TSA: Screeners find 4-5 guns on a typical day

[alp227]

Federal airport screeners still find four to five guns at checkpoints on a typical day, the Transportation Security Administration's chief told a Senate hearing Wednesday.

"Yesterday we found six, including one at ... Bradley (airport in Connecticut) -- a loaded gun with seven rounds in it, in a checked bag that (a passenger) was trying to get through," Administrator John Pistole said.

Passengers typically say they forgot the weapon was in their bag, TSA officials said. But in one recent case, a passenger at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport tried to board a plane with two pistols, three ammunition magazines, eight knives and a hand saw in a carry-on bag, the TSA said. That passenger was arrested by local law enforcement.

More than 900 guns have been recovered at checkpoints this year, the TSA says.

full: http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/02/travel/screeners-guns/index.html

[MADem]

1. Is Lou Dobbs' wife doing that much travelling? NT

[Euromutt]

2. I'll admit I'm surprised, on multiple counts

But then, I have a dedicated range bag for transporting handguns and ammunition (and various related items like eye and hearing protection) to the range and back; I don't transport guns in bags I'd use as carry-on luggage.

But what really surprises me is someone thinking he could smuggle two handguns and eight knives past security. I know TSA staff aren't typically the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they're going to catch that.

[oneshooter]

3. What the article fails to mention is that all that tried were arrested and

face Federal charges. Or are supposed to be charged. Several hundred people fail the NCIS check monthly, a federal crime, and are NOT arrested and charged.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[Logical]

8. They need to be punished somehow. But for mistakes a felony is too much.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

4. Are these including declared guns in checked baggage? n/t

[Euromutt]

7. Presumably not

Though it does seem to include undeclared guns in checked baggage.

[rrneck]

5. The population of a large city is in the air as any given moment.

The average flight is probably only a few hours. That's a lot of opportunities for stupid.

Use a range bag and stay out of jail. The feds just don't have any sense of humor about that shit.

[petronius]

9. I like that - a whole city in the air at one time - very evocative

Now I see where James Blish got the idea... :)

</mildly tipsy sci-fi nerd>

[rrneck]

10. I read

And All the Stars a Stage about thirty years ago and hadn't thought about it at all since until this afternoon when I recalled one of the characters out of nowhere (the guy with the familiar in his shirt). It's the only book I've ever read by Blish and you mention him on the same day.

Trippy.

[ileus]

6. There's money to be made here....

Set up a small kiosk in the airport with lead glass and have a cheap fluoro machine set up. Advertise that you'll scan peoples luggage pre-flight for unseen/forgotten objects to help them avoid those nasty handcuffs and hours in a lonely room waiting to be questioned.

You could catch guns, needles, knives, ammo, anything forgotten and even offer a shipping service for items found.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. OMG one wonders how we survived pre-11!!!

All these nefarious badasses, trying to ... go from point a to b?


Can't really say as I understand how a person can 'forget' they have a gun on them. I guess it happens? And it doesn't matter because they prosecute anyway.