The TSA has issued yet another firm warning after a disturbing item was found inside a traveler’s carry-on.
Breaking TSA regulations can lead to steep penalties of up to $17,000, yet plenty of passengers still take the risk.
With the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening an estimated 2.5 million people each day during busy travel periods, it’s inevitable that prohibited items will occasionally show up at checkpoints.
But one recent incident pushed things well beyond the usual slip-ups, after a passenger tried to bring a large machete through security.
According to the report, the individual told officers they had “forgotten” the blade was in their bag—prompting TSA to issue a pointed reminder for other travelers.
The situation quickly drew attention online, with many people struggling to understand how anyone could overlook a weapon of that size in a relatively small carry-on.
You can’t place a machete in your carry-on bag and tell us, “I forgot it was in there.” If you have a need to know what can or can’t go, maybe it’s time you reach out to @AskTSA. Find their sharp replies 24/7 by texting “POINTS” to 275-872. pic.twitter.com/zme3u9KdQN
— TSA (@TSA) April 22, 2026
Sharing the incident on social media, the TSA wrote: “You can’t place a machete in your carry-on bag and tell us, ‘I forgot it was in there.’ If you have a need to know what can or can’t go, maybe it’s time you reach out to AskTSA. Find their sharp replies 24/7 by texting “POINTS” to 275-872.”
As the post spread, reactions poured in. One irritated Reddit user commented: “I’m sick of watching people who try packing weapons in carry-ons get wrist slaps and sent on their merry way. They should be getting pulled out & arrested, interrogated, booked by the local PD and fined thousands by TSA, with a flight ban if they keep it up.”
Another added: “You should know where your weapons are at all times anyway???”
A third wrote: “I do not buy for one second that anyone ‘forgot’ they have a weapon in their carry-on. I’ve always known everything I’m packing & bringing on a flight.”
Still, not everyone was convinced it had to be intentional. One user offered a more sympathetic perspective, describing a similar experience. “Sometimes it really is a mistake,” they wrote. “I got pulled out of line for having a Leatherman multi-tool that had a knife in my backpack once. It’s something I always keep in my backpack, and this one time I forgot to remove before going to the airport.”
They continued: “The agent gave it back to me but obviously wouldn’t let me through the checkpoint with the knife. I ended up being able to leave it with the airline’s lost and found and retrieve it after my return flight. Sometimes people just forget things.”
Beyond security rules, frequent flyers and travel professionals often share small ways to make trips go more smoothly during peak vacation season—right down to what suitcase you choose.
Ed Burnett, a former US Army military policeman and UPS security expert, previously told The Independent that travelers may want to skip darker luggage in favor of brighter colors.
“Bright colors are a deterrent. Thieves prefer anonymous black or navy bags because they can walk away with them without standing out,” he said.
“A neon green bag, for example, is a liability for a thief. If you yell, ‘Stop that man with the green bag,’ everyone sees him.”