Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 4 april 2019
TSA’s social media highlight weird stuff in travelers’ bags

By COLLEEN LONG was partly due to the shock
Associated Press value.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Da- “People don’t come to a
vid Johnston stands over a government Instagram ac-
table full of peculiar items count and expert to see
confiscated at Dulles Inter- humor,” Burns said. “And
national Airport: a glittery they also don’t expect to
clutch with brass knuckles see these crazy things that
as a clasp. A perfume bot- people are trying to bring
tle shaped like a grenade. on a plane.” He had a wife
A rusted circular saw blade. and two daughters.
A pocket-sized pitchfork. At Dulles, in the prohibited
None of those is quite right. items section, Johnston
Then Johnston sees it: a gui- sees a few possibilities for
tar shaped like a semi-au- TSA’s YouTube series called
tomatic rifle. Bingo. It will do “They Brought What?” in-
nicely for the Transportation cluding a large snow globe
Security Administration’s with big a white fairy impris-
social media accounts. oned in some kind of liquid
Johnston, TSA’s social me- (It’s creepy and it has liq-
dia director, is following uid, so they can highlight
in the footsteps of Curtis the liquid restrictions.)
“Bob” Burns, who created He passes over the four
unlikely internet buzz for Items, prohibited on passenger airlines, and confiscated from passengers by Transportation pairs of nunchucks (Yawn.
the not-always-beloved Security Administration (TSA) officers, is displayed at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., You can’t believe how
agency by showcasing Tuesday, March 26, 2019. many people bring those)
the weirdest stuff travelers Associated Press and a handful of pocket
pack in their carry-ons. He that TSA officers found at for weird social content ally was from his heart. He knives. He stops at a large
died suddenly in October checkpoints nationwide. marketing. In his accep- was a fun, happy guy.” bullet from Afghanistan
at age 48. He did a summary of knives tance speech, Burns eyed Burns’ sister-in-law, Candy that has been altered to
Burns’ work created a and all matter of other bi- the award, shook it and Creech, said he had a dry be a cigarette lighter and
model for other federal zarre and sometimes scary declared: “This Webby is sense of humor and a hefty pen.
agencies. The quirky pho- items that travelers had carry-on approved!” dose of patriotism: He had “The things people think
tos combined with a hefty stuffed into their bags, Johnston, who worked with served in the Gulf War. of,” he says. Turning more
dose of dad humor helped pockets, purses or briefcas- Burns for about three years, Burns had worked in airports serious for a moment, John-
lure in more than a million es. and has been in govern- before taking over TSA’s so- ston notes the importance
followers on Facebook, In one Instagram post , ment jobs for nearly a de- cial media and believed of showing off these items,
Twitter and Instagram, who someone tried to bring on cade, has tried to keep it there was public negativ- especially to people who
would then see important a glove with razors for fin- up all on his own, but it’s ity around the agency. He aren’t well-traveled and
messages about the dos gers and Burns (naturally) been tough. wanted to change that. might not understand why
and don’ts of airline travel. made a “Nightmare on Elm Johnston sent out a Valen- “And I think he felt he could something is prohibited if
“How are we going to re- Street” joke. tine’s Day post that showed change that by commu- it’s not actually a weapon.
place Bob? The reality is we “It’s safe to sleep on Elm off a throwing star, ax and nicating with people in a “The bottom line is our so-
can’t,” said Johnston. “We Street again. Freddy lost double-edged dagger way that wasn’t scolding,” cial media page makes
had a unique situation with his glove at the Hartsfield- confiscated from a passen- she said. “He was one of a travelers better informed so
him, but we can still be en- Jackson Atlanta Interna- ger’s carry-on bag. (“Safe kind.” they have a better experi-
tertaining and help people tional Airport (ATL).” travels, you romantic fool!”) During a TSA Facebook ence and it frees up our of-
as we find our way forward The agency’s Instagram And it was national puppy live, “Ask Me Anything” epi- ficers to do what they need
without him.” account won three Webby day recently, so that was sode last year, Burns said to do — look for the bad
On the blog, Burns shared awards last year, including an excuse for a photo of the success of the account actors,” he says.q
a weekly count of firearms the People’s Voice Award Cole, a big-eyed TSA ex-
plosives detection dog.
TSA is growing its social me-
dia staff — bringing in three
more workers to expand its
social media presence. The
staff will continue to use
fodder sent in by officers
around the country, who
seize all manner of unusual
items people try to bring
onboard. But it’s hard to
find people who have both
the government know-how
and a sense of humor that
resonates.
Johnston said the thing that
made Burns’ posts so spe-
Items, prohibited on passenger airlines, and confiscated from Items, prohibited on passenger airlines, and confiscated from
passengers by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) cial was Burns himself. passengers by Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
officers, is displayed at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., “When you look at his posts, officers, is displayed at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va.,
Tuesday, March 26, 2019. you’re seeing a window Tuesday, March 26, 2019.
Associated Press into his soul,” he said. “It re- Associated Press