Keeping America safe from dangerous pastry
Ever vigilant in its attempt to protect the flying public from danger in all of its guises, The New Orleans Airport has issued the following warning on its website, in honor of the Mardi Gras / Superbowl celebrations:
Many local travelers will be taking the Mardi Gras celebration with them to places outside of the area. A key component of the celebration is a King Cake. As delicious as a King Cake is, in an airport environment it could pose a security risk. You can travel with a King Cake but there are some rules to follow. King cakes should be declared at the checkpoints. Plain king cakes, i.e., king cakes without filling, may be permitted through the checkpoints. Filled king cakes (king cakes with fillings such as cream cheese, strawberry, blueberry, etc.) will not be allowed through the checkpoints. Why? Because many of these king cake fillings may be prohibited as gels. Passengers should pack filled king cakes in their checked baggage, or ship them in advance of traveling. Passengers should also arrive early enough to check any King Cakes that cannot be allowed through the checkpoint. If you do not want to go through security with a King Cake but wish to still take one with you, check with some of our airport stores beyond the checkpoint. They plan to have King Cakes for sale. (empahsis mine) As usual, your safety is our main concern at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. For this reason, our security will be in full force to handle any problem that might arise during the holiday season.
And so it seems that although one can safely board an aircraft with these potentially hazardous baked goods, they pose a serious threat to, what, x-ray machines? Sometimes these jokes just write themselves.