Make sure your carry-on items aren’t confiscated by TSA

UPDATE: 6:17 p.m.

Hundreds of travelers make their way in and out of Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) every year.

And what’s also making its rounds is precious cargo.

With tens of thousands of items confiscated by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, being banned from carry-on luggage for passenger safety.

“It’s quite alarming that so many years after 9/11, we’ve had a prohibited items list that’s been established for quite some time,” TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez said. “And the number of things that passengers keep bringing to the airport is just astounding.”

Some of the items Melendez said TSA officers at PSP collected in 2016 included dumbbells, gardening tools and even a baseball bat.

But one item TSA officials said they’ve seen a rise across the country in is guns, with more than 3,300 firearms found in carry-on bags this past year.

“The concerning thing is so many people bringing guns to the airport, when it should be in a checked bag,” Melendez said. “And what happens to a passenger when you find a gun really depends on the jurisdiction.”

Which is why officers and travelers are staying up to date, and carrying on with safe travels.

“Be informed, study, [and] learn about post-9/11 security,” Melendez said. “Learn about TSA, what we require of you and what you need to do to help us get through the checkpoint.”

Melendez said most times in California, passengers will be taken into custody if a firearm is found in a carry-on.

With rules varying from state to state, Melendez recommends checking up on that state’s gun laws and procedures.

Also, he said only two handguns were found in carry-ons at PSP in 2016.

One common item Melendez said travelers going through PSP are corkscrew wine-keys.

He said those are okay to carry on, as long as they don’t have a foil blade.

For TSA resources on how to help figure out what you can carry on a flight, visit the link in the original version below.

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ORIGINAL STORY: 3:34 p.m.

KESQ’s Zak Dahlheimer is meeting with TSA officers at the Palm Springs International Airport on Thursday as they share a message about making sure residents do their research to ensure items aren’t confiscated at security checkpoints.

One TSA officer showed us a baseball bat that was recently confiscated. A box of items weighing about 50 to 60 pounds was filled with items taken at the security checkpoint at the Palm Springs International airport in January alone.

Airport security doesn’t want to confiscate many of these items, but they said it’s important to do some research before going to the airport to make sure you can take certain items in your carry-on luggage.

TSA offers the following information to make sure you get through security as fast as possible:

A full list of prohibited items Adult passengers 18 and over must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel Liquids rule to show how much you can travel with Carry-on baggage and checked bag differences Security check exemptions

More information can be found at TSA.gov. You can also find tips on Twitter using #AskTSA.