https://www.reddit.com/r/tsa/comments/1ig5ker/the_lethal_change_purse/
created by EnbyLgnd on 02/02/2025 at 19:37 UTC*
24 upvotes, 2 top-level comments (showing 2)
Funny little experience I had this year, hope it gives someone else a laugh.
I (37) was flying out of Omaha with my usual purse/mini backpack and its standards: wallet, phone, chargers, medications, tampons, and my ratty little change purse. I’ve carried a change purse since I was a preteen, and people have always made little jokes and jabs about it being my “old lady habit.”
When my bag went through the scanner, there was a lengthy pause, followed by a few back and forths on the belt. I was then pulled aside for a bag search and asked if I was carrying any weapons or metal objects.
I thought for a moment and then chuckled, “Oh, is it my change purse?” The guy looked at me with humored disbelief, and after some digging below my meds and wallet, pulled out my coin purse, opened it up, poked around between my dimes and quarters, and handed it and my bag back to me.
I think I made a crack about my old lady habits finally catching up to me, we exchanged some Midwest pleasantries, and I moved on. In terms of getting bag-searched, I’d say it was the goofiest and friendliest way I could have hoped for it to happen.
Anyway, time to pick up some Werther’s Originals and add them to my bag.
Comment by PHXkpt at 02/02/2025 at 23:09 UTC
12 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Think about it a bit more rationally. If you wanted to hide a prohibited item, such as a knife, a change purse would be a great way to attempt it. The coins would shield it on an x-ray machine. This is why we will pull change purses, ziplock bags with "grandpa's old coin collection", small bags full of "grandma's costume jewelry collection", and any other such item. We know what is probably is, we just have to pull it. Most of us will joke about it or explain the rationale so next time you might not bring it, or will pull it out so it's faster to check.
Comment by NC_Ion at 03/02/2025 at 01:40 UTC
0 upvotes, 1 direct replies
That's happened to my wife once they made a big deal about it.