‘Are They Advancing Airport Technology?’: Woman Goes Through TSA—She Can’t Believe What She Was Able To Make It Through With

While you don’t have to take your shoes off at airport security anymore, there are still plenty of things you can’t bring onto an airplane.

Air travel is filled with all sorts of rules and regulations. For example, you can’t put lithium batteries into your checked bag, and you certainly can’t bring a knife onto an airplane.

However, the TSA’s rules are slowly changing. Many modern scanners no longer require you to remove your laptop, and soon, you may be able to bring a bottle of liquid bigger than 3.4 fl oz straight onto the aircraft.

For some, it appears that these changes have already taken place. At least, that’s what one might be led to believe after seeing a recent video from TikTok user Hana (@volkhana) with over 836,000 views.

What Did This Woman Bring Through Airport Security?

In her video, Hana shows a carry-on suitcase.

“Uhmmmm hello?” she writes in the text overlaying the video. “How’d airport security not catch this?”

After a few seconds, she pulls something out of her bag. It’s a protein shake carton—one that contains 14 fl oz of liquid. This is significantly more than the TSA’s allowed 3.4 fluid ounces.

“Didn’t check my warmie either,” she adds in the caption. “Are they advancing airport technology?”

Can You Bring A Protein Shake Through Airport Security?

If one buys a protein shake after they’ve been searched by security, they’re clear to bring it onto the plane.

Trying to bring it through airport security, however, is a different story. While protein powders are generally allowed in carry-on and checked bags, prepackaged protein shakes are, generally speaking, not.

That said, some internet users claim that they’ve been able to find ways to get their pre-made protein shakes through airport security. One claimed that they were able to bring a packaged protein shake through security after it was inspected by an agent, while another said they were given a note by their doctor showing it was a medical necessity.

Further users stated that they were able to bring their protein shake through security without any additional checks or questioning. In short, the true answer appears to depend on the airport and the agent in charge of inspection.

How Did This Woman Get A Protein Shake Through Security?

Provided that Hana is being honest about forgetting the shake in her bag, there are a few ways this could have happened. The most likely explanation is that the TSA agents simply missed the offending shake.

As recently as 2017, the Transportation Security Administration was notorious for failing checks of its abilities. At the time, various inspections claimed that they failed at detecting dangerous weapons between 50% and 95% of the time.

Skepticism about the TSA’s abilities exists within the government itself. The Government Accountability Office stated in 2013 that there was no evidence that the agency’s SPOT program, which was intended to scan passengers for suspicious behavior, was effective. Furthermore, as noted by Vox, just 14% of TSA officer flaggings resulted in a referral to law enforcement. Only 0.6% led to an arrest; none of these arrests were alleged to be connected to terrorism.

In short, it’s likely that the TSA officer simply missed the shake—or they saw it and decided to give Hana a break.

Commenters Say It’s Common

In the comments section, many users claimed that they were able to bring bigger, more dangerous items through TSA security, usually unintentionally.

“I accidentally got pepper spray through last week,” wrote a user, noting they “forgot it was in my key chain.”

“I brought my belt bag that i usually wear on walks thru tsa forgetting i had pepper spray in it,” echoed another. “Didn’t catch omw to and from my destination.”

“One time they let my pocket knife in my purse. It took another airport to take it out. In my defense I didn’t know I had it,” said a third.

Others simply noted the inequality of enforcement for TSA’s rules and inspections.

“Yet my hair up in a bun gets flagged,” said a commenter.

“But in boston they stopped me to smell my yankee candle,” recalled another.

BroBible reached out to the TSA via email and Hana via TikTok direct message and comment.