I was coming back from the GA state IDPA match and went to the airport in Augusta. My works for CAL so we were pass riding and going through Houston (IAH) was a breeze.
I delcared my guns (2 Kimber Classic Customs), signed the tags, showed the ticket agent, etc... She stated she needed to take it over and have TSA x-ray (IIRC) and search the bag. I unlocked my bag and handed to them aross the velvet rope thing. He asked if I had keys to my lock box as he wanted to visually inspect my guns. :?
I gave him the keys and he opened the box and pulled both of my unloaded guns out and tryed to open the action. In the process of flagging everyone in a 360 degree circle with the muzzle, he realized that he had to do something besides pull back on the slide. He called over another guy and a female. He asked if they knew anything about "this type of gun." I was trying to tell them how to take the thumb safety off, but after trying to ignore me, he finally said, "Sir, you need to be quiet."
In the mean time the ticket agent had come over and was telling them it was unloaded and she had checked it and there was no need for them to physically pull the gun out of the lock box. They told her they needed to look at the gun themselves.
I told them if they gave me the gun I could clear it for them. I was told by the first guy, that I could not have my gun back, that would be a breach of security. I wanted to tell him if I was going to shoot someone in the airport, I would not have declared my unloaded and locked guns. I also wanted to know why I could not have my gun back. I was not in a secured area and I was able to carry my gun leagally in that part of the airport, as GA allowed out-of-state LEO's to carry. I told him, "Don't worry, I'm a cop, I'll show you how to do it." I showed him my badge and ID. He told me that he did not care if I was a cop, this was federal jurisdiction, and he didn't care, I wasn't going to touch my guns. :?
They finally called an older guy over who was a veteran of the military and he showed them the way to take off the thumb safety, and he walked off. The first guy checked both of them and then looked for a way to lower the hammer without pulling the trigger.
Here we go again. He finally gave up and just left them cocked, like they were originally, but did not reactivate the thumb safety.He locked everything up and processed my bag. He looked at me and asked, "Why would you want to have such a complicated gun?" I ignored him and walked off.
Not a comment on all TSA screeners, just one that had a problem. I can understand not painting a group of security/LE type people with the same brush. They jobs with silly rules/policies/etc...that we have to do.
As a side I had to chuckle there in MT when I asked the guy, "What is the reason that I can't have rounds in my mag?" He said, "No reason." Then quickly said in the same breath, "No reason has been given."
Glenn
