Toothbrush shuts down world's busiest airport

A passenger's electric toothbrush is being blamed for a security alert that wreaked havoc at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta -- considered the busiest airport in the world -- for nearly an hour today.

A terminal at the airport and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail service were shut down for more than half an hour when something began vibrating in a passenger's suitcase, according to a story in the Journal-Constitution.

Uncertain what was causing the noise, airport workers alerted security officers, who closed down a terminal and suspended MARTA service to and from the airport for more than 30 minutes.

When officials determined the cause of the noise was an electric toothbrush that had inadvertently been turned on, the terminal was reopened and rail service resumed.

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