(NEXSTAR) – The TSA at Washington Dulles International Airport is really thinking on their toes.
TSA officers working at Washington Dulles on March 30 were able to stop a traveler from bringing a prohibited item through security via a flip-flop, a TSA spokesperson for the Northeast division revealed.
Photos shared to X by the TSA show a utility blade had been concealed within the sole of the flip-flop, underneath a layer of cushioning.
“A good example of why TSA requires travelers to remove their footwear to be screened via X-ray,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein wrote.
Farbstein confirmed to Nexstar that the offending traveler was ultimately not allowed to bring the blade through security, but would have otherwise been able to continue to their flight.
The TSA can, however, impose civil penalties on passengers in possession of certain prohibited items, or those accused of security violations. For example, passengers carrying sharp objects including swords, hatchets, switchblades or butterfly knives can face fines of up to $2,570 if they’re found to be repeat offenders. The discovery of other prohibited items such as explosives or loaded guns can result in fines as high as $17,000, along with criminal referral.
More on the TSA’s regulations for sharp objects, as well as other prohibited items, can be found on the official TSA website.
The TSA’s discovery on March 30 comes only days after GOP Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama introduced the Abolish TSA Act, which aims to eliminate the agency in favor of privatized security at facilities where the TSA currently operates.
The senators, in their bill, also called for a new oversight department for the proposed private security companies to operate “under the eye of.”
After Lee and Tuberville introduced the bill, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) mocked the idea on X, writing that “Bin Laden” would also approve of his Abolish the TSA Act.