Sock Monkey’s Toy Gun Sieze By TSA

Phyllis May, of Redmond, Wasington, said she and her husband were traveling from St. Louis to Seattle with some of her hand-made dolls and sewing supplies stowed in her carry-on bag.

The bag wasn’t returned right away after the couple went through the screening process, and May said a Transportation Security Administration agent held it up and asked whose bag it was.

“I realized, oh my god, this is my bag,” May told KTVB-TV.

Inside was a cowboy sock monkey, “Rooster Monkburn,” that she makes and sells as part of her small business.

The TSA agent searched the bag and found the 2-inch-long toy pistol, which gave her pause.

“She said, ‘This is a gun,’” May said. “I said, ‘No, it’s not a gun it’s a prop for my monkey.’”

But the agent remained concerned.

“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 said.

The agent confiscated the monkey doll’s toy weapon and said she was required to call police.

“Rooster Monkburn has been disarmed, so I’m sure everyone on the plane was safe,” May said. “I understand she was doing her job but at some point doesn’t common sense prevail?”