luggage.
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hosted by Annie Georgia Greenberg.
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