TSA Confiscates 5-year-old's Disney Souvenir, but Man with Loaded Gun Boards Plane

Just this week, TSA allows a passenger with a loaded gun to board an airplane, but confiscates a 5-year-old's toy from Disney World. What an agency!

How did a loaded gun get on a plane undetected? The world may never know. 

Blake Alford, a retired truck driver, was flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, and accidentally brought his loaded gun through security. The gun was in his backpack and he was able to board his plane without any issues, local Atlanta news WGCL reports.

Alford says he made “an honest mistake.” 

Here’s what happened, as reported by WGCL: 

He put his bag through an X-ray machine at the security checkpoint, and flew to Chicago, Illinois, before he noticed the loaded gun was in his carry-on. On his return trip, Alford unloaded the gun and put it in his checked bag. Once Alford was back in Atlanta, he came forward and explained what happened to airport officials.

Alford went public with the mistake because he felt “people need to know TSA needs to tighten up. If they’ll take toothpaste. They’ll make people get out of wheelchairs. They’ll make me take off my belt buckle and my shoes. How did my gun go through?”

Good question, Mr. Alford.

In its defense, the TSA claims agents at security checkpoints have discovered 2,447 firearms in carry-on bags so far in 2015.

Also this week, TSA agents in Fort Lauderdale were a little too zealous in their duties when they confiscated a five-year-old boy’s Buzz Lightyear toy – one that was purchased in Disney World by his uncle on a family vacation. The family was returning home to Pennsylvania and they were told they could not board the plane with the Disney World souvenir. 

The toy is called "Buzz Lightyear Star Command Flip Grip Claw Grabber Arm Toy."

Here's a picture:

"We couldn't go on the plane yet because they said it looks too much like a gun and you can't bring guns on the plane," said five-year-old Levi Zilka.

"We understand that things are scary out there right now but taking a toy from a five year old doesn't enhance national security," said the boy's father David Zilka. 

"Once he realized what was happening, that they weren't giving his toy back, he immediately starts just bawling, tears streaming down his face, and crying. It was all I could do not to break down with him in that moment," he added.  

Levi and his father packed carry-on bags for their trip, which was a problem because the TSA requires realistic replicas of firearms to be placed in checked luggage. Since the TSA agents at the Fort Lauderdale airport decided the Disney toy was part of the "realistic replicas of firearms" category, they confiscated the toy.

The boy's father has logged a complaint.

So, out of curiosity, does this toy look like a “replica” of a firearm to you? 

To me, it looks like a kid's version of those claws people use to pick things up with -- like this:

In what world does this look like a gun? Sound off below! 

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