Gerrard Kaonga
A travel agent has revealed a key tip when going through airport security and explained why you should never put this one item in TSA bins.
Traveling in the modern world can be a bit of a pain, for obvious reasons.
Airports are busy, it's noisy, and going through security can be a mission in itself, but there is one safety tip an expert insists people should know.
TSA rules often feel like they are changing quite a lot, shoes on, electronics out of carry-on bags or not, who even knows at this point.
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But if you are traveling, and your airport allows it, there is apparently one thing that should never go in the TSA bin for a very simple reason.
Social media influencer and travel agent Tiffany told her followers about this tip on her TikTok page, Travel.by.the.Books, and explained why it could quickly ruin a vacation before it has even begun.
She said: “The thing I am absolutely never doing when I go through TSA, I am not putting my phone directly into one of the containers or bins.
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“It is always going inside the zipped pocket in my bag.
“Why? I [put my phone in the bin] once. The TSA agent looked at me and said ‘You don’t like your phone?’
“I looked at him like he was a little bit crazy yes and he said this is the fastest way to get it stolen.”
This does make a lot of sense mind you, pickpockets and opportunistic thieves can use the hustle and bustle of an airport to quickly pocket anything valuable they see in other people’s bins if it is just out in the open.
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Tiffany claimed that the most common items TSA agents see stolen are phones because of the fact they are out in the open in the bins.
People on TikTok agreed with Tiffany’s warning and noted that it was something they hadn’t really considered before.
One user wrote: “I would include passport in this too. Or wallet. So many folks toss their personals right in a bin or on top of their bags.”
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Another added: “Left my phone out in the bin once and when I got it back after going through TSA it was actively dialing 911 I was like what did y’all press now I always tuck it away because of that incident.”
A third commented: “I've always done this. My purse has a secret cell phone pocket. My local airport only requires bigger electronics to be out in a bin (laptops, tablets).”
Some people did note that the airports they have traveled from have insisted that all electronics are taken out of bags. So it might just be a thing of trying your luck next time you go through, or at the very least keeping a watchful eye on your stuff.