Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca, slowed by TSA for inspection of his lightsaber cane
Transportation Security Administration agents in Denver briefly stopped Star Wars franchise actor Peter Mayhew recently as he was boarding a flight with a cane shaped like the iconic weapon – lightsaber.
Airport officials say they wanted to inspect the huge walking stick before allowing Mayhew, who is more than 7 feet tall, on the plane.
Mayhew tweeted “Giant man need giant cane” from his verified Twitter account when the incident happened June 3. He also posted photos showing a TSA agent holding the replica laser sword, which comes up to his chest.
“Because of the unusual weight of the passenger’s cane, a security officer alerted a supervisor. Less than five minutes later the passenger and cane were cleared to travel. Social media played no role in the determination,” the TSA said in a brief statement released to The Associated Press on Saturday.
Many subsequent media reports made it seem as though security officials buckled to pressure from Chewie’s fans and social media, hence the comment in the TSA statement.
