Smarte Carte kiosks give passengers new alternative for TSA-banned items
Company to provide self-service mail kiosks to passengers who pass through security and do not want to leave items behind that have been declared by TSA as unsafe
Passengers with banned items in airports usually were left in a bind without too many options about how transporting such items home. More often than not they had to leave them behind. Minnesota-based Smarte-Carte, a service provider of airport lockers and luggage carts, has plans to place the company’s new mail kiosks in Tampa International Airport in Florida to offer stranded passengers another alternative. These kiosks will allow passengers who pass through security checks with items not allowed by TSA, and then mail these things to their destination, rather than carry them onboard the aircraft. The price of this service will be $8.95, in addition to price of U.S. Postal shipping. More than 25,000 shipments have already been made through the Smart Carte kiosks last year.
In 2005 more than fifteen million TSA-banned items were confiscated in airports across the United States. In Tampa, 286,605 items were held by authorities, which averaged to be 785 banned items per day. One disadvantage of the Smart Carte kiosks: They do not allow lighters to be mailed, which made up more than 50 percent of the banned items in 2005.
There are now kiosks located in twelve U.S. airports with the up to thirty more to be added this year. Below is a list of the most popular items held by TSA authorities at Tampa International Airport last year.
Lighters:”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”” 167,765” Knives”and”blades:”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”” ” 30,862” Flammable”materials”and”irritants:”“”“”“”“” 4,395”
Miscellaneous dangerous items (includes firearms): 1,409
Box”cutters:”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” 420” Ammunition”and”gunpowder:”“”“”“”“”“”“”” 251” Fireworks:”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” 211” Clubs,”bats”and”bludgeons:”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ 157”
Source: Transportation Security Administration
