TSA Halts 'Chewbacca' Over 'Lightsaber'

The latest TSA brouhaha is more amusing than enraging: Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, was stopped last week because agents didn't like the looks of his cane ... probably because it looks like a lightsaber. The 69-year-old, 7-foot-2-inch actor tweeted about the incident, and says it's thanks to Twitter that his cane/lightsaber was eventually released to him, CNN reports.

TSA's statement on the matter: "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." Amusingly enough, TSA actually does address the issue of lightsabers on its prohibited items list: "Sadly, the technology doesn't currently exist to create a real light saber. However, you can pack a toy light saber in your carry-on or checked bag. May the force be with you." (More Peter Mayhew stories.)