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There’s a famous ancient proverb that says, “Don’t pack anything in your carry-on or checked bag that would cause a fire marshal to soil his pants.” Wise, succinct, but not always easy to remember.
USA Today reports that a man was detained in the Baltimore airport on Monday for stuffing a missile launcher in his checked bag. After questioning, the TSA learned he was active duty military, and intended to bring the equipment home as a souvenir.
.@TSA officers at @BWI_Airport detected this missile launcher in a checked bag early this morning. Man said he was bringing it back from Kuwait as a souvenir. Perhaps he should have picked up a keychain instead! pic.twitter.com/AQ4VBPtViG
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) July 29, 2019
The TSA verified the weapon wasn’t live, and then confiscated the device before handing it over to state officials. Unbelievably, the passenger responsible still made his flight. That’s hard to believe, having nearly missed my flight for far less grievous sins in my bag.
This is a good reminder that there aren’t just rules for carry-on bags. Pay attention to the checked baggage rules, as well. The TSA reminds us, “Military weapons are not permitted in checked or carry-on luggage.”
You can check out this page for official TSA guidelines of both carry-on and checked bags.
And to dramatically speed up your airport security experience, you can enroll in TSA PreCheck for free thank to the benefits that come with several different credit cards. TSA PreCheck gives you a dedicated airport security line where you don’t have to remove your jacket, shoes, laptop, etc.
My top pick for free TSA PreCheck is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, because the card’s annual fee is $95 and offers an up to $100 credit. As long as you use the card to pay for your TSA PreCheck application within the first year, you’ll get five absolutely free years of TSA PreCheck.
The card comes with more than just a credit for TSA PreCheck, too. Read this post for a more thorough explanation of why it’s the best way to get TSA PreCheck for free if you’re a beginner in the miles and points hobby.
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Featured image courtesy of TSA