Kids left crying at the airport as viral squishy toys are confiscated by TSA heres what frustrated parents can do
The TSA squished their spirits.Squishies may be the latest viral toy craze — with top brands like Needoh, Polysquish and RMS Mystery Squishy Dumplings becoming sensory favorites for young fans —but they’re causing panic at airports nationwide.Because the kiddie obsessions are filled with well over 3.4 ounces of liquid (the very thing that makes them “squish”), law-abiding TSA agents have no choice but to toss the children’s toys before takeoff.One such trinket tragedy unfolded in a TikTok from Orange County, Calif.mom Celine Trang.
Her 9-year-old daughter Cassie was left bereft at the Charleston International Airport (CHS) in South Carolina when a TSA agent flagged the girl’s large butter-shaped squishy — a notoriously hard-to-find toy — because its contents were considered “a liquid.”Cassie had been set on showing her treasured toy to her best friend, whom she and her mother were visiting.“[The TSA agent] explained that people sometimes empty squishies and replace the contents with other substances,” the older Trang told Yahoo.Trang knew she needed to comply with the rule.Still, she was left with a stressful dilemma and had to think on her feet.“We have 20 minutes to board, and this is a child’s toy,” she remembered thinking.Trang gave the girl two options — she could either let the TSA agent chuck her beloved toy, or send it home through the airport’s guest services department. Cassie chose the second option, so the mother-daughter duo were escorted by a TSA agent and security guard outside the checkpoint, where they quickly mailed the forbidden toy before making their flight in the nick of time.Trang, who had “no idea squishies could be flagged,” believes the TSA rule needs to be more widely known, especially as the toy becomes a Gen Alpha must-have.“There should be more awareness before families get to the airport,” she said.“Parents shouldn’t have to find out at the checkpoint with a crying child and a boarding...