Stewardess, hold that gate….and keep the change!!!  In our haste to catch that plane airline passengers are leaving a fortune behind at airport security checkpoints and the Transportation Security Administration gets to keep every dime.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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And it’s a lot of dimes!  In 2010, the loose change added up to $409,085.56 in dollar coins, quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies and foreign currency. Passengers at John F. Kennedy International Airport left the most change $46,918.06 followed by L.A. International, where the TSA added $19,100.83 to their coffers.

In 2005, Congress gave the agency the authority to spend the left behind money on security operations, but Republican Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida is proposing a bill that would give the windfall to the United Service Organizations. The money would be used for welcome centers for the U.S. military personnel. "Legislation, like this just makes sense," says Tennessee Rep. Diane Black.

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