Robert Epps, a TSA supervisor at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada, confiscated a cupcake from a passenger traveling during the peak Christmas holiday because he considered it a potential security threat, as reported on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 by KGTV 10News San Diego, WPIX Morning News, ABC News, WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston, and multiple other media sources.
The incident involved 35-year-old Rebecca Consentino Hains of Peabody, MA, who was returning to her home near Logan International Airport (BOS) with her husband and small children, and has stirred up a much broader controversy over what has been described as faulty logic by an overly zealous government security agent.
Ms. Hains, a communications professor at Salem State University, had received the gourmet treat, baked by Wicked Good Cupcakes of Cohasset, MA from one of her students. As she said in a Fox News interview, seen in the attached video clip and slide show which accompanies this report, this may well be "the cupcake that breaks the camel's back."
"It's not really about the cupcake; I can get another cupcake," she said. "It's about an encroachment on civil liberties. We're just building up a resistance and tolerance to all these things they're doing in the name of security, when it's really theater. It is not keeping us safe."
Critics of the Transportation Security Administration agree, issuing a fire storm of remarks ranging from sarcastic and humorous, to angry and vitriolic.
Ryan Mauro, an airline security analyst contacted by WPIX News dismissed the seizure, calling it an overreaction, saying "There never has there been a threat involving a cupcake or it’s frosting."
However, not everyone was so quick to slam the TSA. Passengers interviewed at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Jackson Heights, NY were either amused, or came to the security agent's defense, saying that "they were doing a good job in a tough situation."
In fact, according to published TSA guidelines, pastries are among the food items allowed to be taken aboard aircraft, with this caveat, "You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening."
Included in the list of food items that are recommended to be checked or shipped separately are cranberry sauce, creamy dips and spreads, such as cheeses and peanut butter, salsa, jams, salad dressings, maple syrup, soups, and other liquids.
However, the TSA agent viewed the cupcake as a threat, saying "It counted as a gel-like substance because it was conforming to the shape of its container."
While the agency is reviewing the matter, it is also quick to point out that its list of restricted items are constantly being updated, and screeners have wide latitude and final determination in making such security decisions.
Whatever TSA finally decides in this incident, Wicked Good Cupcakes comes out as a winner by gaining national attention and free advertising. Capitalizing on the controversy, they have renamed the seized pastry as "National Security Red Velvet" and are sending Ms. Hains a replacement with their compliments.
The bakery sells various cupcakes, at prices ranging from $3.00 to $8.50 each, depending on size and filling, and also offers larger cakes. However, based upon Ms. Hains' experience, these treats are probably best enjoyed away from airports.
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