Revealed: The common item that should never be left in the security trays – and the disturbing reason why

Airport security can often feel like a chaotic rush, with liquids, electronics and other belongings needing to be quickly organised and pushed through the scanners.

However, there’s one item that travellers are being urged to be particularly careful with.

A TikTok user, @travel.by.the.books, revealed she avoids putting her mobile phone loose in the tray after an airport security worker gave her a stark warning.

‘The thing I’m absolutely never doing when I go through TSA, I am not putting my phone directly into one of the containers or bins,’ she explained in the video.

‘It’s always going inside a zipped pocket in my bag.’

She continued: ‘Why? I did this once, the TSA agent looked at me and said, “You don’t like your phone?”

‘I looked at him like he was a little crazy and I said, “Yes”, and he said, “This is the fastest way to get it stolen.”

‘The number one thing that they see stolen on a regular basis is phones, and that’s because they are left out and available, and the lines can back up, and somebody could just swipe it and you’re not paying attention until you realise it’s too late.

Airport security can often feel like a chaotic rush, with liquids, electronics and other belongings needing to be quickly organised and pushed through the scanners

A TikTok user, @travel.by.the.books, revealed she avoids putting her mobile phone loose in the tray after an airport security worker gave her a stark warning 

‘So always make sure that your valuables are zipped up into your bag when they go through the scanner.’

Following the video, some viewers questioned the advice, arguing security workers often request that all electronics are taken out of bags.

One person commented: ‘Except when the airport requires all electronics and phones to be out in a bin.’

Another added: ‘Yes, but the problem is when they say take all of your electronics out of your bag they mean, take all of your electronics out of your bag. 

‘They even list, laptops, iPads, iPhones, any cellular phone. 

‘They list all of that has to come out of your bag and be in the bin, so you really can’t get around it.’

However, others agreed with the advice.

One person commented: ‘All the “ALL electronics in the bin” people, the official TSA regulation is all laptop computers. 

‘The number one thing that [airport workers] see stolen on a regular basis is phones, and that’s because they are left out and available,’ she explained

‘So always make sure that your valuables are zipped up into your bag when they go through the scanner,’ she added 

‘I’ve been getting “laptops out, leave the rest” shouted over my head at tourists/travelers for YEARS coming and going from various cities. 

‘Until they literally pull your bag off the line for it, you zip that stuff up.’

Thousands of items a year are lost in airports. 

According to the TSA, approximately 90,000 to 100,000 items are left behind at checkpoints each month in American airports.