Weird, wacky items found in S.A. luggage
Travelers love to take home a taste of Texas, but barbecue sauce and other condiments count as a liquid under TSA regulations
SAN ANTONIO — From fresh salsas to Whataburger ketchup, visitors to San Antonio may find themselves hooked on the tastes of South Texas. But if they’re traveling light on a flight, taking that flavor home might get them into trouble.
Transportation Security Administration agents tend to find certain prohibited items more often in Texas than in other states, and condiments are some of the most common food items found in carry-on luggage in San Antonio, according to Patricia Mancha, TSA spokeswoman.
“Texas is (famous) for their barbecue and sauces, and many visitors want to take a taste of Texas home with them,” Mancha said.
However, comparatively harmless items are also regular stowaways in local luggage, including condiments.
“Barbecue sauce, salsa and Whataburger ketchup are some of the most common food items found at the checkpoint inside carry-on,” Mancha said.
But condiments count as a liquid under TSA regulations, and only 3.4 ounces are allowed in carryon luggage. That means visitors who want to take a bottle with them will have to check their suitcase.
Passengers have also been known to conceal live animals in their clothes in an attempt to smuggle them through security. Snakes, turtles, ferrets, chinchillas and even a baby alligator have all tried and failed to evade detection this way.
Once, officials even chanced upon a set of human remains.
“We once had a professor traveling with cadaver bones, which he didn’t tell us about before placing the bag through the X-ray. The Xray operator was quite shocked to see a skull and several bones appear on the monitor,” Mancha said.
The airport police were called to the scene and deduced the bones were props for a presentation.
In San Antonio, handguns also are a common discovery, Mancha said. Texas is one of the most firearm-friendly states in the country. Nearly 48 percent of residents own one or more guns, according to World Population Review.
“Being a state that had licenseto-carry and, now, open-carry laws, many passengers place their weapons in small backpacks or bags when traveling in their car and often forget to check inside their carry-on when packing for a flight. The No. 1 excuse we hear is ‘I forgot the weapon was in my bag,’ ” Mancha said.
With Christmas coming up, airlines advise customers to doublecheck their carry-on luggage to ensure nothing inside is on the TSA’s list of prohibited items. Under federal law, the TSA can punish violations with fines of up to $13,910 per person.