Nine Insane Things People Tried Take Through Florida Airports This Year

Last month, a truly heroic traveler strolled into Miami International Airport, strode up to the TSA security line, and whipped out a gold-plated gas mask spiked with high-caliber ammunition. Turns out, as the TSA notes, "post-apocalyptic, bullet-adorned gas masks" are not allowed aboard airplanes. Who knew?

By Tim Elfrink

December 8, 2016

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Last month, a truly heroic traveler strolled into Miami International Airport, strode up to the TSA security line, and whipped out a gold-plated gas mask spiked with high-caliber ammunition.

Turns out, as the TSA notes, "post-apocalyptic, bullet-adorned gas masks" are not allowed aboard airplanes. Who knew?

Hundreds of dangerous and simply baffling items have been snagged at security lines at Florida airports this year. Thanks to the TSA's highly entertaining Instagram account, which chronicles the craziest shit confiscated around the nation, we can all point and laugh and be very thankful we didn't have to fly next to a man trying to breath through a bullet-studded mask for an entire flight.

Here's the other weirdest stuff the TSA caught at Sunshine State airports in 2016:

1. A rusty murderin' ax stuffed into suitcase lining in Tampa

2. A cane-sword — perfect weapon for elderly assassins — in Pensacola

3. Sweeney Todd's lethal comb in Tally

4. A Panama City dude who thought a "pistol-crossbow" would be cool on an airplane

5. A knife shaped like a bullet in Fort Myers

6. Hundreds of bullets stuffed into a battery in Fort Lauderdale

7. An angry IT guy's blade inside a hard drive in Fort Myers

8. A straight-up handgun at MIA

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Tim Elfrink is a former investigative reporter and managing editor for Miami New Times. He has won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Contact: Tim Elfrink

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Twitter: @timelfrinkmia