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11.04.09

Big Gulp–Gate: TSA Blogs About Britney's LAX Security Hullabaloo

By Joshua Pramis Celebrity Sightings, Airport Security 1 Comment

There has been a bit of a fluster in the blogosphere in response to a video released yesterday by TMZ, showing Britney Spears passing through airport security at Los Angeles' LAX with a 7-Eleven Big Gulp in hand—and it wasn't confiscated by security, I might add.

The accusations were aplenty, most assuming the pop princess was granted special permission that allowed her to bypass common folk security regulations.

Airport security is no joke nowadays, so the Transportation Security Administration was quick to respond on its blog:

We checked with the airport and I'm happy to report there's nothing to see here.

Her cup had a few ice chips in it, not liquid. Ice is a solid. Therefore, ice is permitted through the checkpoint, as long as it's screened by the X-ray (Which it was).

I should also add that Ms. Spears did have a bottle of liquid in her purse which was identified on the X-ray and voluntarily surrendered at the checkpoint.

One thing to remember when bringing ice through the checkpoint: it can't be partially melted. It has to be just the ice with no liquid at the bottom.

But that's hardly the case, as the TSA later amended:

After reading the incoming comments this morning on our blog, it was very apparent that we had left some inaccurate information on the TSA.gov web page:

Frozen gels/liquids are permitted if required to cool medical and infant/child exemptions. Frozen gels/liquids for any other purpose are not permitted.

So I guess all you really need to do to get special treatment at airport security is, well...be Britney Spears.

Joshua Pramis is an online associate editor at Travel + Leisure.

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Mollie — Posted Nov. 05, 2009

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I don't buy it

Ice melts quickly. It would definitely be partially melted upon reaching the checkpoint, and likely before. Furthermore, why would anyone need to carry ice chips through the checkpoint? Just get some more free ice on the other side. Jeez.

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I don't buy it

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Big Gulp–Gate: TSA Blogs About Britney's LAX Security Hullabaloo

I don't buy it

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