{"id":13958,"date":"2019-11-19T14:08:19","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T14:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womentales.wpengine.com\/?p=13958"},"modified":"2021-11-29T19:45:56","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T19:45:56","slug":"distressed-man-asked-by-airport-security-to-toss-package-in-the-trash-but-one-woman-didnt-stand-idly-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/distressed-man-asked-by-airport-security-to-toss-package-in-the-trash-but-one-woman-didnt-stand-idly-by\/","title":{"rendered":"Distressed Man Asked by Airport Security to Toss Package in the Trash, but One Woman Didn\u2019t Stand Idly by"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every year, the US sees hundreds of thousands of its citizens\ntake to the skies for trips both across the country and to foreign lands. If\nyou\u2019re one of these people, then you already know just how stressful airport\nsecurity can be. The TSA is there for our safety, but sometimes their job makes\nsimply travel a lot harder than it should be. A woman from Florida saw\nfirst-hand another passenger being asked to toss a parcel into the trash before\nboarding his flight. She wouldn\u2019t have it \u2013 her sympathy and empathy is where\nthis stories starts and ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Lining Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise Hernandez is a regular woman from Tampa, Flordia, with an extraordinary heart. On this particular day, she went to the airport with her boyfriend, Rico Bankston, who kept her company as she patiently waited to get through security. Things were pretty normal at first, but a commotion at the front of the line was holding thing sup. She didn\u2019t hear exactly what was going on, but she knew that a fellow passenger was becoming increasingly upset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

2. Front of the Line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As she slowly made it toward the front of the queue, Ivelise could hear what exactly the commotion was all about. Apparently, airport security asked a fellow traveler to dump a packet into the garbage before boarding his flight. He was pulled to the side, and security was patiently waiting from this distraught man to follow airport protocol. Ivelise knew that whatever was in that packet was extremely important to the stranger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

3. Strict Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: wikipedia.org<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Air travel has always been quite strict, but since the tragic events of 9\/11, it has gone to a whole new level. The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) has been unforgiving on what items can and cannot board onto a plane. Certain forbidden items may seem harmless, but when it comes to national security, you can never be too safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

4. Sentimental Value<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The stricter security measures in place prohibit passengers from taking simple items like nail clippers, liquids, and toothpaste. Ordinarily, these are easily replaceable items that don\u2019t hold any sentimental value. So when this man distraught man was told throw his parcel away, Ivelise knew that it must have been something precious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

5. Pleading to Deaf Ears<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The passenger was willing to let go of the parcel, but he begged TSA to place the packet in Lost and Found rather than throw it away altogether. Sadly, the TSA\u2019s hands were tied, and their protocol asks passengers to throw their items away without looking back or not to board at all. Ivelise\u2019s curiosity peaked at this moment, despite not knowing whether the contents of the package were dangerous or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

6. Thrown Away<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The man, after much begging, had finally discarded his parcel and was heading to his gate. Other passengers were seemingly uninterested in the whole ordeal, but Ivelise, after realizing that this mysterious man was on the verge of tears, knew something was wrong. Alas, it was her turn to pass through security, but she made one final request to her boyfriend Rico before bidding him farewell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

7. A Favor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise couldn\u2019t just take the package out of the trash and hope that security wouldn\u2019t notice. After all, their eyes were on her at this point since she was at the front of the line. While hugging Rico goodbye, she asked for a rather odd favor. She wanted him to discreetly go through the garbage bin and pick up the discarded parcel to see what was inside of it. Ivelise wasn\u2019t just curious about what the package contained \u2013 she was genuinely trying to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

8. Picking up the Parcel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise had no choice but to leave the package, and her curiosity, behind. Rico, however, did not have to pass through security since he was simply accompanying his girlfriend to the airport. As security was busy checking on Ivelise, Rico went straight to the garbage bin to retrieve the parcel. He turned around, waved a final goodbye to his girlfriend, and made the long trip back to Tampa. The parcel was unopened during the entire drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

9. Curious<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her flight, Ivelise was extremely uneasy. She couldn\u2019t forget the distraught man and his parcel that was tossed into the bin. Ivelise was also at a loss for words at how heartless TSA treated the sad man. But most of all, she was curious to know what was in the package that wasn\u2019t allowed on board. As soon as her plane landed, she called Rico to find out. After learning of its contents, Ivelise had a personal mission to help the stranger out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

10. The Contents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Rico had no idea what he would find upon opening the package. If it wasn\u2019t allowed on flight, it could have been something completely worthless or deemed too dangerous for air travel. After the long drive back to Tampa, he opened up the package and was taken aback by what was inside: snow globes \u2013 one with a picture of a young lady and her dog, and another with two elderly folks. This was what the hubbub was all about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

11. A Gift<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise immediately realized that these snow globes were far from ordinary. These snow globes were custom-made made somebody \u2013 quite possibly the young lady in one of the snow globes. On the base, Rico read the inscription to Ivelise: \u201cWe love you, Katie. Nana and Papa 1\/25\/16.\u201d Ivelise and Rico sprung right into action. They wanted to help but didn\u2019t know where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

12. What Next?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now that the package was secure, the pair\u2019s plan of lending a helping hand was unraveling. They knew that these snow globes obviously meant something, at least to the poor man boarding his flight, but without a last name or address, there was literally nothing they could do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

13. Thinking Outside of the Box<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise and Rico were determined to return the snow globe to its rightful owner. The poor man\u2019s reaction at the airport truly resonated with the couple, but they didn\u2019t know where to begin. The only information available to them was that a pair of snow globes were made by grandparents for someone named Katie and that a man was attempting to transport the souvenirs through St. Pete-Clearwater Airport on a February morning. If they wanted to reach their goal, Ivelise and Rico had to be creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

14. Social Media<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise did the only thing that came to mind: asking for the help of strangers online. If she could get the message out, someone might be able to give her a lead or, better yet, an address where the snow globes could be sent to. The pair posted their story on Facebook, but not every story goes viral. All they could do was hope that the sad story of these missing snow globes wouldn\u2019t get lost in the shuffle of the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

15. Snowballing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise didn\u2019t have a large following on Facebook, but she and her boyfriend had their fingers crossed. If they could get people to share their story, they might possibly be able to reach Katie, her grandparents, or the mysterious passenger. Ivelise had her doubts about succeeding in delivering her message to the masses, but she remained optimistic. And in the end, like so many other stories of this nature, her optimism paid off. Her post was shared more times than she could have ever dreamed of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

16. Going Viral<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise was familiar with the power of the internet, both good and bad. She\u2019d seen posts go viral before, but she never thought she would ever create a post that would attract more than a hundred likes. However, a week after posting her story and sharing images of the snow globe, its inscription, and the pictures, the post was shared almost 50,000 times! At this rate, someone would be bound to point her in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

17. A Breakthrough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As time went by, her post was shored more and more, but this actually increased her frustration rather than alleviated it. Despite going viral, she wasn\u2019t anywhere nearer to reaching her goal. She knew going viral wasn\u2019t a guaranteed way of reaching out to the owner of the snow globes, but she was still holding her breath. Eventually, she could let out a long sigh of relief as someone \u2013 a seemingly random person \u2013 had gotten back to her about her story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

18. Things Remembered<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: imgur.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The random contact was not a family member, nor the seller of the snow globe, but was an employee of Things Remembered, a souvenir shop. This person had no idea who was in the picture or for whom it was custom-made for but did know the snow globe\u2019s model. The random contact had contacted higher-ups at the store on Ivelise\u2019s behalf. All anyone could do now was wait for a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

19. Linda Modry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Not long after, Ivelise finally got what she was looking for \u2013 a name! The employee at Things Remembered got back to Ivelise, telling her that the order was made by a Linda Modry, and that the snow globes were made for her granddaughter. However, the man at the airport obviously wasn\u2019t Linda, so who could he be? Eventually, Ivelise learned that the upset man was Katie\u2019s father, Michael, and was meant to take the snow globes home with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

20. Full Circle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With Ivelise and Rico\u2019s determination, the helpfulness of a clerk from the Midwest, and headquarters from a souvenir shop in Ohio, plus the millions upon millions of people who saw Ivelise\u2019s post, the owner of the snow globes was finally identified. But the story of her massive kind-heartedness doesn\u2019t end here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

21. Neighbors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With the identify of the snow globe\u2019s owner, all that was left to do was for Ivelise and Rico to find out where she lived. As luck would have it, Linda\u2019s home was literally just around the corner from theirs. Ohio headquarters supplied the couple with Linda\u2019s phone number, and it wasn\u2019t long before a local news station got in touch with all parties involved. They wanted to record Ivelise and Linda\u2019s first-ever meeting on camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

22. Returning the Globe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After all of her searching, it was actually Linda who came a-knockin\u2019. Behind her was a crew from their local news station, ready to record the interaction. Although they had great compassion for one another, they did not know how their first meeting would turn out. On that fateful day, Linda knocked gently on Ivelise\u2019s door where they met face to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

23. A Momentous Occasion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A tremendous smile was plastered on Ivelise\u2019s face upon seeing who was at her door. The cameramen caught every second of it \u2013 from the first smile to the hug that these two women shared. Linda prepared a bouquet of flowers to give to Ivelise for her effort\u2019s in making a stranger\u2019s day a whole lot better. After talking for a bit, Ivelise learned just how special that snow globe actually was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

24. Just in Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Turns out the snow globes had quite a bit of history. It wasn\u2019t just about the money spent on getting a custom-made snow globe with inscriptions (which can cost quite a lot), but the snow globes had to reach their destination at a specific time. Katie, Linda\u2019s granddaughter, was having a birthday soon, and these snow globes were what her grandparents were planning on giving to her. Due to the hard work of countless internet users, the young lady\u2019s special day could become a whole lot more special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

25. Thankful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Linda thanked Ivelise with all her heart for returning the specially made snow globes, but she wasn\u2019t the only one who wanted to extend their thanks. Michael, Katie\u2019s father who was forced to toss the snow globes in the trash can in the first place, wanted to thank Ivelise directly. Linda pulled her cell out and dialed a number while Ivelise stood right by her side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

26. Speaking to Michael<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On the other side of the line was the man whose devastation sparked this heartwarming story. Michael, Linda\u2019s son and Katie\u2019s father, could not say thanks enough to the woman who saved the snow globes. Apparently, on the day Ivelise had seen Michael at the airport, he was returning to Ohio after visiting his parents in Florida. He was supposed to take the snow globes with him back to Ohio until the TSA had put a stop to his plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

27. Meaningful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The inscription on the snow globe read a date (1\/25\/16) which, Ivelise soon learned, wasn\u2019t Katie\u2019s birthday. No, instead, this was the very special day that Michael and his wife had adopted her. It was the day Michael\u2019s family became whole. Linda and her husband had made the snow globe to let their adopted granddaughter know that blood is not important \u2013 it\u2019s the love that matters most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

28. Mailing the Snow Globe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ivelise\u2019s story one that has warmed the hearts of millions of close followers and readers across the country. However, she never let her five minutes of fame get to her head; she\u2019s been pretty chill about the whole ordeal since day one. She hoped that one day, if the same were to happen to her, somebody would go beyond their line of duty to reach out. Linda promised to be more careful of where she put the snow globe (luggage, not carry-on).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

29. A Lovely Ending<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After everything had settled down, Ivelise went straight to Facebook to let the masses know how things wrapped up. As you could have guessed, the internet was thrilled about reuniting the snow globe with their owner and learning just how meaningful that piece of glass actually was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

30. Moving on<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: facebook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, the story of the missing snow globe had simmered down. Life goes on, and Ivelise has been extremely busy with her day-to-day. The caring woman from Tampa is expecting a child soon. Nobody is more deserving or well-equipped to raise a family than the loving woman whose act of kindness inspired thousands of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

31. TSA Rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Source: pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The one question people have repeatedly asked is why in the world would the TSA prevent snow globes from getting onto planes? As it turns out, the TSA allows snow globes but only of a particular size (smaller than a tennis ball). Why the TSA agents wouldn\u2019t fulfill the request to store the snow globes in Lost and Found is beyond us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

32. Other TSA Regulations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Source: unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the strictest TSA rule is the no or limited liquid\nrule. You can bring a liquid onto a plane as long as it is less than 100 ml.\nSnow globes have liquid inside of them, and that is what made TSA agents stop\nMichael from taking it with him onto the plane. On the TSA\u2019s long list of unallowed\nitems includes but is not limited to tent pegs, shoe insoles, and fishing rods.\nPerhaps as technology advances, these rules will become redundant, but for the\ntime being, we\u2019re stuck with what we have.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every year, the US sees hundreds of thousands of its citizens take to the skies for trips both across the country and to foreign lands. If you\u2019re one of these people, then you already know just how stressful airport security can be. The TSA is there for our safety, but sometimes their job makes simply […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":14239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13958"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97337,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13958\/revisions\/97337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womentales.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}