You’re careful with money and plan to arrive at the airport far in advance — at least 12 hours — so you didn’t spring for the convenience of TSA PreCheck.
So you get ready to strip off your coat, scarf, sweater, hat, shoes, belt, toiletries and electronics from your person and bags and set them into those undoubtedly gross bins for inspection by an officer in uniform.
Oh, and you cleared your pockets, right? Better toss another bin on the belt, because all that loose change tucked in your pockets has got to be removed.
What follows the full-body scan isn’t any less chaotic. Everyone crowds the luggage carousel exit, eager to snatch their things the moment they reach breathable air again.
But your loose change? Bet you forgot about that. It’s barely on your radar, replaced by worries about how you’ll spend the rest of your discretionary cash on magazines and jumbo bags of Chex Mix.
So how much loose cash gets abandoned at airport security? In fiscal year 2016, it totaled an astonishing $867,812, according to the TSA.
That’s $100,000 more than the Transportation Security Administration reported people left behind in fiscal 2015.
The amount of unclaimed money recorded by the TSA has climbed steadily over time — the agency reported about $383,413 left behind in 2008.
Why Are We So Careless With Change?
First off, this seems to be mostly a men’s issue. Women’s pockets are often so tiny it’s unlikely they’re carrying spare coins.
Second, can you really blame people for wanting to clear the security line as quickly as possible? No one is at their best during the TSA shuffle.
A TSA representative told CNBC the agency doesn’t have a solid explanation for why travelers are leaving so much more change behind. Maybe it’s due to greater air travel? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Unsurprisingly, some of the nation’s busiest airports are where the most coins are forgotten. Here are a few highlights from the top-10 list:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City: $70,615
- McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas: $32,671.38 (That’s 38 cents you could have fed into a slot machine!)
- O’Hare International Airport, Chicago: $25,425.75
- Logan International Airport, Boston: $23,691.83
What Happens to All That Money?
Good news! TSA is allowed to use unclaimed spare change for its own purposes! (Within limits. No office pizza blowouts.)
Since 2005, TSA has had legal authority to retain unclaimed cash to be applied toward enhancing civil aviation security. In the past, TSA has stated the unclaimed funds would help expand the TSA PreCheck program, which is as close to flying first class as I’ll get.
“TSA makes every effort to reunite passengers with items left at the checkpoint. However there are instances where loose change or other items are left behind and unclaimed,” Lisa Farbstein from the TSA Office of Public Affairs said via email. “Unclaimed money, typically consisting of loose coins passengers remove from their pockets, is documented and turned into the TSA financial office.”
There’s no announcement yet about how fiscal 2016’s massive collection of loose change will be allocated.
Meanwhile, maybe it’s wise to get ready for the TSA line before you’re two people away from the bin pile? If you’ve flown before, you should be familiar with this drill by now.
Your Turn: Have you ever left anything behind at TSA?
