Brett Gaffney’s grandmother intended his Christmas present to be a surprise, but it ended up causing a bit of trouble with airport security.
In a TikTok video that quickly went viral, the Los Angeles-based actor shares the amusing incident, saying, “I got stopped at the airport security, and you know what? It was because of this briefcase my grandma gave me as an early Christmas gift, and she said don’t open it until you get to California.'”
Curious about the contents, Gaffney added, “I was like, ‘What’s in the briefcase? It’s super heavy.’ Just wait until you get there, my grandma told me. I was like, ‘Grandma, I’m going to the airport; I need to know,'” he recalled saying. However, despite his commitment to not open the briefcase, the TSA agents had other plans.
‘I almost didn’t get to the airport because of this…’
“They asked me what was inside, and I said, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know,'” Gaffney recounted in the clip. “They said, ‘What do you mean? You’re bringing a briefcase, and you don’t know what’s inside?’”
The briefcase raised eyebrows on the X-ray conveyor belt, prompting security to inspect it further. An agent opened it and revealed the mystery gift – a vintage typewriter.
In jest, Gaffney quips, “Who am I, Tom Hanks? Am I going to go to the park and write a whole book with a typewriter?” He adds with humor, “I almost didn’t get into the airport because of this typewriter.”
The TikTok has surpassed 500,00 0 views
Viewers of the video, which has amassed over 500,000 views since it was posted last week, expressed their enjoyment in the comments. “The fact that you listened and didn’t open it is so innocent lmao,” commented one TikTok user. In response, Gaffney humorously replied, “I’m a man of pure trust.”
Another person remarked, “I feel like the words ‘I don’t know, it’s a surprise’ shouldn’t be uttered to TSA, let alone in one sitting.”
‘I’m becoming an old man’
Upon returning home, Gaffney kept his followers informed about his typewriter adventure, specifying that the device was an SCM Smith-Corona 250. In another video posted on Monday, he confessed, “I’ve never used one of these.” He then proceeded to make an attempt at typing on a page extracted from a journal, noting that he’ll have to purchase typewriter ribbons due to the faintness of the ink.
In a video shared on Wednesday, Gaffney reveals that he has developed a fondness for the typewriter, drawing a comparison to the allure of new toys that once tempted him to play hooky as a child. “I got this new typewriter because I’m becoming an old man,” he quipped. “And all I want to do is stay home and type on my typewriter.”
By the week’s end, Gaffney had acquired a ribbon and paper. On Thursday, he joyfully posted a video of himself typing away, captioning it with, “I didn’t think I’d use this, but here we are. It’s so calming.”