I remember my bag being pulled because I packed a railroad spike on a trip so my stuffed animals could “protect themselves from bad guys” edit: I was 6 yrs old

Had a similar experience after arriving in Melbourne AUS. You're not allowed to take any food into the country because of possible contamination. So arriving in Melbourne, my friend went to use the bathroo and as I waited, a dog sat himself next to my backpack. I wasn't thinking anything about it until I am greeted by teo officers asking if said backpack is mine, which I agree. Then they asked if I brought any food which I didn't. Upon further enquiry it turns out the dog still smelled the apple I took out my pack 12 hours before when I was still in Shanghai waiting for my 10 hours flight.

I travel with my service dog. I always take 3 days of kibble in a zip lock in my carryon just in case our luggage gets delayed/ lost. Was set to fly to Ca. From Denver. TSA was pretty awesome and were really impressed by my girls manners/ training. However, apparently that much kibble looks like a *LOT* of pills in X-Ray lol. They had to open and confirm. They were really nice about it and I understood. Another time, flying from Oregon to Ca, TSA had some questions about my carry on. It was mostly full of packaged meat snacks from the Oberto factory my Step- mom worked at. They reallllllly wanted to confiscate it lol. again, they were very cool about it, just had a good laugh.

My daughter went to Toyko in December of 2019. I asked her to buy Olympic souvenirs to give to my staff as part of a Christmas present. She found cute little key chains. I had her pick up about 15. Fifteen metal keychains look odd on the scanners, so she sheepishly ended up showing them the stash!

If you're flying out of New Orleans, LA, USA and have a bunch of beads they are likely going to check your bag. I lived there for awhile and when I went to visit family I always got stopped because I was bringing mardi gras beads for them. The coffee tins too with the chicory will also get you stopped.

The following incidents happened to me before 9/11, so the security wasn't what it is today. The 1st one was taking a giant honey-baked ham, wrapped in foil, in it's own individual carry-on bag. I had to put it through xray and it suddenly occurred to me that it might look suspicious, so I just started yelling "It's okay! It's just a ham!". Surprisingly, they took my word for it and never opened it. Today, I'd likely be arrested and the airport evacuated. The 2nd happened when I was 13. Having a period was still relatively new to me and I was only wearing pads at the time. I was flying home and stuffed a large sock full of marbles in the bottom of my bag. There was no room for my full box of pads, so I took them out of the box and stuffed them in every nook of my bag. Of course this cute, young security guy checks my bag because he can't identify the marble sock on xray. Poor guy had to sift through all these pads to find the sock. One even fell on the floor! I was sooo mortified!

Checked bag had frozen lamb leg ( long story ). When I opened bag, it had a " hey we are TSA and rifled through".

Flying from Amsterdam to London with three rounds of cheese in my backpack. Got stopped at airport in Amsterdam and London (final destination Liverpool). I did ask the girl in the shop if there would be any problem, no sir none at all. You know it's them 68 year old terrorist carrying them cheese bombs.

Why is everyone else's bag getting checked for cool stuff? I got random tagged twice, once in Iceland, once in America. I've only flown 4 times. Twice when I was 2, twice just recently when I got random tagged both flights. And in Iceland my bag got pulled for WATER

when I was 12, a TSA agent opened my violin case to check that it was, you know, a violin I guess… but then they asked me to play it?? like what are you trying to prove, I’m TWELVE and deeply uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure they laughed when I was too embarassed and shy to do it. ugh. makes me upset just thinking about it.

I once took 10 packs of frozen bacon with me from Denmark to England. English bacon sucks :D

The first time I went to Venezuela to meet my (then gf, later wife)'s family I wanted to bring her father something special that he wouldn't be able to get there. So I chose apples and pears. They have both there, grown in the Andean foothills, but they're mealy and bland. I called the local consulate and asked if I could get permission to bring them and in. I was told that no, I couldn't but I should just put them in my carry-on bag and not say anything. And if I was challenged at customs there to just offer one to the inspector. It turns out they're not much worried about Americans smuggling things INTO South America and I was just waved through. But I love that fact that the advice from a government official was to A) smuggle and B) if caught, bribe the inspector. It was my first introduction to the laissez faire attitude towards crime and law in that part of the world.

Now I need to try that pancake mix.

Back 80’s I worked as armed private security for Hughes Aviation, a private Charter facility on the west side of McCarren Airport (now Harry Reed International Airport in Las Vegas. The screeners working the machines would alert us when they saw something suspicious or an electronics device that required hands on check. I was called over to look at the screen and observed what was obviously a large vibrator in a ladies handbag. I could see she was about to pass out from embarrassment as I took the bag off the conveyer belt. I took the bag over to a platform away from everyone’s Sight, reached in and without removing the vibrator from the bag removed the batteries and inspected it to ensure there was nothing else in it and tested it to ensure the batteries were indeed batteries. I returned her purse thanking her for her patience with all the professionalism I would expect if my wife were in that situation. The look of gratitude on her face was priceless. Yes, I then washed my hands.

My dad traveled a lot for work when I was younger, he used to get some odd looks when he would pull my stuffed doll out of his carry on and take a pic of it in the airport. I would always send my doll with him when he went somewhere, I have pics of it all over the world.

Fun post and all, but I need more information about the special japanese flavour kitkat. What was that? I want to try it! 😊

Me with nine dozen Montreal bagels and a full quarter-wheel of good imported Gouda, flying home to San Francisco. I apologize for nothing but ye gads the smell of the fresh (like, four hours old) bagels smacked the TSA guy in the face when he opened the suitcase...

My husband, when a twenty-something slob, got pulled out of the check-in line (pre-TSA) because he had 6 cheese blintzes, wrapped in aluminum foil by his grandmother. The security people asked him what they were, and he honestly answered cheese blintzes. They made him unwrap them to see that they were actually what he said. To think he would've hijacked a plane to Cuba with cheese blintzes is still hysterical.

I saw a group of guys being stopped at security. They were heading of for a weekend of fun, dressed in various costumes. 'Buza Lightyear' was stopped as he had a gun. The security guy said he could see it was a toy, but needed to call the Police for them to gives permission. The Police arrived in about two minutes, looked at Buzz, grinned and declared "Not a flying toy." They checked his gun and proclaimed it safe.

Never apologize for being who you are? What if you’re Hitler?

The TJ’s Ube pancake mix is absolutely worth that hassle, in my opinion. 😋

My baggage was pulled aside because I had a full jug of MI maple syrup, and a few bottle of blueberry syrup, to back out west with me. Kinda funny this girl had pancake mix, we should have been on the same flight!

Apparently Japan has hundreds of Kit Kat flavors. Wow.

I found a Dutch candy (Zwart Wit Powder) in a shop in Canada and put it in my partner's backpack. Unfortunately I forgot to tell him this and when he was checked he couldn't tell what it was (he really didn't know). With many apologies and explanations from me, he was then allowed to leave. He was mad at me for a long time, completely understandable. (previous comment deleted to insert picture) Zwart-Wit-...72a64d.jpg

I am so happy that someone else stuffs their luggage with the Japanese Matcha flavoured kitkats... I thought it was only me. I have been importing them via Amazon since covid!

First photo looked like a grocery checkout at first.

I got pulled because I had 6 large containers of FLUFF (specific type of marshmallow spread. Especially good on PB&J)Anyway, the don't have it. In NC where we live and my kids LOVE it!! Mind you they are both grown. 😄😄 I also got pulled because I had a small metal canister of Starbucks instant coffee. When I visit NE, my family doesn't have a coffee pot.. lol. At least it's good. I think TSA enjoys hearing all the things people bring with them because they don't have it at home/away. We certainly love the things that remind us of home.

I got pulled aside last year because i had a large jar of frozen green chili. My friends mom passed and I was bringing her comfort food! 5 am the tsa guy pulls it out goes "uhhhh ooook then" puts it back and sends me on my way.

I was asked by a TSA agent, very seriously I might add, if I had a jar of peanut butter in my bag (before scanning it). I didn't, but with that level of urgency, I asked if I was supposed to?

We got busted for coco wheats coming back from Chicago to ft. Laud.in the early 2000's. It was in a checked bag , they announced at the gate and I had to explain icouldnt find it in local stores. I even opened one of the boxes and ate a bit. 9/11 made us all a bit crazy

I brought bottles of liquid soap home from Spain because it isn’t found in the US. Brought a box of coconuts from Florida for souvenirs. Brought pastries from Thailand. So what did the tsa once search? My cat.

Why is it that most of the photos you see on-line now-a-days seem to be backwards?