TSA: Leave Star Wars Coke Bottles in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Joe Cortez August 29, 2019
Flyers and families preparing for a vacation to a Disney park for the Star Wars experience need to remember one thing: the collectible Coke bottles from the “world” aren’t allowed on airplanes. The TSA warned that they will be removed from bags, because they resemble actual explosive devices.
Even though they aren’t the explosives Transportation Security Administration agents are looking for, the agency is asking flyers not to bring back certain soft drink bottles as souvenirs from Disney theme parks. The Orange County Register reports the TSA is not allowing flyers to pack round collectible Coca-Cola bottles in their luggage because of their resemblance to actual explosives.
Shortly before Disney opened their Star Wars’ themed Galaxy’s Edge at California’s Disneyland, the company’s Imagineers teamed with Coca-Cola to create a themed drink bottle for the “world”. As a result, the park started selling round bottles with a fictional space script on them, designed to look like thermal detonators used by the antagonists from the movies.
While they may be completely fictional, the TSA is taking a “zero tolerance” policy for anything that could look like a destructive device – either from today’s modern era, or from a long, long time ago (in a galaxy far away). Their rationale is that the devices appear to be a functional explosive, which could cause problems for screeners and other passengers.
“Replica items are not allowed on aircraft,” TSA spokesperson Jim Gregory told The Orange County Register. “It could create concern that it’s the real thing.”
On the TSA website, the policy states that any flammable device or gun – including replicas or training devices – are not allowed in the airport’s secure zone. And while guns may be allowed in checked baggage under specific rules, anything that looks like an explosive is completely prohibited.
If caught with “realistic replicas of explosives,” the TSA can fine flyers between $680 and $3,400 per violation, per person, and refer the incident for criminal charges. But passengers leaving the Galaxy’s Edge can still travel with their custom-made lightsabers or astromech droids, as those pose no threat.
[Image: Wikimedia]
Great, one more thing to slow down the line at the U.S. worst TSA checkpoint.
TSA Agents are recruited from a Long, Long Time Ago. I.E. Cro-Magnon Prehistoric. YES, they are that DUMB. Starting to get worried that Traveling on Airplanes today is soon going to be like Traveling in Box Cars in Germany back in the 1940's. And Yes again. TSA Agents are like the Waffen SS Stormtroopers.
It's pathetic that the airport security we rely on to keep us safe can't distinguish an explosive device from an empty bottle.
It's a replica of a fictional weapon. How can it be confused for real?
I saw the pictures of these online yesterday. It is just a round bottle with an odd cap. While I can see that it might look suspicious with the cap on, if anyone actually cares it doesn't look like suspicious at all when the cap is removed from the bottle.