The one place people 'like' the TSA

JUDY WOODRUFF:

And finally to our "NewsHour Shares", the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is making its mark on social media with a surprisingly popular Instagram account, with pictures of prohibited items agents deem unfit to fly.

The "NewsHour"'s Julia Griffin met the man behind the account.

JULIA GRIFFIN:

Guns, knives, and holiday pies--when it comes to air travel this month, only two of the three will land you on Santa's naughty list, but they all could land on TSA's Instagram feed. A click-bait-worthy mix of confiscated security items and explosive-detecting dogs, TSA's Instagram has been rated by "Rolling Stone" magazine as the app's fourth best -- right between pop stars Rihanna and Beyonce.

BOB BURNS, Lead Social Media Specialist, TSA:

As a former musician, I always wanted to make "Rolling Stone," and I never imagined that I would make it through social media with TSA.

JULIA GRIFFIN:

Bob Burns runs the agency's feed.

BOB BURNS:

I think they find it fascinating because they can't believe people are bringing items on the plane, like the guns and the knives and grenades.

JULIA GRIFFIN:

Some of the bizarre highlights include: a homemade avalanche charger, this bag of live eels, a human skull hidden in a clay souvenir pot, and, of course, canines at work and at play.

BOB BURNS:

You can never go wrong with the dogs.

JULIA GRIFFIN:

But the most-liked post? This full-sized dummy corpse from the film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

BOB BURNS:

I don't know how they worked it out, if they had a ticket for him with the airline, but we had to screen through the x-ray.

JULIA GRIFFIN:

TSA's images mainly come from security check incident reports. And while the stream of explosives and weapons might trigger alarm, Burns contends it shows the often-criticized agency is getting the job done.

BOB BURNS:

I think it acts as a deterrent. It shows that we're finding these things, and if anyone was thinking about sneaking something through, they're going to say, "Well, maybe I shouldn't, because they're probably going to find it."

JULIA GRIFFIN:

But the TSA's posts also provide travel tips. Really need that five-blade mace on your vacation? Put it in your checked bag. Want to know if you can carry on that mini alligator head? Tweet @asktsa. And need to make sure that laptop you left at Newark airport last month gets returned?

BOB BURNS:

We recommend people place their business card or their contact information on their laptop.

JULIA GRIFFIN:

For the "PBS NewsHour", I'm Julia Griffin at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.