TSA's tragic tale of a giant abandoned teddy bear gets a twist
UPDATE: Dec. 16, 2016, 6:56 a.m. EST — Updated with new information on TSA Instagram post.
In case 2016 hasn't shattered your soul yet, this Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Instagram post will probably do the trick.
Agents at Los Angeles International Airport took Instagram followers on a sad journey after posting a photo of an adorable, gigantic teddy bear that was abandoned by its owners because it did not meet carry-on regulations.
The account, known for addressing silly TSA-related inquiries and revealing the absurd number of banned items that are confiscated, initially shared a photo of the bear captioned with a tragic, made-up backstory because this world is out of control.
The life-sized, sorrowful teddy bear is shown slumped against a trash can, and appears to be furiously questioning his existence.
The TSA posed the question: why does this gigantic teddy bear look so sad?
We don't know TSA, please tell us.
"He was abandoned by his owners at LAX after the airline and TSA determined that he was just too big to be screened as a carry-on and taken on the plane," the saga began.
Things then took a dark turn when the administration essentially declared the bear homeless. "If you see this wayward bear strolling the streets of LA, please feel free to feed him," this post said.
Because that wasn't heartbreaking enough, in an update to the post, the TSA later revealed that the bear's "family" was given the option to take it on the plane but made the conscious decision to abandon it.
"The passenger had actually bought a ticket for the bear. After the airline and TSA decided the bear was too large, the airline offered to refund the ticket and the traveler was given the option of checking the bear as checked baggage," the account explained. Then came the blow. "The traveler opted not to check the bear and left it behind."
We repeat: the traveler opted not to check the bear and left the adorable, cuddly stuffed animal behind.
Honestly, what is the world coming to?
As reiterated in the post, it's important to check with your airline about carry-on items before traveling to avoid having to leave your belongings (and other large stuffed animals) behind.
On Thursday evening the TSA updated its Instagram post again after learning that the giant bear was a "stunt" by a popular YouTuber. "After watching a YouTube video posted by the traveler, we’ve learned that he’s a popular YouTuber and this was a stunt to see if he could get the giant bear on the plane. He even made up a backstory that the bear was a gift for his girlfriend. The bear did not belong to a child," the TSA wrote.
In a "TSA Myth Busters" blog post, Bob Burns of the TSA social media team clarified that it did not prevent a child from taking a bear on the plane, and that the bear belonged to an adult YouTuber — Jake Paul — who was making a video for his channel.
Though the bear was originally confiscated because it was too large to be screened at the security checkpoint, Burns explained the video proved the owner of the bear "wasn’t even certain the bear would make it onto the plane."
In the video, Paul the prankster can be heard telling viewers he believed he had a 50/50 chance of being able to bring "Brody" the bear on the plane, confirming that he had already bought him a ticket. "In one scene, you can watch him have a little trouble stuffing the bear in the back of a minivan. He also confesses in the video of creating a fictional back story for the bear to help him get it on the plane," Burns wrote.
In the video, entitled "TAKING 9ft TEDDY BEAR ON AN AIRPLANE (cops came,)" Paul shows reactions of those in the airport and the scheming that took place as he, the bear and his friend made their way to the security line.
After leaving "Brody Da Bear" behind, Paul included a video montage of his (very) short friendship with the bear to mourn. The video has been viewed more than 480,000 times since it was uploaded on Dec. 8.
R.I.P. Brodie.
Mashable reached out to the TSA for comment, along with YouTuber Jake Paul.
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
