Don't put empty magazines in your carry on...

[waynegs]

Flew from Texas to Florida a few weeks ago using my old range bag as a carry-on. When back at home cleaning it out, I found two empty shells (9mm and 22) in the bag. Surprised that did not set anything off.

[Piney]

--snip So, he's in LONDON with his pistol.

--snip

He should be thankful he didnt have an excessively long steak knife in there !

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4581871.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[fulano]

What so crazy thre are tons of items on the prohibition list. Last flight, i saw a red sign for Ax on one of the overhead cabinet back to the end of the airplane. It wouuld be really crazy if reAL ax is stored there!

No axes!! Ah, man...how are you expected to chop your way out if the plane ditches and the doors don't work?
The world has gone crazy

[TLE2]

I think I've said before, but I picked up my x-ray tub from the line one time recently, and realized that I had my pocket knife. Not hidden, just sitting out in plain sight on the tub.

I stuck it in my pocket and flew home. I like that knife, so I'm glad I didn't lose it.

[Bennies]

My buddy realized in his hotel room he had made it through the security check point with a fully loaded mag for his Glock. Security theater at its finest. Ohh and yes there are axes on the aircraft. That is are # 1 gripe as pilots. Why in the world are we subjected to security when we have access to the controls and have access to an ax. Kinda dumb but whatever.

there is a story floating around that a Northwest Pilot was hassled by TSA going to work one morning. I think they took his nail clippers or something similar. Supposedly he went to the plane and grabbed the crash ax and took it back to TSA to show them how ridiculous their policies are. As the story goes they pretty much freaked out and he was fired. I don't know if its urban legend or not but I would love to do that.

[GhostTX]

Got my nasty-gram...

Dear XXXX:
On or about XX/XX/XXXX, X:XX:XX PM, while you were at Dallas/Fort Worth International, you presented
yourself and your accessible property for inspection. During the screening process a prohibited item (5
empty firearm magazines) was discovered. Your possession of this item violates 1540.111(a)(1) of the
Transportation Security Regulations.
Items such as these are not allowed on board an aircraft or in the sterile area of the airport without
authorization. Bringing prohibited items to the security screening checkpoint, even accidentally, lengthens
the security screening process, violates federal regulations and may, in serious or repeat cases, result in
monetary penalties and/or criminal prosecution. A list of permitted and prohibited items is available at
http://www.tsa.gov" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
At this time the Transportation Security Administration has determined that this Warning Notice
adequately addresses this incident. No further action is required on your part. We appreciate your future
compliance with all security measures.
Please note that this warning notice issued by TSA is separate from any other federal, state or local
criminal proceeding that may have been brought against you. Resolution of this matter with TSA
will not resolve any such criminal proceeding.
If you have questions or comments about this letter, please write to us via email at NOV.APO@dhs.gov'
However, if you are unable to contact TSA through this method you may also write to this office at the
below address:
DHS/TSA
NOV Program Office (TSA-801)
601 S. 126 Street
Arlington, VA 20598-680 I
Sincerely,
T. Sanchez
Deputy Assistant General Manager - Aviation Inspection & Program Oversight
Office of Security Operations - Compliance Programs
Department of Homeland Security/TSA

Oh, and they didn't even get my name right.

[Beiruty]

I would suggest writing to your Senators and your US congressman and complain.

[Purplehood]

I would suggest writing to your Senators and your US congressman and complain.

Why?

[tbrown]

I would suggest writing to your Senators and your US congressman and complain.

Why?

GhostTX had mags in his carry on bag. TSA found them, wrote down some information and made him check his bag. He didn't get strip searched. He didn't miss his flight. Now they sent him a warning letter saying they're not taking any further action. Should he complain that he wasn't fined? Or that he wasn't detained or arrested?

[jdn181]

Back in 2009 I was flying back from St. Louis to Houston over Christmas vacation. (Sidebar) After the vietnam war ended my dad came home with an SKS his retrieved from an viet cong cache and held onto since way before I was born. I've known he's had it for the longest time but he never fired it. Well, over the holiday my dad asked if I wanted it since I was getting pretty heavy into firearms. I gladly accepted! Now, being a responsible gun owner I removed he bolt and firing pin from the SKS and then shipped the rest via UPS to my house. I tossed the bolt into my toiletries bag to take with me - reasoning that if the gun was lost/stolen in transit a person couldn't fire the gun without having to replace those components. I didn't realize that gun "parts" weren't allowed on the plan because really, who's going to sneak on enough parts to assemble an SKS on a plane!

Regardless, something on the 30-yr old bolt set off the red alarams at the scanners an was promptly read the riot act by the attending TSA tool. Took my contact info and then let me check my bag with the bolt in it. Fast forward a few months and I get a nice nasty-gram from the TSA saying the exact same thing as the one posted above - basically "knock it off", "issue resolved and no further action required".

Another story, I was coming home from being offshore and catching a flight out of Mobile, AL back in 2010. At this point I had my CHL. It seemsas that I was flagged for a random "special" screening...scan everything followed by swabbing for explosives of everything you plan to carry on....which was fine by me at the time since I was 45min early for my flight and the bar was _outside_ the secured area so I had treated myself to a few bottles of Ying Ling beer. Let me tell you that the TSA "special" service is a lot more tolerable when you're three sheets to the wind!

Lastly, at a previous job some of my coworkers were telling me about the harrasing they'd do to their colleagues before they boarded a plane. Keep in mind that this was waaaaaaay before 9/11. One thing in particular they would do is make a cutout of a gun from a peice of sheetmetal, put it in a sealed manila envelope, and then hide it in the poor sap's briefcase. Poor guy's bag enters the X-Ray machine, hilarity ensues. (Sigh) The good old days LOL!

[SlowDave]

I will just say that I heard from a friend that this area of CHL is no laughing matter. There are many cases each year of people accidentally bringing their loaded guns through security. This is a felony and can really screw up your life in a big way! It would be great if we could get some action taken to reduce the penalty of this offense in cases when it is completely obvious that there was no criminal intent. The bulk of these cases are just as have been described here, except instead of a loaded magazine or a knife, someone made the same mistake with a firearm, as the London traveler described here. You will absolutely miss your flight, be handcuffed in front of the world, and go to jail. You will then learn about bonds, lawyers, court dates, hearings, and the likelihood of losing your job.

Do a google search and check it out. There was a report of something over 100 of these occurences in a 4 year period at the Austin airport. That's like twice/month. It is not nearly as rare as you probably think. It can happen to you. In some venues, the District Attorney is reasonable and will dismiss these cases if there is no prior criminal record and clearly no intent to harm. In others, not so much. My friend was treated like a common criminal, even put in leg chains at the detention facility, where he was held for 12 hours in the felon cell before being released. Not a good day! And this was without any extranneous facts, no prior criminal record whatsoever, and when the event was very clearly a mistake to everyone involved. The friend cooperated fully and was completely contrite, apologetic, and respectful to everyone he came into contact with that day.

[mkosmo]

I am wondering if your personal info so carefully written down will be showing up on the terror watch list.

I'm wondering if I'll get a nasty-gram from them.

Flight back was no issue. 'Course, it's the government, so I'll be added to the terror watch list in about 10-12 years.

In November (I think it was), I was sent to Wichita for business... I accidentally tried to bring a loaded magazine through the checkpoint (forgot it was in my bag). Never received a nastygram, but I was warned one might come. Too bad I didn't take my ammo back -- had I known my flight would be so delayed, I would have.

[RHenriksen]

Happily, the current Harris County D.A. is one of those who declines to prosecute such 'oops' incidents at airport security here in Houston.