If you’re flying somewhere with the family, you might want to ask junior to pack his remote-controlled car in your check-in luggage. The Transportation Security Administration believes radio-controlled toys could threaten the safety of your flight, according to a press release issued this morning.
I’m not making this up.
“While not associated with a specific threat at this time, TSA is aware that remote control toys can be used to initiate devices used in terrorist attacks,” the agency announced in a prepared statement this morning.
“Accordingly,” it adds, “Transportation Security Officers have trained on this possibility and travelers may encounter additional screening when bringing remote control devices in carry-on baggage.”
Folks, you know what this means. Don’t bring the toys in your carry-on luggage. Better yet, leave them at home. Something tells me the TSA’s in a confiscatin’ mood.
Maybe they’ll end up storing the harmless little cars and planes in the same warehouse with those dangerous sippy cups?
Sign up for my 
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
If they are worried about radio control why do they let cell phones and pagers past the check points. You don’t even have to be in the same country as these devices to trigger them. Its these OBVIOUS inconsistencies that infuriate me and make the TSA joke fodder for the rest of the world.
So what scenario are they thinking about? Perhaps a terrorist (A) gives someone a toy packed with plastic explosives at the airport after baggage has been checked. Then the toy is in carry-on. If it is found at the TSA checkpoint, A slips into the croud. If not found, A gets on the flight with the remote and picks the time to push the button. Or if the “toy” is in checked baggage, perhaps the remote has a strong enough signal to reach the baggage cargo area in the airplane. This is a tough one to defend.
Ah yes: the old strain flies, swalloa camels plan. Works everytime. Heh.
Swallow camels, that is….