"Funny" TSA Thread

[Fujicon]

I had an elk bugle tube in my carry on last year. They flagged my bag in the xray machine to be pulled aside. The agent starts pulling out all my items, which included my Spot Hogg (solid metal) sight and binoculars. Gets to the bugle tube and starts looking at it funny - clearly has no idea what he’s looking at. Decides he can’t make a decision on it so he needs to pull in his supervisor. His supervisor felt very high and mighty and looks at it for 2 seconds and says it can be used as a weapon so it has to be checked. I remind him it’s just a hollow plastic tube and I have much more heavy metal items in my bag that would be a lot more dangerous than that. He said doesn’t matter, plastic can hurt too and this looks like a bat. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get a new one once I landed so I paid $125 to check a third bag. Easily found tubes once we landed for $60 - I made the wrong choice. Next time I’m telling them it’s a megaphone for search and rescue.

I'm sorry that happened to you, but really? What a stupid act by TSA. I mean S T U P I D.

 

[Will_m]

Heard of a guy that had a pistol locked in a hard case that also had his bow in it. TSA agent said the pistol had to be in a locked case and he said it was—still said no. I guess that idiot couldn’t wrap his head around the case being big enough to hold items in addition to the pistol.

He had the Glock case so he put a lock on that from the big case, put it all back in the big case and locked it up. This satisfied the ignoramus troll who then let him pass to his destination.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Heard a friend of a friend story (so wouldn’t surprise me if untrue) that a guy went through TSA no issues, got to his destination, and opened his duffel and found that he had left his pistol in his carry on bag by accident. TSA never batted an eye. Granted this was back in the early TSA days so the tech likely wasn’t as advanced as we have now.

 

[Fujicon]

Heard a friend of a friend story (so wouldn’t surprise me if untrue) that a guy went through TSA no issues, got to his destination, and opened his duffel and found that he had left his pistol in his carry on bag by accident. TSA never batted an eye. Granted this was back in the early TSA days so the tech likely wasn’t as advanced as we have now.

I think you're referring to the Washington State Senator who accidentally carried his handgun with him to China. He forgot it was in his bag and TSA at Portland International Airport missed it. Less than a year ago. Where I work we call incompetence of that magnitude dangerous buffoonery. Here's the story...

Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson arrested at Hong Kong airport over gun in bag

Wilson, R-Longview, said he discovered the unloaded pistol in his carry-on bag after it passed through airport security in Portland without notice.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[KsRancher]

3-4 years ago my grandma flew from Wichita,Ks to Las Vegas. After being in Vegas for a few days she happen to find her favorite 50yr old paring knife wrapped in a rag. She always carries it with her to cut up an apple for lunch. She said she wasn't about to leave it there so she put it back in the rag and back in the purse it went. Flew back with it and not a word got said.

 

[Ferrulewax]

I think you're referring to the Washington State Senator who accidentally carried his handgun with him to China. He forgot it was in his bag and TSA at Portland International Airport missed it. Less than a year ago. Where I work we call incompetence of that magnitude dangerous buffoonery. Here's the story...

Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson arrested at Hong Kong airport over gun in bag

Wilson, R-Longview, said he discovered the unloaded pistol in his carry-on bag after it passed through airport security in Portland without notice.

www.nbcnews.com

Nah, I definitely heard this 5+ years ago, but doesn’t surprise me if it’s happened more than once.

 

[jasonhul]

TSA related. My wife dropped me off at the airport (and promptly headed back the 100 miles to our home). As I'm dicking around the airport (not gone through security), it occurs to me that I have folding knife still with me- $hit! An expensive folder, one that I don't want to give up. I'm sitting in a chair and look at the large planter (and plant) next to me- hmmm.

I stuff the knife a couple of inches below the surface of the soil. Go through security sans knife. Three days later on my return, go to the planter and pluck out my knife— yeah baby!

I had the same thing happen to me. About a year before my experience, my uncle did the same thing and told me about it. Thought it was genius. Not sure with you, but the whole time I was traveling I was imagining airport security had caught me on video and was waiting to jump me once I was digging it out of the planter.


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[Swamp Fox]

TSA related. My wife dropped me off at the airport (and promptly headed back the 100 miles to our home). As I'm dicking around the airport (not gone through security), it occurs to me that I have folding knife still with me- $hit! An expensive folder, one that I don't want to give up. I'm sitting in a chair and look at the large planter (and plant) next to me- hmmm.

I stuff the knife a couple of inches below the surface of the soil. Go through security sans knife. Three days later on my return, go to the planter and pluck out my knife— yeah baby!

Can't remember the airport --maybe Dallas or maybe Hot Lanna --my folder was in my carry-on and they let me out of the check zone and directed me to a kiosk that was there for mailing stuff back home to yourself. The downside was I had to stand in line again to get back to where they could treat me like a criminal and taunt me a second time.

Another time, I lost a good limb saw because I missed taking it out of my hunting pack, which was my main carry-on. No kiosk at whatever airport that was, and no mercy.

For a stretch, I seemed to get stopped for extra scrutiny a lot. I think they don't like it if you roll your eyes at 'em ....

 

[uglymud]

Haven't had any problems yet, I do prefer flying out of a smaller local airport if at all possible though. I did manage to make it through security to Chicago and back with just a business card and a picture of my ID. Took a little convincing and extra search but they let me through.

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[maxx075]

I've carried on a hook knife multiple times. No issue. Went through the xray and all.

The ticket is to make sure it's attached to a parachute.

 

[Jmort1754]

I have two different stories one involves the Germans and one the Huntsville, Alabama TSA.

German- I was flying out to come home and little break. I had bought some decent Ice wine and packed it accordingly in my checked bag. As I was getting ready to board the plan the German airport security comes running up to the gate and proceeds to tell me that they need me back at the scanner and I needed to come with them no. I am thinking oh shit what did I leave in my bag. The lady was very calm and collected the man on the other hand has his hand on his pistol and is very high strung about the situation. I get back to the scanner and they showed me this xray that looks like a bomb. Come to find out a pair of head phones were coiled in the outer pocket of the bag and on the inner just below them sat a round cylinder. I opened everything up and we had a good laugh. I proceeded to carry the head phones with me.

Huntsville- I was active duty as a medic with the EOD school and got to play with lots of fun stuff that was around. I had scheduled a flight home and intended to be able to change my clothes before I flew out however training had got delayed and instead of missing my flight I decided to fly out in uniform. That was a mistake. The sniffer picked up explosives and I was thoroughly searched, my supervisor was called, and then his supervisor was called. The police showed up, and I had to give a long statement on why I had explosive residue detected.

 

[Smallie]

A couple months after 9/11 was flying back from hunting in Texas with my Mom. I was about 11-12 at the time and didn’t know the severity of the whole airport situation. Flew home with my hunting backpack as a carry on that had 2 skinning knives, a pair of shears, and a leatherman. Got through no problem and my mother was horrified I made it through. My Dad flew back a week later with my little forky Euro mount in his carry on and they made him check it in because the antlers could be used as a weapon. We got a pretty good laugh out of that later.

In college played baseball in Arizona for spring break one year. My Dad had just had knee surgery so gets escorted via wheelchair from the curb to TSA. Realizes he has his knife in his pocket. Worker pushing the wheelchair tells him don’t worry put it in your CPAP machine that he had as a carry on and it shouldn’t be a problem. He made it through no issues

 

[tony]

IMO TSA agents are just that because they wouldn't make good used car salesmen.

Always thought they were people that couldn't pass the police test.

I get it they are following their rules. Some really think they are hot shit.

GFs son was in his teens and got pulled out for added questioning or whatever they call it. Hes a big kid so they must have thought he was an adult.

The questioning broke down fast when they found out he was a kid and his mom showed his passport and asked for their boss.

I think they just wanted to try and screw with him

 

[Butcher8]

This is a true story!

A really sad reality

 

[mtwarden]

In all honesty you couldn’t pay me enough money to do the job. Lots of stress and scrutiny involved and wages aren’t that great.

Oh and pretty much thankless.

 

[OMF]

In all honesty you couldn’t pay me enough money to do the job. Lots of stress and scrutiny involved and wages aren’t that great.

Oh and pretty much thankless.

This is my thought exactly! "We" think what much of what the TSA does is senseless/illogical/pointless/ridiculous/stupid etc. On the other side, have you seen how the general public is?? Some of the behavior is truly atrocious. Self-entitled snot rags that think they're above the law. Drunks out of control. Demanding people that failed to read the purchase agreement when they bought their tickets and are then surprised when they have to follow some rules. The list is a long one. You couldn't pay me enough to do that job. I think I'd shank someone my first day on the job.

But we all wanna be safe when we fly...

 

[MattB]

TSA related. My wife dropped me off at the airport (and promptly headed back the 100 miles to our home). As I'm dicking around the airport (not gone through security), it occurs to me that I have folding knife still with me- $hit! An expensive folder, one that I don't want to give up. I'm sitting in a chair and look at the large planter (and plant) next to me- hmmm.

I stuff the knife a couple of inches below the surface of the soil. Go through security sans knife. Three days later on my return, go to the planter and pluck out my knife— yeah baby!

My wife can’t believe someone would be so forgetful.

I have had to hide my knife under a trash can (2x) and under a piece of furniture in a bathroom sitting area, mail one to myself once, and had to throw one away (Spyderco with the blade tip broken off, so I really needed a new one anyway).

 

[mtwarden]

I think I mentioned it in the other thread, but made it flying a 1000 miles away visiting relatives, when my wife discovered a load speed loader of mine in a small lumber pack . That speed loader will stay 1000 miles away!

 

[Fowl Play]

If you think TSA is bad and semi pointless. You should see their maritime equivalent for ports. Specifically commercial ports. It’s laughable. Except it’s bad from the other side… almost no screening.

Edit: let me rephrase. Some docks are Fort Knox others flashing a white badge from 50ft away will get you anywhere. Maybe I should delete this comment lol

 

[tony]

In all honesty you couldn’t pay me enough money to do the job. Lots of stress and scrutiny involved and wages aren’t that great.

Oh and pretty much thankless.

And I agree with you. Yet one tried to take your badge because it “could be a throwing star”. If we are going that route, there’s a hundred things at least that could be a weapon on a plane. I did close to 30 years dealing with assholes (fire/ems). Now I babysit assholes (prison nurse).
Many of these tsa have I want to be a copitis. And then they have to call the police when they find something.

I did watch tsa be super cool to an old guy once, looked to be in his 80s. Forgot he had a little pen knife on him. They let him get out of line and give it to family that brought him to the airport.