TSA and my checked firearms in St. Louis

[acdodd]

Flew thru LAX this New Years, TSA hassled me for carrying a butane lighter on me. Not torch, regular flint-ignition, butane lighter.

They had to confer with the circle of TSA people chatting. When I told them it was only a butane lighter, one guys eyes got wide and he said "that's not allowed!"

Finally one of them had the senses to hand it back and let me go on my way.

For me, firearms is easier as they have very strict training on handling procedures.
__________________

Last I knew lighters of any type are banned.
Especially butane lighters even in checked bags.
TSA use to have a red bucket by every scanner and they usually had a lot of lighters in them.
Obviously if someone gave it back they will be fired for having common sense.
Common sense is verboten in the TSA.

 

[Clipper]

I won't fly until legal CC on board is approved...So I can relax. I hate dealing with idiots anyway...

Last I knew lighters of any type are banned.
Especially butane lighters even in checked bags.
TSA use to have a red bucket by every scanner and they usually had a lot of lighters in them.
Obviously if someone gave it back they will be fired for having common sense.
Common sense is verboten in the TSA.

I beg to differ. The thing about butane lighters is the fact they're pressurized. When lit on a plane, they can sometimes flare up like a blowtorch. Besides, we don't want any back-up source of ignition for the next diaper bomber, do we?

 

[Guns and more]

Last I knew lighters of any type are banned.
Especially butane lighters even in checked bags.
TSA use to have a red bucket by every scanner and they usually had a lot of lighters in them.

Wrong.
I went two years without buying a lighter. I just picked them up from the ashtray.
People thought they were banned and they left them for me. They were for a bit, after the shoe bomber.
Here's how my TSA conversation went:
Me: You banned lighters?
TSA: Yes.
Me: Because of the shoe bomber?
TSA: Yes.
Me: so he used a lighter?
TSA: No, he used matches.
Me: So you banned matches?
TSA: NO..........................we can't find matches.
Me: So why didn't you ban, oh, feather boa's or anvils, it would make the same sense?
TSA: Have a nice day, sir. Move along.

Shortly after lighters were allowed. (two, not three, go figure)
Actually, I don't take mine out of my pocket, it doesn't set off the metal detector.

 

[dec41971]

Generally hardsided locaked case refers to the special gun cases like the ones you can purchase at the range. Your bag would not apply because it is not hardsided or a case.

Here is my story. Guy going to the range with two firearms in a bulldog range bag. Guns have the locked safety cable through the bores, no magazines. Magazines and ammo stored separately. Dude gets pulled over. Officer asks if there are any weapons in the car. Dude complies and replies yes. Office demands to inspect. Opens bag, takes out firearms inspects etc asks where the magazines are, and is shown the separately stored unloaded magazines and ammo. Office goes back to the car and is on the radio oh, at least 10 minutes.

Officer returns and says,"well, I'll let this slip, but you shopuld have put those two pistols in a pistol case, one each. But seeing as to the fact you went to the trouble of locking them with a gun lock and separating even the magazines, I am going to just assume it didn't happen. Next time please follow the rules and you wont get in trouble. I know its easier the way you have it now, but I only enforce the law not make it, and this is still not what the law actually says, so be careful, another officer might not be so kind and cite you for an infraction." Point taken sir, and thank you! And off goes the Dude to his range session.

This is not hypothetical situation, it happened. The guns were secured as per the intent of the law, but still the dude found himself in a bit of a pickle. Luckily there are reasonable officers out there who do not act like automatons, otherwise who knows? Better follow the law to the T even if it makes no sense, and leave nothing to interpretation.

 

[dec41971]

Wrong.
I went two years without buying a lighter. I just picked them up from the ashtray.
People thought they were banned and they left them for me. They were for a bit, after the shoe bomber.
Here's how my TSA conversation went:
Me: You banned lighters?
TSA: Yes.
Me: Because of the shoe bomber?
TSA: Yes.
Me: so he used a lighter?
TSA: No, he used matches.
Me: So you banned matches?
TSA: NO..........................we can't find matches.
Me: So why didn't you ban, oh, feather boa's or anvils, it would make the same sense?
TSA: Have a nice day, sir. Move along.

Shortly after lighters were allowed. (two, not three, go figure)
Actually, I don't take mine out of my pocket, it doesn't set off the metal detector.

Wait until the x-ray machines that see through your clothes get here. You just might have to start swallowing your lighters.

 

[Oyeboten]

They want the gun to be locked in a box, inside the check-in Luggage itself.


The Luggage itself when locking/locked, is not what they had in mind for a 'locked box'.

 

[divemedic]

But due to forum rules I can't tell you about the time I accidentally ended up inside an airport and on the other side of security and realized I had a loaded handgun in my possession.

I once flew from Orlando to Atlanta, changed planes in Atlanta, and flew on to Memphis with a handgun in my bag. I had for gotten that it was in my bag until I put my bag in the overhead compartment. I felt sick, I just knew I was gonna get caught when I changed planes in Atlanta.

This was no small handgun, either- it was a full sized 9mm. To this day, I don't know how they missed it on the bag scanner.

 

[cambeul41]

They want the gun to be locked in a box, inside the check-in Luggage itself.

The Luggage itself when locking/locked, is not what they had in mind for a 'locked box'.

I am sure you are correct; but, if what they have in mind is not clearly stated, we shouldn't be held responsible for guessing.

Often, when someone says, "You know what I mean," I find it necessary to respond "No,I really don't."

 

[Al LaVodka]

Went to Alaska from a big, very gun-unfriendly city national airport. The integral trigger-locked, additional external trigger locked .44 Mag was in a key-locked steel pistol box cable-locked to the internal frame of a relatively soft-sided suitcase. The agent had no problem but had to call the police.

They came over and took my license, gun permit, every other bit of I.D., read me the riot act, yelled, tried to intimidate me, asked me all sorts of questions, aksed what the laws were where I was going... Then asked me about ammo. Per the rules I explained it was in another case I checked in that had already gone. "OMG!" the stupid cop yelled. Do you know what that's gonna do -- what's gonna happen?! Eventually a TSA senior officer who'd been standing by to put my pistol thru came over. The cop explained there was an emergency -- that ten rounds of .44 Mag had been passed thru in a suitcase. The TSA officer quietly said "I know, we saw it. What's your problem?" I was in Fairbanks for Midnight Baseball.

Trains in Alaska, coming home thru big city FROM Alaska, no more problems...

Al