Gen Z has come under fire for its “ridiculous” new trend of taking aesthetically pleasing photos of its TSA security tray.
The trend involves organizing and laying out a TSA tray before taking an overhead photo of your neatly arranged belongings before they pass through the X-ray detector.
Piper Taich, a graphic designer and TikTok influencer, sparked the trend after posting snapshots of her own accurately rendered TSA trays.
The photos include the arrangement of items such as sunglasses, handbags, shoes, cameras and jewelry.
Piper Taich, 25, is a graphic designer and TikTok influencer who assembles TSA-esque trays for photoshoots in her Chicago home.
Commentators suggested that travelers who want to participate in the trend wait until after going through TSA security to set up and take photos of the trays.
While the trend is upsetting many users on TikTok, it’s also becoming a trend at airports as people try to take their own photos and passengers queuing behind them aren’t too happy.
One commenter said: “I work at LAX and this is annoying. We’re just trying to get to work and you’re in our way lol.”
Another said: “Girl, this is already stressful enough, why?”
“Get out of the way,” writes another.
Some TikTok creators have responded online by making it clear that the photos they posted were taken at home, with a TSA-like tray purchased and set up as if they were at an airport.
Taich, 25, does exactly that: He prints out a fake airline ticket and sets up a “TSA” cosmetic tray for a photo shoot. He said he purchased the tray and set it up at his home in Chicago, according to the website. The New York Times.
After receiving some negative comments calling the trend “pointless,” she responded by saying, “The point is, it’s fun and it’s art. I didn’t make this concept up, I’ve seen it everywhere, but it’s a really fun way to express my love for fashion and art direction.”
However, the trend was designed to look so much like TSA security that people started recreating it at real airports.
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“The point is that it’s fun and it’s art. I didn’t invent this concept, I’ve seen it everywhere, but it’s a really fun way to express my love for fashion and artistic direction,” Taich said.
Taich shares with his followers his step-by-step tutorials to achieve the perfect aesthetic of TSA containers
Hitha Palepu, author of How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, told the The New York Times Palepu called this trend one of her “biggest pet peeves.” She said the trend is inconsiderate to fellow travelers and TSA staff, stressful and just “gross.”
Commenters expressed concern that TSA security would never give people time to do this anyway and feared they would be yelled at.
Other influencers and users suggested waiting until after going through TSA security before setting up trays and taking photos.
One commenter shared their stressful experiences of going through security without following this trend, saying, “TSA agents in Newark made me cry because I couldn’t empty my bin fast enough.”
Another said: “The TSA would actually beat everything in my bin for trying this. LOL.”
However, a TSA spokesman said Next star:As long as the glamorous photos prepared do not cause delays or problems with other passengers at the checkpoint, there is no problem.
“Travelers should be careful to store their IDs, passports and any light items on top that could be swept out of the bins when entering the machines,” he added.