The USA’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has published a list of their “best catches” of 2024, revealing the most egregious attempts by air passengers to take prohibited items onto an aircraft.
Featuring in what is supposed to be a humorous video, with a countdown from 10 to the top spot, each item, from drugs hidden in peanut butter to quite literal trouser snakes, is accompanied by amusing graphics and reaction clips from pop culture.
Effective public engagement or inappropriate tone?
It’s not clear why the TSA chose to take a light-hearted approach to the reveal, other than to capture people’s attention, but for some online commenters, the tone of the video did not quite hit a serious enough note, with children’s characters used and guns referred to in childish language as “pew-pews” for example.
One YouTube commenter remarked: “I really hope tax dollars weren’t spent on this nonsense. I don’t need or want my country’s federal agencies to be funny, I just want them to do their actual job.”
Another asked: “What is a pew-pew?”
While a third questioned “Why is TSA so unhinged?”
However, other viewers applauded the attempt to engage the public. “When doing public outreach (like this) whatever gets folks to pay attention and internalize the message works. Not a waste of money,” said one.
The top ten
At number 10, at Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina, a stash of marijuana was discovered inside sandwich bags stuffed into a “Jif” peanut butter jar.
At number nine, at Williamsburg International in Virginia, a knife, referred to by officials as a “sharp slashy thingy”, was discovered hidden inside a shoe.
The eighth item on the list, found at New York’s Newark Liberty International, is a firearm, which the TSA described as a “pew-pew inside a ruby red combat boot inside a Lego box”.
A huge knife blade hidden inside a laptop found at Seattle Tacoma Airport comes in at number seven. Snoop Dog’s face looking astonished serves as a reaction.
At number six, at Chicago Midway International, a vape was found wrapped in foil concealed inside a tube of toothpaste.
At number five at Portland International, a gun, again called a “pew-pew” by the security agency, was found inside a teapot.
At number four, at Portsmouth International in New Hampshire, drugs were discovered stuffed inside a walking aid. The accompanying text borrows a viral TikTok phrase, asking: “You see how other passengers don’t hide meth inside their crutches? Very mindful, very demure.”
Number three is perhaps one of the most striking. A pair of combat trousers was found to be stuffed full of live snakes at Miami International.
At number two, at El Paso International in Texas, security agents alighted upon an improvised explosive device disguised as a walkie-talkie. Again, the language the TSA uses to describe this could be seen by some as too easy-going, with the phrase: “Replica walkie talkie boom”.
And the number one “best catch” came at William P Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas. It is described by the TSA as a “pew-pew in a stroller” – in other words, a gun hidden inside a baby’s buggy.