An 80-year-old woman was shocked to learn that a cane she had been using for years was actually concealing a deadly weapon.
The Myrtle Beach Sun News reports that the woman was stopped by TSA agents while she was trying to board a plane at Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina. When her cane was X-rayed, agents discovered that a long, thin saber was hidden inside.
TSA regional spokesman Mark Howell told the Sun News the woman had received the cane as a gift from her son and had no idea there was a sword hidden inside.
According to Howell, the old cane in the sword trick is a fairly common mistake made by travelers.
“It happens a lot, actually,” Howell said of the secret swords discovered by TSA screeners. “People pick them up at a thrift store and the sword isn’t found until we X-ray it.”
It’s not clear whether the woman faced any penalties for her mistake.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
