The Things People Try to Take on Planes

As important as cheap travel options, such as cheap airplane tickets, and cheap vacation packages, are to most people planning a trip, plane safety is universally regarded as most important. Thus it is surprising to learn that guns, grenades, and pepper spray disguised as lipstick, were just a few of the things confiscated by airport security at US airports last year.

A total of 1,813 firearms were discovered at security checkpoints in 2013, of which 80 percent were loaded.

Atlanta International Airport is the worlds busiest and came in first for gun discoveries with 111 guns found last year. Next was Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with 96 guns discovered.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (68 guns), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (66 guns) and Denver International Airport (51 guns) rounded out the top five.

A passenger at the Houston airport wrapped two guns in newspaper and placed them in a box of detergent power in his checked baggage to avoid having to declare his firearms.

At Salt Lake City airport a passenger had a non-metallic dagger strung around his neck with fishing wire.

Items that have failed to be detected by airport security last year included a stun gun concealed in a cane and a pepper spray disguised as lipstick.

Security routinely busts passengers hiding various types of knives. Sword canes, credit card knives, belt buckle knives, comb/brush knives, knives hidden in shoes, knives hidden in thermoses, and knives hidden under the bag lining near the handle mechanism are routinely discovered.

Additional knifes have been hidden in ink pens and inside a computer hard drive.

562 stun guns were confiscated last year, throwing Ninja stars, and grenades: both real and replicas.

Inert weapons are confiscated just as quickly as real ones. Recently a self-claimed military instructor tried to get past Norfolk, Virginia airport security carrying six inert pressure plates, 20 inert initiators, an inert land mine, inert explosives, and two initiation systems in his carry-on.