Amid flight delays, TSA uses humor to explain travel tips with ‘airport shenanigans’

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WASHINGTON - A single stick of deodorant floating on a luggage carousel, a passenger clipping his nails in front of everyone, a bird looking to build its frequent flyer miles as it flies around the cabin.

Yes, videos of these things happening do exist, and they’re bringing out the humorous side of the Transportation Security Administration.

The no-nonsense agency, in charge of screening airport passengers, is showing off its comedic side — using social media videos to remind passengers of the do’s and don’ts when traveling.

"While our humor may be dry, these travel tips are soaked with knowledge," the agency posted in its caption underneath the deodorant video. ‘It’s no secret that solid stick deodorant can go in any bag. But if you’re trying to keep fresh and clean, aerosol and gel antiperspirants need to be 3.4oz or less in carry-on luggage."

"Are you like a bird and wanna fly away this holiday weekend?" the caption read with the bird video. "Be an im-peck-able traveler and check your luggage for prohibited items before you pack."

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Other videos include ground crews dancing and a man rolling a tire — yes, a whole tire — into the airport concourse.

"If you plan on rolling into the airport with car parts, you’ll be pumped up to know that most of these items are allowed to fly in checked and carry-on bags as long as they are free of gasoline and oil," the caption read.

According to the New York Times, the agency took a humorous approach to social media two years ago when Janis Burl became the social media branch manager.

"Nobody remembers what was on the news in the morning, but they’ll remember the joke you told them," she told the outlet. "If it takes humor to help you remember what you can and cannot do when traveling through security, then humor is what we will provide."

The airline industry has been crippled with flight cancellations and delays.

Air travelers not only face the burden of expensive flight costs but also delays and cancellations reported nationwide for weeks leading up to the Fourth of July Weekend.

Last week, more than 600 U.S. flights were canceled with over 4,200 delayed on June 24. That was better than June 23, however, when thunderstorms on the East Coast contributed to more than 800 cancellations and 6,600 delays, according to Flight Aware.

So far in June, more than 2.2 million travelers a day on average have gone through security checkpoints at U.S. airports. That’s up 22% from a year ago although still down 13% from the same period before the pandemic.

There is some concern in the industry about ticket sales after Labor Day, when airlines become more dependent on business and international travel, both of which remain depressed.

However, the outlook for leisure travel within the United States remains strong despite higher fares to cover rising fuel costs.

Daniel Miller contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.