TSA a-okay with sex toys

Two emotions I felt while reading this article: relief and amusement. Finally, acknowledgement from the Transportation Safety Administation (TSA) that, for them, sex toys are no big deal! Even BDSM toys — whips, floggers, chains, leashes, cuffs, and restraints — are fine to pack in a carry-on bag.

Sex toys are not only legal to travel with; they’re expected. Inspectors know a vibrator when they see one, and they will not confiscate it. However, travelers should remember that inspectors are trained to keep an eye out for electronic devices.

The best solution? Just don’t be nervous. If you need a little pep talk, remind yourself that vibrators are common — roughly half the women in the U.S. own one, and vibrators have been around longer than airplanes. If asked about your toy, stay calm and give a straightforward answer; “that’s my dildo” is perfect. Don’t lie about what the toy is.

There is one ominous category of items that is acceptable only for checked luggage, but not carry-on luggage: “billy clubs, black jacks, brass knuckles, nunchakus and martial arts weapons.” This category includes “anatomically correct cylinders of roughly a foot or so in length,” or any sex toy that could be defined as “club-like.”

A prime example of such a thing would be the njoy Eleven, a massive, 2-pound stainless steel dildo. Hilariously, the TSA spokesman was asked specifically about this toy, and he said (presumably in a very official tone of voice), “We would call that a baton-like item. It could be considered a weapon.”

Generally, anything under 7 inches in length does not fall into this category, and thus is fine to bring in carry-ons. Just be sure to remove the batteries from your vibrator and follow the 3-1-1 rule with lube.