Food writer's bag shuts down airport

Jun 13, 2006 12:50 PM

A food reporter's bag containing video and audio recording equipment, honey, an oyster shell and seasoning rub was blamed for prompting officials to close Tallahassee, Fla.'s airport for three hours and evacuate the terminal.
The configuration of the electronic gear and organic material looked suspicious when Transportation Security Administration officers viewed it through equipment used to scan carryon luggage, Tallahassee police officer David McCranie told The Associated Press.
"Something indicated this was not your typical bag and they pressed the alarm," McCranie said. "It's like winning the lottery -- but the lottery you don't want to win."
Todd Coleman, food editor for Saveur magazine, was detained then released after the bag was removed from the terminal and a robot opened it to disclose the contents.
"I was afraid they were going to blow my bag up," Coleman said. "It would have blown my story up."
Coleman had come to Tallahassee to visit his parents, who live here, and do a story on the food of nearby Apalachicola, Florida's oyster capital. The Apalachicola area also is famous for tupelo honey that Coleman had in his bag.
The airport reopened at about 10 a.m., and all incoming and outgoing flights resumed. Coleman was released but had missed his flight.
Screeners usually can tell from X-ray scans whether an organic item is an explosive or food, paper or other harmless material. In this case the positioning of the honey, electronic gear and batteries looked like parts of an improvised explosive device, said Quinten Johnson, TSA security director for the airport.

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