Airline passengers leave hundreds of thousands in coins at TSA checkpoints

Jan. 17--Airline passengers are leaving behind more than $400,000 in coins at TSA checkpoints -- but in Sacramento it's chump change compared to other airports.

Passengers emptied their pockets in plastic bins across the nation in 2010 and didn't collect their quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies after departing the checkpoints to the tune of $409,085.56.

That money was deposited in the U.S. Treasury and used for Transportation Security Administration operations, according to TSA spokesman Nico Melendez.

Here's the totals for four large airports:

-- Los Angeles, $19,110.83

-- John F. Kennedy, $46,918.06

-- Miami, $15,844.83

-- San Francisco, $15,908.02

At Sacramento International Airport, where there are fewer passengers going through checkpoints than the above-listed airports, the change abandoned by passengers was considerably less: $1,922.39.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.

Copyright 2012 - The Sacramento Bee, Calif.