I transport handguns in checked luggages frequently. It is not the TSA's responsibility to discover, identify, or remove handguns from checked luggage.

In this instance the passenger didn't complete the proper paperwork to transport the handgun, and was apparently too stupid to remember it was in his bag, but the TSA was not required to x-ray the bag.

feckingmorons: I transport handguns in checked luggages frequently. It is not the TSA's responsibility to discover, identify, or remove handguns from checked luggage.

In this instance the passenger didn't complete the proper paperwork to transport the handgun, and was apparently too stupid to remember it was in his bag, but the TSA was not required to x-ray the bag.

This. Firearms in checked baggage aren't a threat to anyone on the plane as long as they're secured properly.
The owner in TFA is a bonehead.

I thought you were supposed to put your loaded weapons in your checked luggage.

feckingmorons: I transport handguns in checked luggages frequently. It is not the TSA's responsibility to discover, identify, or remove handguns from checked luggage.

In this instance the passenger didn't complete the proper paperwork to transport the handgun, and was apparently too stupid to remember it was in his bag, but the TSA was not required to x-ray the bag.

He was also too stupid to unload it

I'm the last person to defend the TSA, but it's not their job to make sure you declare handguns at the airline check-in counter, nor is it their job to screen checked bags.

/loaded in handgun in the People's Republic of California
//surprised he wasn't arrested

The God damned TSA got my drink order wrong at the airport bar once. BASTARDS!

Never you preview your headline before submitting, subby

It may not be TSA's "responsibility" to discover stuff in checked luggage--since they don't screen your bags if you don't carry them on the plane--however, their attitude seems a wee bit disingenuous to me.

Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the TSA, said that while the agency screens carry-on luggage for firearms, it is not the TSA's responsibility to screen checked baggage for guns. The agency only screens checked baggage for explosives, she said.

So we found out last week (week before? such minutiae escapes me) they don't bother looking too hard for drugs. Now we learn they don't seem to care about firearms. That's "someone else's responsibility." I mean, that's nice, but isn't the whole point to make sure TERRORISTS DON'T GET SHIAT ON THE PLANE? Because if an agency's response to a lapse is to piously rinse off their hands and dry briskly and say Sorry, not my job, then it may be time to replace that agency (certainly their personnel) with someone willing to accept the responsibility for SAFETY, not just "doing their job."

Now, we don't know all the facts, but it raises this not-unrealistic scenario: Bag goes through x-ray machine. Screener sees gun. Bag does not have tag that says there's a weapon inside. Screener thinks "Hm, that shouldn't be there--oh, well, someone else will catch it," and sends bag along. Or: Bag goes past screener, screener sees oddly wrapped metal package. Scans for explosives residue, nothing there. "Oh, well, someone else will find out what that is." Either the bags are screened for CONTRABAND or they are not screened; there shouldn't be three or four agencies trying each to find something bad in every single bag. Same is true for the carry-on luggage.

I know that is way too common-sensical for a Federal agency, but I'm feeling irritable tonight.

SN1987a goes boom: The more distressing part of this story iss how it "tumbled" out of the passenger's bag when ground crew were handling it. I wonder how many other things "tumble out" of bags.

More to the point, that's probably the only way they would have discovered it.

Gyrfalcon: It may not be TSA's "responsibility" to discover stuff in checked luggage--since they don't screen your bags if you don't carry them on the plane--however, their attitude seems a wee bit disingenuous to me.

Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the TSA, said that while the agency screens carry-on luggage for firearms, it is not the TSA's responsibility to screen checked baggage for guns. The agency only screens checked baggage for explosives, she said.

So we found out last week (week before? such minutiae escapes me) they don't bother looking too hard for drugs. Now we learn they don't seem to care about firearms. That's "someone else's responsibility." I mean, that's nice, but isn't the whole point to make sure TERRORISTS DON'T GET SHIAT ON THE PLANE? Because if an agency's response to a lapse is to piously rinse off their hands and dry briskly and say Sorry, not my job, then it may be time to replace that agency (certainly their personnel) with someone willing to accept the responsibility for SAFETY, not just "doing their job."

Now, we don't know all the facts, but it raises this not-unrealistic scenario: Bag goes through x-ray machine. Screener sees gun. Bag does not have tag that says there's a weapon inside. Screener thinks "Hm, that shouldn't be there--oh, well, someone else will catch it," and sends bag along. Or: Bag goes past screener, screener sees oddly wrapped metal package. Scans for explosives residue, nothing there. "Oh, well, someone else will find out what that is." Either the bags are screened for CONTRABAND or they are not screened; there shouldn't be three or four agencies trying each to find something bad in every single bag. Same is true for the carry-on luggage.

I know that is way too common-sensical for a Federal agency, but I'm feeling irritable tonight.

why do you want them searching for shiat that can't harm the plane or anyone on it, mam? wtf is your deal?

BolloxReader: Gyrfalcon: It may not be TSA's "responsibility" to discover stuff in checked luggage--since they don't screen your bags if you don't carry them on the plane--however, their attitude seems a wee bit disingenuous to me.

Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the TSA, said that while the agency screens carry-on luggage for firearms, it is not the TSA's responsibility to screen checked baggage for guns. The agency only screens checked baggage for explosives, she said.



You can't hijack a plane with a gun in the cargo hold. The only thing TSA is concerned with is whether it's a danger to the plane while in the air. Please, stop trying to give them even more authority than they already try to claim.

I'm trying to give them less. If they're screening checked luggage for explosives, and they seem to feel that somehow absolves them of any duty to check for anything else that they might see WHILE checking for explosives, then take ALL responsibility for checked luggage away from them and let one agency do both. My point is, I don't want anybody checking the bags who thinks their duty ends with their stated job description. "Sure, I saw the fifteen pounds of pot, the five guns, and the stack of kiddie porn, but that's not my job. My job is to check for explosives, and that's what I did."

So we need FOUR agents to check for four separate things? Not only is that insane, it's very expensive. And it means that more stuff is likely to get through the screeners. Let one agent check for explosives, guns, drugs and kiddie porn, and let the other agents mop floors if they only want one job.

Gyrfalcon: It may not be TSA's "responsibility" to discover stuff in checked luggage--since they don't screen your bags if you don't carry them on the plane--however, their attitude seems a wee bit disingenuous to me.

Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the TSA, said that while the agency screens carry-on luggage for firearms, it is not the TSA's responsibility to screen checked baggage for guns. The agency only screens checked baggage for explosives, she said.

So we found out last week (week before? such minutiae escapes me) they don't bother looking too hard for drugs. Now we learn they don't seem to care about firearms. That's "someone else's responsibility." I mean, that's nice, but isn't the whole point to make sure TERRORISTS DON'T GET SHIAT ON THE PLANE? Because if an agency's response to a lapse is to piously rinse off their hands and dry briskly and say Sorry, not my job, then it may be time to replace that agency (certainly their personnel) with someone willing to accept the responsibility for SAFETY, not just "doing their job."

Now, we don't know all the facts, but it raises this not-unrealistic scenario: Bag goes through x-ray machine. Screener sees gun. Bag does not have tag that says there's a weapon inside. Screener thinks "Hm, that shouldn't be there--oh, well, someone else will catch it," and sends bag along. Or: Bag goes past screener, screener sees oddly wrapped metal package. Scans for explosives residue, nothing there. "Oh, well, someone else will find out what that is." Either the bags are screened for CONTRABAND or they are not screened; there shouldn't be three or four agencies trying each to find something bad in every single bag. Same is true for the carry-on luggage.

I know that is way too common-sensical for a Federal agency, but I'm feeling irritable tonight.

If we make the terrorists go into an unpressurized cargo bin at 30,000 feet to try to hunt for their weapon that isn't an explosive, I'm pretty sure this problem will resolve itself in relatively short time when they become quickly hypoxic within a minute or two, then dead shortly thereafter. As long as whatever is in the cargo hold isn't explosive, oxygen generating, or otherwise hazmat, I don't care whats on the plane underneath. If a hijacker checked a weapon with the intent of hijacking or otherwise terrorizing the plane after he picks up his bags at the destination airport, I'd say his plan has more than a few problems.

Gyrfalcon: BolloxReader: Gyrfalcon: It may not be TSA's "responsibility" to discover stuff in checked luggage--since they don't screen your bags if you don't carry them on the plane--however, their attitude seems a wee bit disingenuous to me.

Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the TSA, said that while the agency screens carry-on luggage for firearms, it is not the TSA's responsibility to screen checked baggage for guns. The agency only screens checked baggage for explosives, she said.



You can't hijack a plane with a gun in the cargo hold. The only thing TSA is concerned with is whether it's a danger to the plane while in the air. Please, stop trying to give them even more authority than they already try to claim.

I'm trying to give them less. If they're screening checked luggage for explosives, and they seem to feel that somehow absolves them of any duty to check for anything else that they might see WHILE checking for explosives, then take ALL responsibility for checked luggage away from them and let one agency do both. My point is, I don't want anybody checking the bags who thinks their duty ends with their stated job description. "Sure, I saw the fifteen pounds of pot, the five guns, and the stack of kiddie porn, but that's not my job. My job is to check for explosives, and that's what I did."

So we need FOUR agents to check for four separate things? Not only is that insane, it's very expensive. And it means that more stuff is likely to get through the screeners. Let one agent check for explosives, guns, drugs and kiddie porn, and let the other agents mop floors if they only want one job.

I get it, you're a f*cking moron.

The Larch: Gyrfalcon: So we found out last week (week before? such minutiae escapes me) they don't bother looking too hard for drugs. Now we learn they don't seem to care about firearms. That's "someone else's responsibility." I mean, that's nice, but isn't the whole point to make sure TERRORISTS DON'T GET SHIAT ON THE PLANE?

Why the hell would anyone care if a terrorist managed to lock a gun in the cargo hold where nobody can access it?

Oh noes! Someone has a gun locked in the cargo hold! What will we do? Who can protect us from that inaccessible object?

Are you afraid someone is going to hijack a baggage carousel once he gets to his destination? Maybe he'll take a hostage and drive the carousel into a building?

she wants them to search for everything that is prohibited under the sun while they are at it, regardless of whether it is completely benign to the flying public. you know, for the children.

relcec: The Larch: Gyrfalcon: So we found out last week (week before? such minutiae escapes me) they don't bother looking too hard for drugs. Now we learn they don't seem to care about firearms. That's "someone else's responsibility." I mean, that's nice, but isn't the whole point to make sure TERRORISTS DON'T GET SHIAT ON THE PLANE?

Why the hell would anyone care if a terrorist managed to lock a gun in the cargo hold where nobody can access it?

Oh noes! Someone has a gun locked in the cargo hold! What will we do? Who can protect us from that inaccessible object?

Are you afraid someone is going to hijack a baggage carousel once he gets to his destination? Maybe he'll take a hostage and drive the carousel into a building?

she wants them to search for everything that is prohibited under the sun while they are at it, regardless of whether it is completely benign to the flying public. you know, for the children.

Goddamn, I always forget how stupid everyone around here is by the end of the weekend.

1. TSA was formed with the idea that we don't want bad things to get on the plane.
2. Bad things include just about everything. (According to the FAA and scaremongers)
3. TSA lady is saying "We don't look for everything, we just look for things on our list."
4. Thus, if it isn't on their list, they don't look for it.
5. There are other people looking for things not on TSA's list.
6. So why don't those other people look for the things on TSA's list,
6a. and then we can GET RID OF TSA????

My point isn't that TSA should be looking for everything, my point is that if TSA only looks for explosives, and someone else is looking for guns, then why can't that other person ALSO look for explosives, and we can shiatcan TSA?

Gyrfalcon: relcec: The Larch: Gyrfalcon: So we found out last week (week before? such minutiae escapes me) they don't bother looking too hard for drugs. Now we learn they don't seem to care about firearms. That's "someone else's responsibility." I mean, that's nice, but isn't the whole point to make sure TERRORISTS DON'T GET SHIAT ON THE PLANE?

Why the hell would anyone care if a terrorist managed to lock a gun in the cargo hold where nobody can access it?

Oh noes! Someone has a gun locked in the cargo hold! What will we do? Who can protect us from that inaccessible object?

Are you afraid someone is going to hijack a baggage carousel once he gets to his destination? Maybe he'll take a hostage and drive the carousel into a building?

she wants them to search for everything that is prohibited under the sun while they are at it, regardless of whether it is completely benign to the flying public. you know, for the children.

Goddamn, I always forget how stupid everyone around here is by the end of the weekend.

1. TSA was formed with the idea that we don't want bad things to get on the plane.


no, it was formed with the goal of protecting air travel. whether some asshole has 2 gigs of child pron in a thumbdrive in his bag, doritos, or even a really big scary knife the TSA shouldn't be searching for these things in checked luggage because they are not even a slight danger to the flying public.

Mixolydian Master: Never you preview your headline before submitting, subby

"Never you mind" is a common turn of phrase in some places, Subby didn't necessarily screw up, AND he got it's right.

Thanks for the Meme-ries: [i291.photobucket.com image 640x323]

Arrest yourself!