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Snakes Almost On A Plane: TSA Discovers A Bag With Small Snakes In Passenger's Pants

Airport security officers in Miami found a slithering surprise last week.

ByThe Associated Press

May 4, 2024, 12:01 PM

MIAMI -- Airport security officers in Miami found a slithering surprise last week — a bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's pants.

According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.

The post included a photo of two small snakes that were found in what appeared to be a sunglasses bag.

TSA said the snakes were turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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Woman Claims Her Grafton Airbnb Was 'infested With Snakes'

GRAFTON — A woman is suing the short-term rental company Airbnb and a property owner after she says a home she rented was "infested with snakes."

Norah O'Brien rented an Airbnb in Grafton for about five days in late April and early May 2023, but the home was infested with snakes "in the floors and walls," according to the suit, filed last month in Madison County.

In addition to Airbnb, O'Brien is suing the woman from whom she rented the home on North Cedar Street, in a heavily wooded area just off the small town's main street.

The property manager of the Airbnb could not be reached, and no one answered the door of the home on Wednesday.

Neighbors told the Post-Dispatch that snakes are common in the area because of the miles of wooded land surrounding the town, as well as the nearby Mississippi River. But they said they've never heard of a snake infestation inside a home, and that most snakes in the area are small and harmless.

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An Airbnb official said the company does not comment on pending litigation but confirmed O'Brien was refunded for nights she did not stay in the home and was booked into a different rental after reporting a "snake sighting."

O'Brien suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after her stay, according to the lawsuit. The filing did not include any other details about the accusations or O'Brien's stay in Grafton.

O'Brien's lawyer, John J. Hopkins, told the Post-Dispatch the woman has photos and videos of the snake infestation. O'Brien is asking for a judgment of more than $50,000.

"The woman wasn't from this area, rented a place in the area, and it turned out to be a literal nightmare," he said.

Grafton is a small Illinois town on the Mississippi River in Jersey County with a population of about 700. It's a destination for travelers, with wineries, scenic river dining and outdoor activities.

North Cedar Street is a dead-end, gravel road just off Great River Road.

View life in St. Louis through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Edited by Jenna Jones.

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