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$800K in loose change left behind at airports

Posted at 10:44 PM, May 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-24 23:38:16-04

Everyone who flies has been there. Off come your shoes, belt and jacket at the the TSA checkpoint. Hands reach into pockets and quickly dump the contents into bins.

The security line can be a stressful, hectic place. It's no wonder that a lot of us forget some of that loose change we took from our pockets.

In 2015 alone, we left behind $765,759.15 at airport checkpoints, according to a recent report from the Transportation Security Administration.

So where does all that spare change go? According to federal law, the TSA keeps it and spends it "for the purpose of providing civil aviation security." All that money collected in 2015 will be spent this year to support the TSA Pre-check program.

The airport where we left behind the most money is LAX in Los Angeles, where harried travelers forgot $55,086.39 last year.

Is any of your cash now in TSA coffers? If you flew out of Miami International Airport last year, yours might be part of the second biggest chunk of change: $50,955.58

Fliers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int'l Airport parted with $15,565.43. Travelers at Palm Beach International Airport kept a better eye on their change. Only $2,281.22 was left behind in 2015.

Orlando International Airport fliers parted with $22,938.25.

To view the full report and see a full list of airports and amounts of unclaimed money, click here.