Glenn Beck checking in a gun at the airport

[wgoforth]

Thought this interesting, but normal in many places I guess. OTOH, I was flying out of Abilene and proceeded to open my suitcase and show the lady at the counter the gun..that it was locked and mag out, when she said "You don't have to do that." I told her "I thought I had to show you." She said "Nah, it's Texas." Gotta love it

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articl ... 198/34769/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[joe817]

Great post wgoforth, thanks for sharing! I get the feeling that's the similar reaction to DPS trooper who pull you over and you show them your CHL......no big deal.....it's just the way things are in Texas.

[mikeintexas]

Thought this interesting, but normal in many places I guess. OTOH, I was flying out of Abilene and proceeded to open my suitcase and show the lady at the counter the gun..that it was locked and mag out, when she said "You don't have to do that." I told her "I thought I had to show you." She said "Nah, it's Texas." Gotta love it

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articl ... 198/34769/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My wife and I flew to Little Rock to spend the New Year babysitting for the grandkids while the kids went out. My wife was concerned about my taking my sidearm packed according to the rules. When we got to Love Field, I was told that I must go to the ticket counter to check luggage with a firearm in it. I went to a short line, a lady handed me card and asked me to fill it out and sign it. I then asked if I had to put it in the locked case. She said just put it in the suitcase and asked me if I was sure it was unloaded. I told her it was and zipped up the suitcase and she put it on the belt.

Now the flight back was different story. In my experience, the couple times that I have flown out of Little Rock, they take themselves a lot more seriously. When I went to the ticket counter, the lady had me fill out the card, then open the suitcase and the locked case and put the card in and lock and zip up. She did not check to see if it was unloaded, but the empty mag was in the locked in the gun case.

It would be very nice if all the rules were the same at all the airports. But then again, it sure would be boring, wouldn't it!!

[C-dub]

Couldn't he have gotten into a whole lot of trouble if his gun gets discovered elsewhere after the baggage check-in without the ticket or receipt or whatever after declaring it?

[mikeintexas]

Couldn't he have gotten into a whole lot of trouble if his gun gets discovered elsewhere after the baggage check-in without the ticket or receipt or whatever after declaring it?

You don't get a receipt or anything after declaring a weapon. It is just a card smaller than a post card that is filled out and signed and placed in the suitcase or locked gun case. I guess I don't see much point in this procedure. If the TSA inspects your bag and sees the card, they know you declared it. However, in the case of leaving Little Rock where the agent had me put the card inside the locked gun case and I was the only one with the key, the TSA had no idea whether the weapon had been declared. Unless there is a note that goes in noting such. I don't know if it is noted elsewhere or not.

[Kawabuggy]

I flew out of Miami a couple years back after visiting family. While there my brother asked if I wanted his pistol as he now had small kids and the wife did not want the gun in the house. Free gun for me so who was I to say no? I took the unloaded, locked in a hard case gun (no bullets in my luggage, on my person, or otherwise with me) to the airport with me and declared it. They made me fill out the paperwork, and then took the suitcase and sent me on my way to the gate. After we walked away from the counter, a gentleman comes running after me calling my name. In a busy airport this seemed kind of strange. I stopped and turned to meet this gentleman and he had the name tag on identifying him as being an employee with the airline. He had my suit case in his hand and asked that I open it so that he could verify that it was unloaded & locked in a hard case. Two other airline employees have now joined our little group. I am asked to open the case right there in the middle of the walkway and show them the hard case. I do this. Now they want me to un-lock the hard case and show them the weapon. This I do as well. Once they were finally convinced that everything was the way it was supposed to be, they asked me to put it all back together. After doing this, they took my suitcase and walked back to the baggage check.

Why didn't the lady at the baggage check do this? I have no clue. Why did they stop me in the middle of the airport after dragging my suitcase around and chasing me down? I have no clue. Why did they make me open the suit-case, the gun hard-case and display the weapon in front of EVERYONE in the airport that day? I have no clue.

The gun did make it here to Houston without trouble though. Alls well that ends well. Ooh if you could have seen the look on the wifes face as she stood there while they made me open that suitcase. I was more afraid of her than what the airline personnel were going to do to me. Bottom line.. MIA is not the type of place you want to carry a weapon through.

[wgoforth]

Couldn't he have gotten into a whole lot of trouble if his gun gets discovered elsewhere after the baggage check-in without the ticket or receipt or whatever after declaring it?

You don't get a receipt or anything after declaring a weapon. It is just a card smaller than a post card that is filled out and signed and placed in the suitcase or locked gun case. I guess I don't see much point in this procedure. If the TSA inspects your bag and sees the card, they know you declared it. However, in the case of leaving Little Rock where the agent had me put the card inside the locked gun case and I was the only one with the key, the TSA had no idea whether the weapon had been declared. Unless there is a note that goes in noting such. I don't know if it is noted elsewhere or not.

Yeah, they usually tape the card to the outside of my hard case
Wayne