The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confiscated a toy gun that was part of a sock monkey, NBC News reports.
The agency said the toy gun, which was being carried by a passenger at the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, was too realistic, according to the report.
The passenger, Washington state resident Phyllis May, told the network she could not believe her toy was being mistaken for a weapon.
{mosads}“She said ‘This is a gun,’ ” May told NBC’s Seattle affiliate. “I said ‘No, it’s not a gun, it’s a prop for my monkey.’ ”
“She said ‘If I held it up to your neck, you wouldn’t know if it was real or not,’ and I said ‘Really?’ ” May continued. “Rooster Monkburn has been disarmed so I’m sure everyone on the plane was safe. I understand she was doing her job, but at some point doesn’t common sense prevail?”
The TSA told the network that plastic guns are against its rules, even if they are small.
“TSA officers are dedicated to keeping the nation’s transportation security systems safe and secure for the traveling public,” the agency said in a statement. “Under longstanding aircraft security policy, and out of an abundance of caution, realistic replicas of firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags.”