Report of TSA’s 7-Inch Limit for Sex Toys Is Greatly Exaggerated

NY Mag: Report of TSA’s 7-Inch Limit for Sex Toys Is Greatly Exaggerated (Mar 5 2013)

It was no surprise to learn, courtesy yesterday’s New York Post, that traveling with sex toys in your carry-on bag can yield funny looks, more frequent hand searches, and creepy notes from TSA agents. (If only because the Post previously reported on the phenomenon when it happened to writer Jill Filipovic less than two years ago.) Still, there was one line that caught the Cut’s eye:​

“The TSA acknowledges that there’s nothing illegal about traveling with the devices. Vibrators and dildos are OK in carry-ons, as long as they’re under 7 inches long, TSA rules say.”​

Who knew there was a sex toy rule of thumb? Though totally reasonable — especially compared to the TSA’s draconian 3.4 ounces toiletries rule — the size limit seemed a little arbitrary. What is the difference between a six-inch vibrator and an eight-inch vibrator, from a national security perspective?​

NY Post: TSA guys hard on sex toys (Mar 4 2013)

Airport-security screeners apparently get a kink out of rifling through your sexy baggage. “My checked bag is searched almost every time I fly. I guess I’m just lucky, or look suspicious!” said sex blogger Rori Sweet of the DC area.​

​

Kitty Stryker, a California sex educator, added, “They always go through my bag!”​

​

Sex-toy fans usually know when their bags are searched because federal Transportation Security Administration baggage screeners leave official printed notices behind. Sex-toy peddler Vicki Kriner said one cheeky TSA screener even signed his search notice. “His name was Jim, and he dotted the ‘i’ with a heart,” Kriner said. “The note said to have a nice day and had a smiley face scrawled next to it.” “It seemed unprofessional, and a little creepy,” she said.​

 

OK Rugape, is there a less than 7" limit for sex toys?

 

If they're over 7" the clerk is required to hand inspect and leave a cute note, complete with smiley face.

 

Ha! That's a good headline.

Tell me again why I should be confident that bags searched out of my presence are done professionally and are nothing to worry about? How I can rest assured that nobody's going to do anything gross with my kids' underwear or my various lady things?

 

I have it from good good authority if it's only 7" why bother. Think how Negrin felt.

 

Negative. There is no size component, or even a limit on them as far as I know. These items come through in carryon and checked baggage all the time, often in a mind boggling array of formats - with no more attention paid to them than other electronics.

 

So the individual screeners no longer have discretion to randomly prohibit items?

 

The only thing I know of is if the STSO determines an item could be a possible threat, and I have never heard of that used on the aforementioned items. It was predominately used for things like purses with brass knuckles built into them and items of a similar nature. I have read stories that phrase things the way that you have, but I have never seen anything that said we have the ability to "randomly" prohibit items.

 

Isn't there something about if an item is made of silicon. Like gel shoe inserts or has that been relaxed.

 

At the beginning of the LAG regulations gel inserts and silicon packets and things of that nature were prohibited, but that has since been relaxed to the best of my knowledge.

Based on the can I take this on TSA.gov:

My TSA
Close

Search Results For:
gel shoe inserts

Check or Carry-on

That means they are allowed in both checked and carryon

Edited for clarity

 

http://www.tsa.gov/contact-transportation-security-administration

When lackwits are given "discretion," it is inevitable that "random" becomes part of the behavior. Since that policy's still on the website, and your co-workers are less than intelligent, it would seem pretty obvious that someone in the TSA thinks 7" sex toys are prohibitively dangerous.

 

Except for personalized notes with doodles and comments.

 

Yeah, that was stupid, any note on those is stupid unless it is informative (this item was removed due to being on the prohibited items list, things of that nature). Just stupid.

 

Maybe the ones putting the personalized notes in luggage and telling people about a 7" limit on sex toys think they're being funny like this stellar example of the TSA's shining stars of idiocy.

 

Not questioning what you posted (yeah I am) but I found this on the TSA.gov web site. So which statement is correct?

 

Both. Neither. Depends on how capricious and/or stupid the screener making the decision is at the checkpoint.

Expecting consistency from the TSA is like expecting your guinea pig to do vector algebra.

 

I can offer no conclusion to the difference in information, but the one you posted is older and may be out of date - just a guess. The actual app is much newer and is much more current than the older published lists. I have been given guidance and training that gel inserts are a go at this time. I will forward what you have posted up the chain to see if they correct it.

 

How can it be wrong? I found it today on the TSA website.

 

Not everything is updated on the websites in real time, and sometimes things slip through the cracks when regulations change. I have sent it up to HQ to bring it to their attention.

 

I don't understand, over $Billion a year and TSA can't even do a webpage right. Makes one wonder about harder things.