Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap
In the days before the liquids in carry-on ban, I would bring tropical fish in plastic bags as carry-on luggage. It is still possible to do this but it is so complicated that it is not worthwhile. It involves getting the fish through security out of the water (wrapped in damp paper towels) then dechlorinating and heating some tap water after security, and re-bagging the fish with the newly prepared water.
...That... is totally not what we do in Huntsville.
The last time something of that nature happened, I carried the plastic bag around the back of the x-ray to the other side (we generally don't like animals going through the x-ray~), gave a good visual inspection to the bag's contents, ETD'd the exterior of the bag, then sent Little Susie and Fluffy on their merry way.
Damp paper towels? What the hell? As YCTTSFM said, the exemptions to the LGA prohibitions are legion.