FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Broward County man who flew out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport this month, claims security confiscated his hair gel, but left his box cutter in his bag.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said Transportation Security Administration agents searched his carry-on bag and removed the hair gel on July 19. However, later onboard the JetBlue flight to Newark, the man noticed the agents had left the box cutter in a backpack.
"It is rare for a TSA officer to miss a prohibited item and we do continue to take the discovery of knives and other prohibited items seriously," a TSA spokeswoman said in a statement to Local 10 News. "However, in today's post-9/11 security environment, intelligence tells us our officers' greatest focus remains on the threat that could take down an aircraft -- explosives and improvised explosive devices."
"The TSA and the aviation community employ multiple layers of security to protect the traveling public such as reinforced cockpit doors, federal air marshals and a TSA program that trains and arms pilots. While many sharp objects remain prohibited, they are unlikely to cause catastrophic damage on an aircraft."
Federal regulations prohibit people bringing more than 3.4 ounces liquids as a carry-on items. The rule is designed to prevent people from bringing liquid explosives aboard planes.
Passengers were banned from carrying box cutters aboard planes after the Sept. 11 attacks. The hijackers used box cutters to take control of the aircrafts that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia.
