Bakery Creates TSA-Safe Cupcakes After TSA Defends Its Confiscation Of 'Dangerous' Cupcakes

from the at-least-those-terrorists-won't-get-fat dept

While the TSA continues to not catch terrorists, it is catching flak for its decision last month to confiscate a cupcake. Even more bizarre, the TSA is continuing to defend the confiscation, claiming that since this cupcake was in a jar it meant that the frosting was considered a gel and subject to the totally silly and pointless 3 oz. rule.

I wanted to make it clear that this wasn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill cupcake. If you’re not familiar with it, we have a policy directly related to the UK liquid bomb plot of 2006 called 3-1-1 that limits the amount of liquids, gels and aerosols you can bring in your carry-on luggage. Icing falls under the “gel” category. As you can see from the picture, unlike a thin layer of icing that resides on the top of most cupcakes, this cupcake had a thick layer of icing inside a jar.

In general, cakes and pies are allowed in carry-on luggage, however, the officer in this case used their discretion on whether or not to allow the newfangled modern take on a cupcake per 3-1-1 guidelines. They chose not to let it go.

Or maybe they were just hungry. Either way, rest assured that terrorists who get through security won’t be able to get fat on cupcakes.

Or… maybe they can. A bakery in Rhode Island, picking up on this ridiculousness and sensing a marketing opportunity, is now offering a TSA-complaint cupcake, complete with exactly 3 oz. of frosting… a plastic baggie, and a faux boarding pass declaring compliance:

Yes, there’s now a dessert menu for your airport security theater…

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Comments on “Bakery Creates TSA-Safe Cupcakes After TSA Defends Its Confiscation Of 'Dangerous' Cupcakes”

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57 Comments
Robert Doyle (profile) says:

Re: Re:

Actually… they seem to wield a significant amount of authority – I bet if we just broadened the legislation to modify their duties to take place in any place, not just on roads, sidewalks, ports, airport, bus depots, express checkout lane in grocery stores and probably a couple I missed, I bet they could make sure people do the right thing. All the time. Everywhere. In complete compliance.

They could make sure people use the appropriate amount of toilet paper, chew the right number of times and even brush in the proper fashion!

I think we are on to something here.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Boot on the Face of Cupcakes...

Funny and sad story, this is just another step toward the edge.

Wait until the TSA randomly stops you and searched your car.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111020/11465616440/tsa-decides-terrorists-must-be-driving-partners-with-tenn-law-enforcement-to-randomly-search-vehicles.shtml

TSA = Totalitarians Shoving Authoritarianism

Anonymous Coward says:

Also, I’m surprised these cup cakes have received TSA approval so soon. Usually such approval takes a number of years.

First they must conduct clinical trials on the flammability of the cup cakes. If that passes, they must then inspect all ingredients to make sure that the cupcakes can’t be used as a weapon. They must make sure that it won’t release any toxic chemicals or fumes before and after being ignited, that it doesn’t contain any infectious diseases, that there aren’t any explosives hidden inside them, and they must finally ensure that the cup cakes aren’t a hazard in case they get messy and wind up on the floor. Wouldn’t want anyone slipping and falling. One other thing, they must make sure that there aren’t any strong chemicals that can burn through the airplane enclosure and cause a hole.

When it’s all said and done the average muffin can cost up to $16 after approval.

weneedhelp (profile) says:

That damn cupcake just looks like trouble. It’s up to something. Phew! I am sure glad the TSA stopped that rouge cupcake from starting trouble. Scary thing is we just dont know how many more cupcakes are plotting against us as we speak. An all out ban on cupcakes needs too be applied, and the current cupcakes out there need to be rounded up and shipped off to Gitmo for “interrogation” (wink wink) to get the other cupcakes that hate our way of life.

Ninja (profile) says:

Instant sales hit! Still, these little things are so delicious that they may cause a pandemonium inside the plane when hungry passengers go wild over the sweet scent of said cupcakes. What you don’t see, Mike, is that the potential of turning law abiding citizens into dangerous wild beasts that may jeopardize the plane security is what is in check here. Confiscate each an any cupcake is yet another great service offered by TSA (along with sexual stimulation, cavity exams and other useful and delighting offerings).

Coco Was Screwed says:

As ridiculous as I think the TSA is, if you actually look at what the traveler tried to bring on board, you would understand. It was not a cupcake “placed” in a jar, it was a jar filled to the brim with the components of a cupcake. How would anybody that has traveled in the current climate think that this would make it through?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWfP0cH2h1c/Tws7muR_06I/AAAAAAAAAwg/o5WGF6hp6Hc/s1600/Cupcake+Comparison.JPG

Ninja (profile) says:

Re: Re:

Ok, lemme think. Cupcake, kid. Terrorist plot. Makes sense. Couldn’t you open the thing and SMELL it?

We have brains to analyze the situation and take the proper procedure.

Just because your GPS tells you to drive of a cliff it doesn’t mean you will do it. You’ll use your brain and find some alternative like a bridge or a way to go down the cliff then up at the other side.

Seems brains is not the strong trait in TSA agents.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

“As ridiculous as I think the TSA is, if you actually look at what the traveler tried to bring on board, you would understand. It was not a cupcake “placed” in a jar, it was a jar filled to the brim with the components of a cupcake. How would anybody that has traveled in the current climate think that this would make it through?”

I’m sorry.
It’s still ridiculous.

Lawrence D'Oliveiro says:

Re: not a cupcake "placed" in a jar, it was a jar filled to the brim with the components of a cupcake

Of course! Not a cupcake, but COMPONENTS of a cupcake! And why would anyone want to bring the COMPONENTS of a cupcake on board a plane, unless they were terrorists planning to secretly assemble it into a … cupcake?

Oblate (profile) says:

Quoth TFA:

Rebecca Hains said she was going through security at the airport in Las Vegas when a TSA agent pulled her aside and said the cupcake frosting was “gel-like” enough to constitute a security risk. (Source: WCVB/CNN)

What about the security risk constituted by the “gel-like” substance rattling around in the skull of that TSA agent? I guess since the agent wasn’t going on the plane it’s not considered dangerous?

I hope they rendered the cupcake inedible before they left, as I too get the impression the agent was just looking for a free dessert.

Berenerd (profile) says:

Mmmmmm...cupcakes...

They are actually good…expecive…but good. They will be testing their ability later this month by taking them on vacation with the owner and going through TSA at TFGreen in RI. Talking to people that work there (I heard about this a week ago or late last week i think? I stopped this morning to get one on the way to work.) They sold out the first day and they have had a hard time keeping them on the shelf. I had no idea people wanted cupcakes on their flight

Beta (profile) says:

Re: Re:

I imagined a bomb squad in full armor creeping up on a cupcake in an evacuated concourse– then the laugh caught in my throat when I remembered how the Boston police panicked over some silly little light displays, and Logan Airport security tackled a girl because she had some LEDs on her jacket. In both cases the authorities closed ranks and defended their infantile behavior. And some in the public supported them.

Now I just feel embarrassed for my country.

Trails (profile) says:

OH MY GOD, SOMETHING NEW!!!

The TSA’s defence amounted to “Agent didn’t know what it was, so he blocked it”. It’s a valid defense given their strategy. Unfortunately their strategy is moronic. It’s stopgap measures meant to stop the last threat averted through dumb luck rather than investigative work.

“Richard Reid hid a bomb in his shoe, make ’em take off their shoes! Some idiots had some harebrained impractical half-baked plan (which never would have worked) to mix liquids into a bomb based on a Die Hard movie, no more liquids! Some guy tried to hide a bomb in his junk, but just turned himself into a eunuch through our dumb luck, get some nekkid scanners!”

It’s a reactive, whack-a-mole approach and it’s trivially easy for any terrorist smarter than Gomer Pile to circumvent.

TSA should be run by terrorism experts and detectives, instead it’s seemingly run by mall cops.

Violated (profile) says:

Commonsense Obmitted

I always wonder why they simple don’t use common sense.

Like at the airport you can buy a bottle of drink but due to rush you can leave it unopened and it gets seized. No matter you have the purchase receipt, it is still sealed, and the sales lady can testify you just purchased it.

I suspect they may give to back to the airport shop to sell to the next “mug”

The obvious way to tell this liquid is what it is would be to open the bottle and smell the contents. I am sure most of us know what water or fizzy orange smells like. Most forms of chemicals and explosives would also stand out.

Then in any unfamiliar liquid doubt they can have the passenger drink some when their reaction would be quite telling.

Instead what do we have… The demon cupcake.

Beta (profile) says:

opportunity

Instead of trying to get publicity with a TSA-compliant cupcake,…

Imagine an advertising campaign for cupcakes that terrify the TSA! Big yummy cupcakes with mounds of icing, Arabic script and/or “wiring” in ganache, “Death By Chocolate”, “Allah Ak-Berry”, “Sweet Revenge”. Television spots with stupid, arrogant TSA bullies running in panic from a pretty girl with gorgeous baked goods (by which I mean cupcakes — by which I mean actual cupcakes). Oh, this could work…

Thomas (profile) says:

TSA needs..

the food – their salaries don’t cover their lunch, so they need to confiscate food from people traveling. That’s also why they lift money from carry-ons and checked baggage – they don’t get paid enough. Aside from not being paid enough working for TSA can be great – free food, you get to fondle teenagers, you pick up tips on the side.

Ducksfeet says:

Cupcake Stuffer

Yes I had a job once when working at this famous Hotel known for it’s pastries and cakes.Now being the one to to put icing on the cake my duties went a little farther by pumping icing into the cupcake.Now that it is known and recorded will my name show up on the know fly list as a terrorist or will I be pictured in Hustler for defilling
a cupcake.

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