Fun with the TSA

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
23

[quote]BH6 wrote:
I was flying commercial on my way back to california from Iraq. Our military flight came into the states and we were shuttled to a civilian airport. At the airport, after checking in my bags, rifle, pistol, and magazines for both, I got tagged for extra attention because I had a one-way ticket that was bought that morning (by the government). They swabbed my back pack at the checkpoint and it tested positive for explosives. I told the TSA guy “I would expect it would test positive, I had grenades it in three days ago”. After about 30 minutes and a review of my orders, two searches of my carry on and a conversation with the supervisor I was allowed to go on about my day. I was wearing my cammies, so it was kind of obvious that I was a Marine. The supervisor suggested that I should clean my gear better. What a great welcome home. [/quote]

He was right. I mean you must have a ton of these over there.

I imagine the supervisor is highly trained in explosives an knew you just hadn’t take the proper care of your gear.

24

[quote]Mikeyali wrote:
Chushin wrote:
Mikeyali wrote:
Mine threatened to falsify a report so as to get me arrested for a felony. Nice guy…

mike

I’d be interested in the whole story, Mike, if you’re willing.

It’s not terribly exciting, but here’s the scoop:

I got kidnapped the day before my wedding for my bachelor party. On the way out I yell out to my wife to make sure she brings my backpack. I needed it for my carryon when we went on our honeymoon. She forgot it and had a friend get it. It had a full Beretta mag in a hidden pocket.

Anyshit I get married and we are going through the checkpoint at the airport when a TSA agent pulls me off to the side. My wife says, “You don’t have to be so rude!” so the TSA agent says, “Well then you can come along too!”

So he starts giving me the third degree asking me if I knew why I got pulled out of line which I honestly didn’t. I didn’t know I had the mag in there.

He finally tells me and I chuckle. I didn’t think it was a big deal but he is being deadly serious.

“Why do you have a clip?” (fucktard called the mag a clip)

“Because I have a gun.”

My wife recognized this as being more serious than I was taking it and tried to cut in and clarify things. He looked at her and said, “The best thing you can do is to shut your mouth. I can make this situation much worse than it is.”

At this point I started to get angry with him talking to my wife like that. But I stayed cool and didn’t curse him out or anything. He kept asking me stupid questions which I suppose now I shouldn’t have answered without a lawyer present.

I told him that this was all an accident and that I didn’t know I had the mag but that I didn’t think it was a big deal. At this time he told the lady at the checkpoint to shut down the entire checkpoint. I assume we was just making a scene and pressuring me. I had this done to me by the local police at a grocery store once over me legally OC’ing.

“Not serious? How would you feel if you knew the person next to you was carrying a deadly weapon?!”

At which point my wife interjected, “Deadly weapon? What’s he going to do, throw the rounds at people?!”

He told me wife to shut up. I became agitated and he turned to me and said, “I can tell this was an honest accident, but if you don’t cooperate with me I will put this in my report so as to get you charged with a felony. Do not mess with me.”

At that time I demanded his name. He put his finger over half of the numbers on his TSA badge and said, “This is all you’re going to get.”

I looked under the big badge to a smaller one under it and said, “Is that so Oscar L. Olsen?”

He obviously didn’t like this. Well another friend who was there was on a cell phone to her lawyer. My wife knew her from college republicans when we actually were Republicans. He told her to get off her phone and she refused. About this time he realized this may be trouble and said that I can ship the mag back but can’t bring it on. I said okay, and had her get a box. He then refused to release it because it had ammo in it and it’s a federal crime to ship ammo apparently.

I told him to keep the ammo. He refused to saying that it isn’t his job to handle my ammo. At this time I got pissed and did what any dumbass vet does and pulled the vet card on him. But he seemed to think his time in the air force many decades ago made him immune to it. Mind you the checkpoint has been closed for 15 minutes now and this whole encounter is at about 30 minutes. He said the only way I’m getting the mag back is if he takes me to a police station and hands it over to me in front of a cop.

I told him let’s do it even though I’d miss my flight. My wife at this time was crying and urged me into just letting it go. Being our honeymoon and all I finally told him to keep it, said, “Semper Fi asshole” and walked off.

Again, nothing exciting but it is a good example of being threatened and bullied by men in uniform.

I was later offered a job with TSA and still have one if I want it but for some reason I seem to desire to stand on principal and am turning down several jobs which would pay me well, opting instead to keep my current crap job with bad pay. Not an easy choice when you’re the sole breadwinner for the family.

mike[/quote]

I’m doing some traing in May outside Houston. I’m not looking forward to traveling with my guns and ammo. Granted, I will have checked them before passing through the TSA checkpoint, but I forsee a hassle in my future.

25

So essentially, we have two choices. We either fly, and be forced to eat TSA shit, or we drive, which takes days.

Amtrak isn’t really an option if you’re taking your guns and ammunition, because they don’t allow it.

Of course, they don’t do x-rays or body searches, either, but we’re assuming that we want to stay aboveboard.

In your case, Loose Tool, it takes approximately twenty-nine hours to drive from Manchester to Houston, assuming normal traffic on the Interstates.

Assuming your car gets about 20 miles to the gallon, you’d pay $350 for gas roundtrip, as opposed to $350 for an economy-class ticket on United, plus baggage charge, whatever it costs to park at Manchester airport, whatever it would cost to rent a car in Houston, no meal service, about two hours each way in the air, and up to three hours of bullshit on the ground at each end.

Federal law allows you to transport firearms through any state, as long as they are locked in your trunk. No state law, not even New York’s, can preempt this right.

Driving for thirty hours would be a huge pain in the ass (literally), but if I had to choose between enduring humiliation and harassment at the hands of ignorant and malicious government stooges (who might just end up confiscating my weapons), and the “inconvenience” of driving my own vehicle, I’ll take the inconvenience, thanks.

I call it “voting with your seat.”

26

[quote]Loose Tool wrote:

I’m doing some traing in May outside Houston. I’m not looking forward to traveling with my guns and ammo. Granted, I will have checked them before passing through the TSA checkpoint, but I forsee a hassle in my future.[/quote]

Actually whenever we’ve checked firearms beforehand it’s been more funny than a hassle. They always act as if you’re the first person to ever do it and never know what to do. We’ve had to actually walk the airline folks through it ourselves before.

mike

28

[quote]Mikeyali wrote:
Loose Tool wrote:

I’m doing some traing in May outside Houston. I’m not looking forward to traveling with my guns and ammo. Granted, I will have checked them before passing through the TSA checkpoint, but I forsee a hassle in my future.

Actually whenever we’ve checked firearms beforehand it’s been more funny than a hassle. They always act as if you’re the first person to ever do it and never know what to do. We’ve had to actually walk the airline folks through it ourselves before.

mike[/quote]

I’m thinking that printing out the airline’s own guidelines for the check-in agent may make the process go smoother.

From the Southwest website:

[i]Guns

* Customers are responsible for knowing and following the firearms laws of the state(s) that they will be traveling to, from, and through.

* Our Customers must declare the gun to the Customer Service Agent at the ticket counter (no firearms will be accepted curbside) and prove that the firearm(s) chambers are free of ammunition and the magazine clip has been removed (when applicable). Paintball guns and BB guns are considered the same as all other firearms.

* Paintball guns are allowed in checked baggage and are not subject to the container requirements of firearms. Customers must declare the paintball gun to the Customer Service Agent at the ticket counter. Compressed gas cylinders are allowed in checked baggage or as a carryon only if the regulator valve is completely disconnected from the cylinder and the cylinder is no longer sealed (i.e. the cylinder has an open end). TSA Security Screeners must visibly ensure that the cylinder is completely empty and that there are no prohibited items inside.

* Firearms must be encased in a hard-sided, LOCKED container that is of sufficient strength to withstand normal handling, as follows:
     1. A firearm in a hard-sided, locked container may be placed inside a soft-sided, unlocked suitcase.

     2. A firearm placed inside a hard-sided, locked suitcase does not have to be encased in a container manufactured for the transportation of firearms.

     3. Only the Customer checking the luggage should retain the key or combination to the lock. No exceptions will be made.

* Firearms may be checked and will count toward the two-piece free baggage allowance for each fare-paying passenger. We allow multiple firearms to be transported inside one hard-sided case.

* Southwest Airlines assumes no liability for the misalignment of sights on firearms, including those equipped with telescopic sights.

* Firearms are never allowed in carryon luggage.

Ammunition

* Small arms ammunition for personal use (provided it is properly packed) is permissible in checked baggage only.

* The ammunition may be placed in the same container as the firearm and must be securely packed in cardboard (fiber), wood, or metal boxes, or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.

* When checking ammunition, Customers are limited to 11 pounds gross weight (ammunition plus container) per person.

* Magazines or clips containing ammunition must be securely packaged (placed in another small box or in a secure cutout in the carrying case, in order to protect the primer of the ammunition).
* Make sure guns are unloaded and definitely never transport a gun in your carryon baggage!
* Gunpowder (black powder) and primers or percussion caps are not allowed in checked or carryon baggage.

* Loose ammunition or loose loaded magazines and/or clips are not allowed.

* Paintballs must be packaged in a leak-proof container and will be conditionally accepted.[/i]

It seems Southwest isn’t necessarily anti-gun (though their use of ‘clip’ vs 'magazine irks me), so I don’t mind giving them my dollars. The TSA, regardless of whether I fly, gets a slice of of my tax dollars. I refuse to let TSA force me into a car for 30 hours.

29

[quote]pushharder wrote:
Varqanir wrote:

…Amtrak isn’t really an option if you’re taking your guns and ammunition, because they don’t allow it…

They don’t? Uh-oh.[/quote]

Ha!

I know, I had already transported a SPAS-12 and a 1911 .45 several times between California and Minnesota on both Amtrak and Greyhound before I realized it was against regulations.