Interesting conversation with TSA last night

[tboesche]

My daughter and grand daughter were flying back to Spokane last night. Son in law is coming back from 'Stan on Monday. Thank the Lord he is coming home safe.

Anyway, I bought her a Taurus model 85 Stainless .38 special with Pink grips for christmas. We had it in her suitcase all locked up and unloaded like we were supposed to. I was not sure if we would have to go to a secure area or not to have it inspected so I left my 1911 in the car, but still had on my empty holster.

TSA guy opens up her suitcase and gets the gun case out and unlocks it. He turns around and says "I don't see many pink ones" My daughter laughs and says, "well, I'm a girl".

He laughs and finishes up his inspection and locks everything up. By this time we have found out that we can actually accompany her to the gate. I thought this was no longer allowed but, me, the wife and other daughter all got boarding passes that said GATE ONLY. We were told that we could go thru security just like a passenger and wait at the gate with her. Very cool. More time with the Granddaughter.

So I get the TSA guys attention and ask him, "SO, when I go thru security, and they see an empty holster in my tray, what do you think they will say?" He had kind of a strange look on his face and replied, "Well, as long as you don't have your gun, they should not say anything, But I sure wish I could be over there to see it happen." We both chuckled about it.

As it turned out, since we got to go thru security, I had to move the car so it would not get towed away, so I took the holster off anyway before I went thru. I just thought it was interesting that
1> we could go to the gate,
and
2> It shouldn't have been a problem if I had my empty holdster on.

[Purplehood]

My daughter and grand daughter were flying back to Spokane last night. Son in law is coming back from 'Stan on Monday. Thank the Lord he is coming home safe.

Anyway, I bought her a Taurus model 85 Stainless .38 special with Pink grips for christmas. We had it in her suitcase all locked up and unloaded like we were supposed to. I was not sure if we would have to go to a secure area or not to have it inspected so I left my 1911 in the car, but still had on my empty holster.

TSA guy opens up her suitcase and gets the gun case out and unlocks it. He turns around and says "I don't see many pink ones" My daughter laughs and says, "well, I'm a girl".

He laughs and finishes up his inspection and locks everything up. By this time we have found out that we can actually accompany her to the gate. I thought this was no longer allowed but, me, the wife and other daughter all got boarding passes that said GATE ONLY. We were told that we could go thru security just like a passenger and wait at the gate with her. Very cool. More time with the Granddaughter.

So I get the TSA guys attention and ask him, "SO, when I go thru security, and they see an empty holster in my tray, what do you think they will say?" He had kind of a strange look on his face and replied, "Well, as long as you don't have your gun, they should not say anything, But I sure wish I could be over there to see it happen." We both chuckled about it.

As it turned out, since we got to go thru security, I had to move the car so it would not get towed away, so I took the holster off anyway before I went thru. I just thought it was interesting that
1> we could go to the gate,
and
2> It shouldn't have been a problem if I had my empty holdster on.

I wonder if it was my baby brother. He is a TSA screener at Bush.

[CompVest]

TSA guy opens up her suitcase and gets the gun case out and unlocks it.

I sure wish TSA would start following their own rules. They are NOT supposed to unlock the gun case or handle any of the guns!

[joe817]

Interesting story tboesche. Thanks for sharing!

When son in law gets home, tell him "Joe said thank you for your service to your country." God bless him and the other men & women in uniform.

[LarryH]

When son in law gets home, tell him "Joe said thank you for your service to your country." God bless him and the other men & women in uniform.

and "Thank you" from Larry and Shirley, too

[C-dub]

TSA guy opens up her suitcase and gets the gun case out and unlocks it.

I sure wish TSA would start following their own rules. They are NOT supposed to unlock the gun case or handle any of the guns!

I was wondering why he was even able to unlock it.

[bkj]

I just took my mother to Hobby and they let me go to the gate with her. I had to make a quick trip to the car first.
On the empty holster I do not know if I would trust the TSA folks to know what to do with it so they would overact. I just do not have time for that

[tboesche]

Purple- This was at DFW.

It was my understanding that they inspect the weapon to ensure it is unloaded. Are they not supposed to do so? We gave them the keys to the guncase. He didn't really handle the weapon, just kinda looked at it. He even opened the box of hollow points that was also inside the case. He only gave them a very brief inspection. He actually spent more time running the swab over just about everything else in her suitcase than actually inspecting the gun.

[jimlongley]

TSA guy opens up her suitcase and gets the gun case out and unlocks it.

I sure wish TSA would start following their own rules. They are NOT supposed to unlock the gun case or handle any of the guns!

Not true, if the system alarms on the gun, they they are required to open the gun case. They ARE required NOT to handle the gun, but the case must be cleared internally to exclude the possibility that there is something nasty hidden under the gun. The agent is supposed to "gently nudge" the gun out of the way to look under it, which always made me nervous. This is why TSA strongly recommends that you stay with your checked firearm so that you can provide the key or combination if they need to open the case.

TSA doesn't need to look at the gun to tell if it is loaded, it's real easy to tell on screen.

[Rex B]

TSA doesn't need to look at the gun to tell if it is loaded, it's real easy to tell on screen.

Even in a steel lockbox?

[jimlongley]

TSA doesn't need to look at the gun to tell if it is loaded, it's real easy to tell on screen.

Even in a steel lockbox?

If the gun can be seen, yes. A steel lockbox can be seen through too, unless it is such a heavy gauge that the x-rays won't penetrate, in which case the case will get opened anyway, but they won't be checking to see if it's loaded.

A steel barrel inside a steel slide with a chambered round looks different than an unchambered one.