I hate the whole palaver of x-ray and screening at departure gates as much as you do. It gets me all stressy trying not to hold things up while I strip down, work out whether this is a shoes-off or shoes-on airport, remove beepy bangles and haul my laptop out of my cabin luggage while juggling four trays, including my baggy of lip glosses.
But I follow the TSA (Transport Security Administration) blog and have some sympathy for the guys and girls who are charged with ensuring we all have a safe flight.
Here are some of the recent confiscations at airports across the US. Quite mind boggling!
![TSA guns](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/TSA_Firearms_Discovered_2014.jpg)
Note 83% of guns found in carry on luggage were loaded!
![Guns at airports](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/Guns.jpg)
A selection of the 2212 guns confiscated by TSA staff at airports in 2014.
![Alarm clock bomb](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/MCI-Alarm-Clock.jpg)
This “hilarious” novelty clock was discovered on its way from Kansas City.
![TSA airport grenades](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/Grenades.jpg)
Over 140 inert or novelty hand grenades were discovered last year
![Knife hidden TSA](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/Encho-Knife.jpg)
No this isn’t as grisly as it looks, it’s a knife hidden in an enchilada at Sonoma. But you gotta ask yourself what on earth the owner was planning?
![Pocket knives on planes](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/Knives.jpg)
These are just wrong. Knives hidden in combs, walking sticks and even a key!
![TSA knives](https://bloggeratlarge.com/wp-content/uploads/Capture33333.jpg)
No, you’re not allowed to carry throwing knives or stars in your hand luggage.