The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) absolutely roasted a traveler who apparently tried to sneak a handgun through security by hiding it inside a raw chicken.
The TSA shared a pun-riddled post on Instagram on Monday — including several photos of both the contraband and the uncooked bird — warning travelers that agents would always be on the lookout for such “half-baked” shenanigans.
“There’s a personal fowl here,” the caption began.
“The plot chickens as we barrel our way closer to Thanksgiving. For us, it’s a time to be thankful that our officers are always working around the cluck to keep you safe. Take for instance this ‘hen you believe it?’ find at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport,” the caption continued. “We hate to beak it to you here, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is just a baste of time. This idea wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy, and obviously unsupervised. The only roast happening here is this poor packing choice!”
“Feather you like it or not, there are rules for traveling with guns and ammunition. So, don’t wing it; roost over the proper packaging info through the link in our bio,” the message concluded.
According to the TSA, the raw chicken was legal to carry — as are other fresh meats and foods, provided they do not contain liquids — as long as it was packed in ice. The handgun — provided it was unloaded — was also legal to fly with, but only if it was checked baggage and it should have been locked in a hard-sided container.
Additionally, according to the TSA website, “Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.”
Even replica and toy firearms are only permitted in checked baggage — but rifle scopes are permitted to be carried in checked bags.
The TSA’s Instagram account is well-known for its pun-filled posts about all things travel-related. Another recent post poked fun at someone who left false teeth behind after a flight.
“Are you having hard fillings about an item left at the airport? Well, brace yourself, as you might be enamored with these next bites of information. If you forgot an item on the plane, you should chews to reach out to your airline directly. If you’ve misplaced your item outside of security, the tooth fairy can’t help you, but airport lost and found can,” the post read. “You know that we won’t ever drill you with unwanted airport wisdom. So, best to brush up on your lost & found contacts through the link in our bio. Paste your airport code in the search function and molar over the return information.”
