Father Fuming After TSA Agents Confiscate His Son's Buzz Lightyear Toy
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A Pennsylvania father is upset at TSA agents in Fort Lauderdale who confiscated his 5-year-old son's Buzz Lightyear toy because they said it looked too much like a gun.
Levi Zilka's uncle bought him the Buzz Lightyear "Flip Grip" on his first trip to Disney World.
Levi's father, David, said his son was ecstatic.
"He loved it, brought it home. As soon as we got in the car, he wanted to open it, so he played with it over the car ride back," said David Zilka.
But the souvenir that meant so much to Levi was just the thing that caught the attention of the TSA at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport who stopped the two.
"We couldn't go on the plane yet because they said it looks too much like a gun and you can't bring guns on the plane," said Levi Zilka.
According to the TSA website, realistic replicas of firearms must be checked. David and Levi only packed carry-ons for their trip.
According to a statement released by the TSA regarding the situation, "when passengers are informed that an item is prohibited from being carried into the cabin of an airplane, they are given options" that include placing the item in a checked bag, handing off the item to a non-traveling companion, returning it to their car or mailing it to their destination if the airport has a mailing center.
The TSA said in this case, David Zilka "chose instead to voluntarily surrender the item to TSA, where it was placed in a locked bin."
"Once he realized what was happening, that they weren't giving his toy back, he immediately starts bawling, just tears streaming down his face, crying," said David Zilka.
David Zilka feels his son was treated unfairly.
"We understand that things are scary out there right now, but taking a toy from a 5-year-old doesn't enhance national security," he said.
The TSA also said in their statement, "TSA officers are charged with protecting passengers and making final judgments on which items are permitted on aircraft. In our review of this situation, the officer's decision complied with approved procedures. We recently reinforced that training on the procedures with every front line TSA officer. TSA officers have the discretion to deny passage of an item if they cannot definitively rule out that the item could be used as a weapon, or perceived to be a weapon, including replica weapons."
David Zilka placed a complaint with the TSA. An agency spokesperson told CBS4 News, they have located the toy and plan to ship it to Levi.