The surprising reason why Buzz Lightyear wasn’t allowed through airport security
Five-year-old Levi Zilka was devastated when the TSA at Fort Lauderdale International Airport confiscated his toy Buzz Lightyear gun. The cartoonish fake firearm was a souvenir from the little boy’s recent trip to Disney World.
TSA’s standard practices require gun look-alikes to be stored in a checked bag, but Levi and his dad only brought carry-on bags for their trip from Pennsylvania.
Levi’s father, David, has been appearing on the news over the past few days, claiming that his son was treated unfairly. “We understand that things are scary out there right now but taking a toy from a five year old doesn’t enhance national security,” he told WWMT News.
When TSA officers told the pair that the toy wasn’t going on the plane with them, Levi burst into tears, probably because he is five. David was upset by his son’s disappointment. He said, “It was all I could do to break down with him in that moment.”
“They said it looks too much like a gun,” little Levi said, “and you can’t bring guns on the plane.” He told reporters that he was so sad because “they threw it in the trash.”
While it’s easy to question why TSA would confiscate a gun that looks about as realistic as a talking space toy, airport security would rather be safe than sorry. AOL spoke to TSA officers at Denver International Airport, and their screening results in finding a huge number of dangerous, contraband items: knives disguised as keys, loaded guns, night sticks, brass knuckles, and Chinese throwing stars (I’m not kidding).
Toy guns are regularly seized.
Our hearts go out to Levi, though. Just because his gun is gone, doesn’t mean he’s not a star commander. To infinity and beyond!
(Images via Disney/Giphy, and Giphy.)