A Woman Called A Snake Her 'Emotional Support Pet' & Hid Her In A Bag At A Florida Airport
TSA made so many reptile puns on Instagram.
A snake on grass. Right: A TSA line.
A woman at the Tampa International Airport tried to hide her pet snake in her luggage and get it through TSA. However, the X-ray machine spotted it in her carry-on right away and, of course, the snake was not allowed on the plane.
The woman said the four-inch snake was her "emotional support" animal, according to TSA Spokesperson, Lisa Farbstein.
"Snake on a plane? This is a @TSA X-ray of Bartholomew, a boa constrictor who was in a traveler's carry-on bag at @FlyTPA last month," wrote Farbstein in a tweet on January 6 publishing the X-ray photo.
\u201cSnake on a plane? This is a @TSA X-ray of Bartholomew, a boa constrictor who was in a traveler's carry-on bag at @FlyTPA last month. Woman claimed the snake was her emotional support pet. TSA notified the airline, which ruled that there was not going to be a snake on their plane!\u201d— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson) 1673038297
According to CNN, the incident happened on December 15, but that didn't stop TSA from having a laugh a month later. The security agency published to their Instagram on January 6 as well.
They didn't stop at anything when it came to the reptile puns.
"Our officers at Tampa International Airport didn’t find this hyssssssterical! Coiled up in a passenger’s carry-on was a 4’ boa constrictor! We really have no adder-ation for discovering any pet going through an x-ray machine," their caption read.
Adult boa constrictors can grow as large as 10-16 feet in length, as reported by the Florida Museum.
They have been established in Florida since the 1970s, and they aren't venomous. The Florida Museum published that the smaller animals are typically okay to be house pets around adults and children, but the larger ones have sharper teeth, and if they are threatened, they could bite.
Luckily for the other passengers, this snake did not get passed security.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.