TSA speaks up after passengers lash out over cupcake confiscation

The Transportation Security Administration is speaking up about what they call “CupcakeGate,” after a story went viral on the internet because a Peabody woman was barred from bringing a cupcake back to Boston on a flight from Las Vegas in December.

In a strange, but hilariously epic post on the TSA’s official blog, the security administration defends its decision to keep the sweet treat from getting inside the plane.

The cupcake in question wasn’t a traditional piece of fluffy cake with frosting on top, according to the report from the TSA.

Instead, it was a modern take on a cupcake, from Cohasset bakery “Wicked Good Cupcakes,” which the TSA described as “a thick layer of icing inside a jar.”

According to the TSA report, a policy directly related to the UK liquid bomb plot of 2006 limits the amount of liquids, gels and aerosols people can bring in carry-on luggage.

“Icing falls under the ‘gel’ category,” the report said, defending the TSA’s decision. “Unless Wile E. Coyote is involved, the days of the three sticks of dynamite with a giant alarm clock strapped to them are long gone.”

The TSA blogger said every officer wants to finish their shift and go home with the peace of mind that they kept potential threats off of airplanes.

“They’re not thinking about whether their decisions will go viral on the internet – they’re thinking about keeping bombs off of planes,” said the post from the TSA’s official page.

Channel 5 reported on Dec. 23 that Rebecca Hains, Peabody, was going through security at the airport in Las Vegas when a TSA agent pulled her aside and said the cupcake frosting was too “gel-like” which is considered a security risk.

According to reports, Hains said she traveled to Vegas with two of the cupcakes in her luggage, no problem.