McKnife wrote:jimlongley wrote:McKnife wrote:Well, I locked the shotgun and wrapped the shells in brown paper bags and placed everything in a locked padded rifle case ready for check-in. - After checking the case, a nosey TSA agent saw me and DEMANDED a thorough inspection of my case and equipment.
Soooooooo... I unlocked the case and he searched everything except the actual shotgun...
You were in violation of the very specific rule requiring the ammo to be securely packed in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging that is specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. The TSA agent was right, not nosey, and doing his job, and you were in the wrong and just lucky to get away with it.
Come on to my presentation Saturday in Mesquite and I can explain it in detail.
Right... a few things I forgot to mention was that I had all rules printed out. I called Southwest Airlines and had express permission/approval to bring the bandoleer of shells on the flight, backed up with names and badge numbers. When producing that information during the search, the cocky agents said "you didn't get TSA's permission." This was true. I thought airline approval would suffice. TSA controls everything up to security checkpoint... anything past that is all airlines.
I've flown about 6 more times with firearms since then and all have been pleasent. So, IMO the TSA agents in odessa are still nosey and unprofessional with their search and questioning.
Without trying to get into an arguement, I still dispute your description of the way you packaged the shells. You have it backwards, the airlines may control up to the checkpoint but TSA controls what goes past the checkpoint, and "loose ammunition" which is defined as noted before, does not go.
If Southwest told you that a bandoleer was OK, that's all fine and dandy, but Southwest doesn't make that determination, TSA does, and a bandoleer does not cover the primers, which means that TSA is not going to let it fly. In my presentation, and here, I will tell you that the first rule of flying with guns is to know ALL of the rules, and to print out not only the airlines' rules, but TSA's.
And "wrapped the shells in brown paper bags" whether they were in bandoliers or not (which you did not specify) does not meet the packaging requirements.
In defense of an agency that I did not particularly enjoy working for, it is TSA's job to be nosey, and to search and question without regard for your judgement. If you feel they were unprofessional, then file a complaint with the FSD, includign badge numbers of all of the TSA agents involved.
Since I left TSA I have flown out of Midland/Odessa several times, with guns, and have never had a problem.
