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PITTSTON TWP. — If you plan to travel by air, you will have to leave your rolling pin, meat tenderizer and, oh yeah, your knife and handgun in your checked baggage.
And that’s not all that will be confiscated by TSA security when you go to board your flight.
Transportation Security Administration officials held a media event Tuesday morning at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport to discuss the importance of travelers knowing what is in their carry-on and checked bags because prohibited items slow down the checkpoint.
TSA showcased prohibited items that have been confiscated over the past two months at the airport ‘s security checkpoint.
There were knives of all types, a saw, several pairs of scissors, a rolling pin and a cutting board, box cutters, adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, a mini baseball bat, a golf club and a BB gun that looked like a 9-millimeter, making one wonder if the carrier would kill you or shoot your eye out.
“The most common excuse/reason for having the prohibited item in their carry-on bag is that they forgot,” said Michael Kichline of TSA. “Next is they were in a hurry or their spouse packed their bag.”
Whatever the excuse or reason is — like the guilty passenger — it won’t fly with TSA.
Gary Borthwick, the airport’s assistant director, said having the items displayed for the public and media to see is a good way to show what travelers can’t take on a plane.
“That will speed up the waiting in lines,” Borthwick said. “And that keeps everyone happy and safe.”
Lisa Farbstein, spokesperson for the TSA Office of Public Affairs, said it’s important to avoid packing prohibited items in baggage when flying if travelers expect a smooth security checkpoint experience. She said TSA has tools that travelers can use to help ensure that passengers aren’t bringing prohibited items to the airport.
The best way to ensure that you know what can be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither is through any of these four options:
• Tweet or message AskTSA. Unsure if an item is allowed through security? Issues receiving TSA Pre✓ on your boarding pass? Get live assistance by tweeting your questions and comments to @AskTSA or via Facebook Messenger on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on weekends/holidays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• TSA’s homepage has a feature in the upper right-hand corner titled, “What Can I Bring?” in which travelers can type in the name of an item to find out if it is allowed in a checked or carry-on bag.
• Download TSA’s free app. The MyTSA app has a handy feature entitled “What Can I bring?” in which travelers can quickly search which items you can bring with you through the checkpoint onto the airplane.
• The TSA Contact Center is available to answer questions by email and phone at 1-866-289-9673. Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends/holidays; an automated service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Additional helpful travel tips for the airport security checkpoint include:
• Start with an empty bag when packing for the airport. This ensures that you haven’t forgotten that you had an item in the bottom of your carry-on bag.
• Prepare for security when packing. Put large liquids, gels, creams and aerosols, such as shampoo, conditioner, suntan lotion, shaving cream and antiperspirant into checked bags.
• Let the TSA officer know right away if you’re traveling with larger quantities of medically necessary liquid medications, or breast milk or formula for an infant as those can be screened separately.
• Consider minimizing items that you wear to the airport such as bulky jewelry, scarves, hair accessories, large belts and other bulky items as these articles are likely to require additional screening.
