Woman Who Had Bag of Loose White Powder Investigated by the TSA Has a Hilarious Explanation
Anna McKay tells PEOPLE she buys the "millennial" essential from Costco and didn't consider it might be suspicious when packing
One traveler’s commitment to digestive health resulted in an unexpected security infraction.
Anna McKay, 34, had just flown from her home in Phoenix, Ariz. to Midland, Texas, when she retrieved her suitcase to find an inspection tag from the TSA.
She explains in a TikTok that “Everything looked normal until I got to my bag of fiber, which looks like it has been rummaged through, ‘cause this is not how I packed it.”
McKay tells PEOPLE this was her first time flying with the fiber powder, which she began buying from Costco in large containers.
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“It's probably half a gallon of Benefiber,” she notes of the product, which is why she opted to carry just the portion she needed for the trip in a clear plastic bag.
McKay says the thought that the TSA would need to investigate the substance didn’t cross her mind while packing.
“I am doing the healthy girl era stuff," she says, adding that she's also been loading up on vitamins. “I didn't even consider it, but of course when I saw that and realized, of course that looks crazy.”
“It was a total forehead slap,” she says.
McKay says security officials may have thought the powder was “some party drug,” but joked that if anyone tried it they may have “had bathroom trouble later.”
Since posting about the experience on TikTok, she’s received numerous responses from people who’ve found it relatable.
“So many comments have been people telling their stories of TSA inspecting something silly of theirs," she says.
Some commenters have also recommended labeling the bag’s contents with a Sharpie, but McKay points out that it wouldn’t likely discourage inspections since someone could “pack a brick of drugs and just write 'fiber' on it.”
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While the TSA’s website doesn’t mention guidelines around traveling with fiber, it notes that protein or energy powders are allowed on both carry-on and checked bags. However, they’ll be subject to inspection.
“Powder-like substances greater than 12 oz. / 350 mL must be placed in a separate bin for X-ray screening,” it states. “They may require additional screening and containers may need to be opened. For your convenience, we encourage you to place non-essential powders greater than 12 oz. in checked bags.
McKay says she’s since learned that there are sealed single-use packets of the digestive supplement she can buy for traveling. But she’s not worried about the incident.
“It's fiber; I can get it anywhere,” she says. “Whatever. If it was a loss, it was a loss. No biggie.”
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