TSA defends confiscation of woman's cupcake at airport

Stock photo, cupcake: PA

America's Transport Security Administration (TSA) is defending its decision to confiscate a woman's cupcake at a Las Vegas check-in last month.

Rebecca Hains, from Massachusetts, had her cake taken away from her because she was carrying it in a jar of icing - a substance considered a form of gel, which falls under the agency's guidelines on liquids, reports the Metro.

It is believed that plastic or liquid explosives could be held in a gel-like substance, and Reecca was reportedly carrying an amount that exceeded the allowed limit of the law that was put in place to prevent risk of terror attacks.

A member of the TSA blog team took to the internet this week to defend and explain the decision.

According to USA Today, he wrote: "I wanted to make it clear that this wasn't your everyday, run-of-the-mill cupcake. If you're not familiar with it, we have a policy directly related to the UK liquid bomb plot of 2006 called 3-1-1 that limits the amount of liquids, gels and aerosols you can bring in your carry-on luggage.

"Icing falls under the 'gel' category... unlike a thin layer of icing that resides on the top of most cupcakes, this cupcake had a thick layer of icing inside a jar."

While Rebecca called it "terrible logic", the TSA maintains that, while fliers are allowed to take cakes and pies through security checkpoints, they may be "subject to additional screening".

What do you think... Was it a big cake mistake to make? Or a justifiable measure taken in the name of safety?

After all, as Mr Burns points out: "When you think about it, do you think an explosive would be concealed in an ominous item that would draw attention, or something as simple as a cute cupcake jar?"


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