SALT LAKE CITY -- It’s happened to the best of us. It’s pretty common for travelers, like John Naccareto, to accidentally try to bring a banned item along inside carry-on luggage.
“I had a Swiss army knife, like a small Swiss army knife, that was tucked way down in there that I just forgot about,” Naccareto said.
TSA Spokeswoman Lorie Dankers points out some of the items taken by TSA at the Salt Lake City International Airport in just the past few weeks.
“Knives are some of the most common items that we see passengers bring,” Dankers said.
Some are more obvious, like large knives, while others are a little less conspicuous.
“This is an interesting flashlight, or so it looks like a flashlight, but if you disassemble this you're going to notice there's a blade in here,” Dankers said.
Other items you may not think of as being banned are tools. Any tool larger than seven inches is not allowed on the plane and needs to be checked. The same goes for popular souvenirs like small baseball bats, which the TSA says could be used as a weapon.
Another item that you wouldn’t think would be banned and is pretty popular in Utah is bear spray. Not only can you not carry it on, but you also can’t check it because TSA worries about it discharging. The same goes for grenades, even if the items are just toys or candy in a grenade shape.
“Our officers will stop all screening, they notify the airport police who respond to the checkpoint, they remove the bag and the passenger from the area, and then they resolve what's in the bag," Dankers said. "And that's a lot of work and delay for the other passengers for something that is just a toy."
It’s the same policy for toy guns, although you can check them. If it’s a real gun, it can also be checked if you follow these guidelines:
- Remove ammunition
- Store in locked, hard sided case
- Declare it at ticket counter
- Sign Declaration
- Lock it up
Just this year alone, TSA has found 20 guns in carry-on luggage at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
If you try to bring on a gun or a grenade on an aircraft, you could face a civil penalty of several thousand dollars.
