TSA won't let giant, sad teddy bear fly on a plane
A massive teddy bear finds itself homeless after landing on its own personal no-fly list.
The US Transportation Security Administration's Instagram account is full of confiscated knives, lost laptops and banned guns. On Wednesday, a humongous beige teddy bear joined that motley lineup. The TSA notes the bear was abandoned at the Los Angeles International Airport after it was determined to be too big to be screened as a carry-on.
The TSA could have left things at that, but instead it went on to say, "If you see this wayward bear strolling the streets of LA, please feel free to feed him." Well, that's depressing.
In an effort to not be such a big downer, the TSA updated the post to include more of the backstory. The toy-toting passenger bought a ticket for the bear to ride in its own seat. The airline offered to refund the ticket and send the bear along with checked luggage, but the traveler chose to leave it behind instead.
The bear is so big, it dwarfs a full-size trash can next to it. Which also leads us to wonder about the TSA's choice for the photo location. Does this mean the bear is going out with the trash? Perhaps this will become the modern-day equivalent of "The Velveteen Rabbit," and the teddy will be turned into a real bear with the help of a compassionate fairy. We can dream, right?
