TSA: We Were Right to Take That Cupcake

Cupcakegate 2011 is proving to have quite the shelf life. The TSA commented on the sugary brouhaha this week, by way of a blog post on the topic. If you'll recall, security agents in Las Vegas confiscated a cupcake that Rebecca Hains was trying to take through security late last month because of its gel-like frosting. Outrage ensued. But as the TSA explains, there's one problem with the whole story: Hains wasn't carrying a traditional cupcake through security.

That, apparently, would have been fine. But Hains' "cupcake" was actually a "cupcake in a jar" (see image in gallery). "Unlike a thin layer of icing that resides on the top of most cupcakes, this cupcake had a thick layer of icing inside a jar," explains the TSA. "The officer in this case used their discretion on whether to allow the newfangled modern take on a cupcake per 3-1-1 guidelines. They chose not to let it go." If you're still scoffing at the decision, the TSA would like you to consider the following point: "Do you think an explosive would be concealed in an ominous item that would draw attention, or something as simple as a cute cupcake jar?" (More TSA stories.)