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Self-defense cat keychains are causing travel delays at the airport

“Cat eyes” that have been detected among carry-on items by TSA officers in Upstate New York. (TSA photo)
Farbstein, Lisa
/
TSA
“Cat eyes” that have been detected among carry-on items by TSA officers in Upstate New York. (TSA photo)

TSA officers are seeing more "cat eyes" keychains at airport checkpoints in Upstate New York, causing delays for travelers during the busy Labor Day weekend. "Cat eyes" are keychain self-defense weapons with sharp, pointy ears that can be used like brass knuckles.

When the TSA finds them, the traveler’s bag must be searched, which slows down security lines. These weapons are found daily, making travel harder for everyone.

Passengers should inspect their bags carefully before heading to the airport. TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein asks passengers to leave "cat eyes" at home to avoid delays.

Kat is WAER's anchor/producer, delivering local news content and hosting NPR's "All Things Considered." She excels in creating engaging long-form content, managing promotions, and leading audio editing projects. Kat is also instrumental in converting daily news content into digital formats for distribution on WAER.org.