Of all the things to sneak through airport security, a live turtle in your pants might just top the list.
A Pennsylvania man learned the hard way that TSA scanners don’t take kindly to reptiles in unexpected places. Passing through Newark Liberty International Airport, the man triggered an alarm during a body scan. A TSA officer performed a pat-down and found something suspicious lurking in his groin area.
When confronted, the man did the unthinkable—he reached into his pants and pulled out a five-inch live turtle, swaddled in a tiny blue towel. The culprit? A red-ear slider turtle, a popular pet, but definitely not the kind of carry-on TSA approves.
Authorities promptly escorted the man—whose name remains under wraps—out of the checkpoint, causing him to miss his flight. As for the turtle? Confiscated. It’s unclear if it was his pet or why, exactly, he thought his crotch was the ideal hiding spot.
TSA officials were baffled. “We’ve seen travelers try to smuggle knives and weapons in their shoes and bags, but this is a first,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “As far as we could tell, the turtle was unharmed.”
One thing’s for sure—this guy won’t be slipping through security or living this down anytime soon.
