Woman leaves suspicious-looking powder unmarked in her luggage, gets flagged by TSA
An airline passenger from Phoenix, Arizona, is laughing about her "goofy snafu" after leaving a white-colored powder unmarked in her luggage, leading TSA to physically inspect her baggage.
An air traveler's recent mistake led to her luggage getting flagged by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
After making it to her destination, Anna McKay of Phoenix, Arizona, noticed her bag had been inspected along with a note from TSA.
"I opened my luggage and had an inspection tag on it, and everything looked normal until I got to my bag of fiber, which looks like it has been rummaged through because this is not how I packed it," McKay said in her viral TikTok video.
AIRLINE TRAVELER GOES VIRAL FOR MIXING COCKTAIL BEFORE BOARDING A PLANE: IS IT LEGAL?
McKay realized it was her clear bag of "the powder we travel with as millennials" that might have raised some concern with security, according to her video.
Anna McKay of Phoenix, Ariz., opened her luggage after a day of traveling and found a TSA notice in her bag notifying her that an agent had inspected her baggage. (Anna McKay/@unafraidduck757)
What TSA found was a bag of powdered fiber McKay packed in her luggage, she said.
"I hadn’t realized how goofy that was going to look and did it mindlessly. It wasn’t until I opened my bag and realized how bad it looked that I knew I had messed that one up," McKay told Fox News Digital.
"I’ve had my bags searched a handful of times before, so I didn’t pay any mind. But when I saw the suspicious baggie that looked disheveled, I realized [it was the reason] behind the little TSA card."
DOCTOR REVEALS UNSETTLING REASON YOU SHOULD WAIT TO UNPACK YOUR SUITCASE AFTER TRAVELING
The card McKay found in her bag was a "Notice of Bag Inspection," which notified her that an agent had to physically inspect her bag after a screening.
McKay noticed that her bag was in disarray before realizing her bag of white powder may have looked suspicious. (Anna McKay/@unafraidduck757)
"TSA may inspect your checked baggage during the screening process. If your property is physically inspected, TSA will place a notice of baggage inspection inside your bag. This is to inform you that an officer conducted an inspection of your property," according to TSA's website.
McKay knew that flying with the container of fiber would not be necessary, so she decided to add the amount she would need for her three-day trip in a clear, plastic bag to avoid any possible spillage from the powder's original packaging.
She said she knew that the fiber was not banned from the flight, so she didn't think twice about bringing it along.
"I knew it wasn’t a banned substance, but I also wasn’t concerned with losing it. If it was gone, I was going to be able to simply buy more. It didn’t cross my mind that it could have caused some questions," McKay added.
The bag of white powder in McKay's bag was her "millennial powder," aka fiber powder. (Anna McKay/@unafraidduck757)
TSA was able to pack her bag back up after the powder had passed inspection, but agents still needed to notify McKay that her bag had been looked through.
"It is just nothing more than a notification that a TSA inspection had to occur with a checked bag and then, presumably, if all security issues were addressed, then everything would be closed back up and no issues," a TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
"Items that are prohibited, in the instance of a powdery substance, law enforcement would be called because TSA is not a drug expert when screening for drugs. But if drugs are suspected, then we have an obligation to call local law enforcement over for their review of the item and if it's deemed in this case, as you said, something that is over the counter and benign."
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle
McKay said she found the whole incident to be a "goofy snafu" and is laughing at her slight error.
Social media users laughed alongside McKay, and many suggested she label the clear bag in the future. (Anna McKay/@unafraidduck757)
Other social media users appeared to laugh alongside her, while others shared their TSA mishaps in the comments section.
"As a gym bro, I always travel with my preworkout, protein powder, creatine, bcaa, and nitric oxide it’s a mess!!," one user commented.
"Time to switch to fiber gummies," another user shared.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Others recommended labeling the bags with a marker, as some sort of identifier.
McKay's white powder snafu has drawn 1 million views on TikTok, which resulted in the Phoenix resident getting free packets of Benefiber from the company after it saw her video, McKay said. (Anna McKay/@unafraidduck757)
TSA does not prohibit someone from traveling with powder-like substances, but there are certain rules in place.
"Powder-like substances greater than 12 oz./350 mL must be placed in a separate bin for X-ray screening," TSA's website says.
"They may require additional screening and containers may need to be opened. For your convenience, we encourage you to place non-essential powders greater than 12 oz. in checked bags."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
After McKay shared her video on TikTok, where it garnered 1 million views, Benefiber sent her individual packs of the powder to avoid any future snafus, McKay said.
Fox News Lifestyle
A look at the top-trending stories in food, relationships, great outdoors and more.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.