re: Confiscated TSA items should be returned to their owners.

quote:

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I had a real nice pocket knife that my now departed grandfather gave me for high school graduation that I had in my dopp kit. It was in my checked luggage, but it was 53 lbs so I had to move some stuff including the dopp kit to my carry on, forgetting the knife was in there. I had to throw it away.

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You didn't have to throw it away. It was your choice to get on the plane and throw the knife away or not get on the plane and keep the knife, you chose to throw the knife away. Or you could have just kept it in your checked bag, but you forgot.