Buzz Lightyear Confiscated: TSA Sparks Outrage After Throwing Away Child’s Toy Because It Was Deemed A ‘Security Risk’
A 5-year-old’s Buzz Lightyear toy was confiscated and thrown away by TSA agents at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport because they said it posed a security risk. Now, the boy’s father is speaking out, and he says that the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), an agency that has authority over the security of the traveling public in the United States, went too far and could’ve handle the situation differently.
David Zilka, the father of 5-year-old Levi, addressed the incident during an interview with the local news station WWMT.
“We understand that things are scary out there right now but taking a toy from a five year old doesn’t enhance national security. It was all I could do not to break down with him in that moment,” David Zilka was quoted as saying.
“We couldn’t go on the plane yet because they said it looks too much like a gun and you can’t bring guns on the plane,” the little boy added.
The Buzz Lightyear toy was Levi’s favorite souvenir from Disney World. But unfortunately he could not take his Toy Story Toy home because TSA agents threw it in the trash because it looked too “dangerous.” Levi Zilka went with his dad and uncle to Disney World Orlando for the first time. He was full of joy, thanks to his uncle who had bought him a Buzz Lightyear toy. But his joy was short-lived. As the family only had carry-on luggage, they had no choice but to leave the souvenir behind and it was eventually thrown away.
5-year-old was left in tears after the TSA confiscated his Buzz Lightyear toy they say looked like a gun https://t.co/Y9qKUl7vO3
— Mashable (@mashable) November 19, 2015
“Once he realized what was happening, that they weren’t giving his toy back, he immediately starts just bawling, tears streaming down his face, and crying. It was all I could do not to break down with him in that moment,” David Zilka recalled.
“Why’d it make you so sad?” David asked his son.”Because they threw it in the trash,” Levi responded.
The incident sparked outrage among social media users and many expressed their anger via Facebook.
“Let’s see if we can make generosity the lesson we all learn. Go donate toys,” David wrote on his Facebook page.
According to New York Daily News, TSA has replaced the child’s beloved Buzz Lightyear toy and also wrote him a letter apologizing for the incident. His father snapped a picture of his son with the letter and returned toy, adding that many well-hearted people had reached out to buy Levi a new toy.
Damn it looks real!
TSA Confiscate kid's Buzz Lightyear Toy: ‘Looks Too Much Like a Gun’https://t.co/KCLpq7rpRK pic.twitter.com/dVRhu0e7gm
— Modern_Rock (@modern_rock) November 21, 2015
TSA, which was created shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, also released a statement regarding the matter and explained that it is a requirement for realistic replicas of firearms to be checked.
“TSA officers are charged with protecting passengers and making final judgments on which items are permitted on aircraft. In our review of this situation, the officer’s decision complied with approved procedures,” the statement read. “We recently reinforced that training on the procedures with every front line TSA officer. TSA officers have the discretion to deny passage of an item if they cannot definitively rule out that the item could be used as a weapon, or perceived to be a weapon, including replica weapons.”
The statement went on to say that “the passenger chose instead to voluntarily surrender the item to TSA, where it was placed in a locked bin along with other prohibited items and will ultimately be turned over to the state.”
As most people know, Buzz Lightyear is a fictional character in the Toy Story franchise. He is a toy space ranger hero according to the movies in the Toy Story franchise. Along with Woody, he is one of the two lead characters in all three Toy Story movies.
[Image via Twitter]
