That Snake is Not Allowed on the Plane

[Ax01]

ok so ESA's are allowed on planes but comfort toys are not? SMDH. something's not right here. it may be the airline is not at fault here but security. they called the green, plush stuffed snake a "replica" and seemed to be concerned that someone might mistaken it for the real thing and freakout.


really, is this a replica?




anyways story here: https://www.foxnews.com/travel/littl...snake-on-plane

Little boy 'heartbroken' because airport allegedly wouldn't let him take stuffed snake on plane

A five-year-old boy was left “heartbroken” after his stuffed animal was confiscated at the airport.

The toy, a plush snake recently given to him for his birthday by his grandmother, was taken away at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa Friday.

The boy and his mom, Nicole Fritz, were getting ready to go through security with the “soft toy python” when the incident occurred.

Fritz told News 24 her son is “mad about snakes,” and people in line were laughing at the toy he was wearing around his neck. But when the pair reached security, the airport official allegedly told them the toy would not be allowed on the flight and would have to be thrown away.

“The justification from @Airports_ZA is that it is a replica but as you can tell only a half-wit would mistake it for the real thing. It looks only like what it is — a child’s plush toy,” Fritz wrote on Twitter.

When Fritz asked what regulations prevented this, airport officials reportedly couldn’t find any at that time but told her that “replicas” were definitely not allowed.

“Admittedly, there are far greater injustices perpetrated every day in this country but the exercise of discretion in ways that are petty, mean-spirited and cruel is so symptomatic of what has always been wrong with this country,” she wrote on Twitter.

The airport told Fritz she could check the toy, but it was too late to do so at that time, so she instead had to leave her son’s snake behind and told it was going for a ride with the pilot.

A spokesperson for the airport was not immediately available for comment.

poor kid had to lose gramma's present.

[Craiga 01453]

That's just silly. Poor kid...

[Bogertophis]

I'd be SO ANGRY about them taking away the toy...that is SO WRONG! They should have just bagged it up for the kid, geez don't they have any brains?

[Sonny1318]

Definitely pretty weak, looks like a stuffed animal to me. Just silly.

[Bogertophis]

So if he had worn a shirt with a realistic 3-D snake design on it, they would have stripped it off him before he could board? Idiotic!

[Timelugia]

Really it doesn't even sound like they were actually concerned about the passangers. More like they wanted to use what little power they had to push people around.

[WhompingWillow]

Aww, poor kiddo. That is obviously a stuffed animal. What if he had a stuffed tiger or bat or octopus instead?

My son is 4 and loves our snakes (he even likes watching them eat). He has several huge stuffed snakes he brings to daycare and other places and would be devastated if someone took one away.

[Sunnieskys]

Huh? This thread Is blank.

[Bogertophis]

Huh? This thread Is blank.

Um, no it's not...???

[Pengil]

Really it doesn't even sound like they were actually concerned about the passangers. More like they wanted to use what little power they had to push people around.

I have flown through this particular airport 8 times on four trips, and know several other people who have done so as well. I can assure you, this is exactly what is going on here. The rules for what is, and isn't allowed is completely dependent on who is working, what mood they're in that day, and often which country you are from.

My heart breaks for that poor kid, and at the same time I'm furious on his behalf. I hope grandma can get him another one and maybe ship it, although depending on where he lives, that could take a long time.

Replica my :cens0r:.