I have so many questions.
How the hell did TSA miss the can of bear spray in somebody’s bag? And who is traveling from Nashville with bear spray anyway? Were they using it on the tourists on Broadway? Does that work?
The Nashville airport was evacuated on Sunday afternoon due to “the presence of a noxious odor.”
The concourse was quickly reopened, but passengers reported smelling gas or smoke that led to coughing, breathing issues and burning eyes as they got off their plane and entered the terminal.
Chemical samples were taken in the airport, and initially it was reported that air quality tests determined the cause of the odor was butoxyethyl acetate, a chemical commonly found in lacquers, varnishes, enamels and resins.
But now, we know the real cause: Bear spray.
According to the Nashville Airport, a custodian found an aerosol can in a trash bin and, for who knows what reason, decided the best course of action was to…spray it in the middle of the airport.
Airport security reviewed footage from over 1,500 cameras, and were eventually able to track down video of a man throwing the can into the trash bin. After contacting the man, they learned it was bear spray that had been sprayed by their custodian in the concourse, prompting the evacuation.
Apparently, TSA had missed the bear spray, which the man had bought for a family trip to Gatlinburg, during their security check. So he simply tossed it in the trash, not realizing that it would later cause an entire concourse of the airport to be evacuated.
I mean, you already made it that far with it, why not just take it with you? (Because it could explode on the plane I suppose. But still…)
Sounds like a lot of people to blame for this one, really: The man who went to the airport with bear spray in his luggage and then just tossed it in a trash can, along with the TSA agents who missed it during security, and of course the custodian who SPRAYED BEAR SPRAY IN AN AIRPORT.
At least it wasn’t something more serious. And at least we don’t have to worry about bears at BNA anymore.
