How much loose change (and occasional bills) do you think the TSA collected at airport security checkpoints last year? How about $1 million?
TSA Loose Change Adds Up Quickly
With all the stress surrounding air travel and security checkpoints, flustered or absent-minded travelers (like yours truly) leave money behind at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. A lot of it, as it turns out.
The TSA just issued its 2019 report on “unclaimed money at airports” and the results are surprising. In the 2019 fiscal year, the TSA collected $926,030. That number includes $18,899.09 in foreign currency.
Which airports brought in the most cash? As you can imagine, it was the bigger ones. New York Kennedy (JFK) led with $98,110.00. That was followed by San Francisco (SFO) ($52,668.70), Miami (MIA) ($47,694.03), Las Vegas (LAS) ($44,401.76), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) ($40,218.19).
What may be more surprising is that major airport that brought in the smallest amount of money was Dallas Love Field (DAL) at only $184.42. Maybe the agents had a “tip” jar?
You can review the full list here.
The money, by the way, is deposited into a a fund used for training and to promote TSA PreCheck.
CONCLUSION
When I proceeded through security at LAX earlier this week, I found a dime in my bin…and pocketed it. If only I could do that every day at checkpoints around the country. I expected a sizable amount of money to be collected by the TSA each year, but did not speculate nearly seven digits worth.
Note, this amount doesn’t include the (illegal) seizures that the TSA has engaged in for those carrying large amount of cash.
How do I file an claim my forgotten coins?
😉