Do you ever wonder why there’s that sign at the security check in with pictures of all the items you’re not allowed to take with you in your carry on? A chainsaw, sword, a bottle filled with gasoline with a little rag sticking out of it.

Then there’s the grenade. Apparently, a passenger in Phoenix tried to bring his WWII memento with him on his flight last week. TSA apparently made a huge deal out of the incident — especially after the man tried to claim that maybe someone put it in his bag while he left it unattended on the curb for a few minutes. Later he remembered that he had forgotten he had packed it himself. (TSA caught him because Phoenix resident Allison Dubois ran into the airport claiming she had a dream about an old man being beaten to death by angry overweight men trying to get information out of a passenger.)

According to the TSA, people are trying to bring their grenades on to flights all the time. So the next time a security agent ask you, “Is that a grenade in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?” you shouldn’t get as offended as you might think. Since July 2008, TSA has reported finding 21 grenades in bags.

Of course, almost all were that stupid toy grenade mounted on a complaint department board, and six were baseballs, but there were some truly explosive devices — including a Canadian law enforcement officer packing three different types of these bombs including a smoke grenade, pepper spray grenade and just the regular blow up type.

So remember, you’ve heard it from us too. Leave your grenades at home, even that one that’s just a radio.

Related posts:

1. In through the out door: Newark security scare turns up nothing
2. TSA offers up answers to security questions
3. Faux fear is back, security upgraded, lines longer
4. Dude, where’s my bag?
5. Checked bags get more expensive