Fellow passengers will thank you for double-checking your carry-on bag and leaving knives, guns, and pepper spray at home. This morning at the Quad City Airport, the Transportation Security Administration showed reporters a wide variety of prohibited items people try to take on flights.
Michelle O'Neill reports most people say they simply forgot their gun, pocket knife, or brass knuckles were still in their bags.
TSA Officer Andrey Mojica says the most common items are liquids.
For example, a sealed can of pop contains a lot more than 3.4 ounces, the limit for the amount of liquid allowed in carry-ons.
Knives are next on the list of most common prohibited items people try to take on board.
Mojica says passengers always have the option of taking them back to their cars, giving them to someone who's not traveling with them, or putting them in checked baggage.
Mark Howell, TSA Regional Spokesman, says security checkpoint waiting times get longer and longer the more guns, torches, and grenades officers find.
Ten years ago, Howell says the TSA found 800 firearms in carry-on bags across the country. Last year, officers found more than 4,200 firearms.
The TSA website includes a section called "What Can I Bring?" and a lot more information.
Howell also says people who travel with special needs children, medications, or those with other unique needs may contact the TSA ahead of time. Then an employee can arrange to meet at the airport to help make sure the security screening goes as quickly and smoothly as possible.
