TexasCHLforum.com

Good afternoon all,

I will be going to IAH today to pick up my bro-in-law and was wondering if anyone knew if baggage claim area of the airport (Terminal A) was posted (or if it CAN be posted)?

Will be carrying while traveling through Houston (obviously) and didn't want to disarm in the parking garage if I didn't have to. This is NOT a secure area of the airport and I'm thinking that I won't have a problem, but wanted to check here first.

Any help would be appreciated.

I didn't see any last month.

IAH and Hobby are owned by the City of Houston and cannot be 30.06 posted. The management keeps trying to pretend that they ban guns, but they can't, and the police know it. If you search this forum you can find some old news about the issue.

- Jim

It has been some time since I have been out to IAH. I don't recall seeing any 30.06 signs. I tried to look on the internet about this. The only thing I saw that would draw a concern was this:

Read the bottom of the article for the IAH info.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2106648/posts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's what I was thinking but I wanted to be sure.

Apparently the keywords I was inputting in my initial search attempt weren't the correct ones.

Thanks for the help.

The state's other major airport has a strict no-guns ordinance.

"It's posted everywhere," said Marlene McClinton of Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport. "But this is Texas," she said, explaining that the airport has cited some visitors for violations. Unlawful carrying of a weapon is a misdemeanor in Texas, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

That statement is bogus, unless they're talking about people who tried to take weapons through security.

Anyone who can legally own a firearm can take it to the airport and check it as baggage. That is done all the time at IAH. PC 30.06, 46.03, and 46.035 make it perfectly clear that CHL holders can carry at a publicly owned airport.

- Jim

Marlene McClinton -- Former local TV reporter???

I think so. Here's her bio: http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-ad ... 315-1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's not a bad job for a former TV announcer.

- Jim

It is not prohibited to go into the baggage claim area, UNLESS it is in a secure area, as per PC 46.03.
PC 46.03(c)(2).

That is what I originally understood, you could carry in the non-secure areas of an airport unless posted. Wasn't sure when I saw the article. Thanks for the clarifications.

buffalo_speedway_tx wrote:That is what I originally understood, you could carry in the non-secure areas of an airport unless posted. Wasn't sure when I saw the article. Thanks for the clarifications.

You can carry in the non-secure area at IAH even if it is posted, because it is city owned and even a proper 30.06 sign would not be effective on CHL holders. I was there a few years ago and it was posted all over the non-secure areas with non-compliant signs. I suspect the city knows they are not binding on CHL holders even though some (signs) said they were. Same with Dallas Love Field (DAL), which is owned by the City of Dallas. Interestingly, DFW does not seem to have this problem. DFW is government owned too by a state chartered airport authority.

Wouldn't hurt to carry a printed copy of the law with you to the airport to prevent unnecessary delays in the rare instance that you get made for carrying.

Whenever I sponsor a public demonstration for my Bridge Houston group, I always carry copies of state penal code regarding CHL at political rallies as well as copies of the disorderly conduct laws and other ordinances relating to public rallies. When LEOs know that you've done your homework in the interest of remaining a law-abiding citizen, it makes your encounters a positive experience. Without getting too much OT, rally organizers have a responsibility to maintain the safety of their participants and one way to do this is to be sure that everyone obeys the law.

I've been spending lots of time at the terminals lately, dropping off family members and such. The doors are posted with the standard gun-buster sign, but that doesn't mean anything to any of us. :)

Unfortunately I spend more time than I want in baggage claim. It is not a secure area. The city does have different types of no firearms posters,decals and wording as you enter. Here is my opinion, which from experience I know will draw some fire, but that is ok too.

I see the ghost buster sign, the no weapons beyond this point signs etc as effective warning not to carry. The property owner has the right to prohibit weapons on his property if he so chooses. Now I know what 30.06 has to say. I know the regs and that they state the signs must meet all the requirments to be legal under the letter of the law.

Here is what I see happening some day. A CHL holder observes the Ghost Buster sign and goes by it. By letter of the law no issues, or is there? I see where the right combination of rookie cop, arrogant district attorney, liberal judge see the ghost buster sign as effective written warning of the intent of the owner to bar weapons. Now again, I know what the letter of the law says. But I have enough experience in court and have seen some quirkey things happen that this scenario could become reality. It woud cost some innocent CHL holder thinking he was right about 40k to try to prove it. To me, it just aint worth it.
There is also the part the reads any muncipality cannot bar weapons except in buildings were courts are housed. Well, the COH is well known for doing things their way regardless of what the law says. Do you really want to be the test case?

That is my opinion, there are many that disagree with me on this issue, and believe me I hope they are the ones that turn out to be right.

How about a sign that says, "No colored or Indians"? I can remember when such signs were enforced. Why take a chance?

I believe that the right to keep and bear arms is a God-given or natural right. If we fail to exercise our rights, whether speech, press, assembly, religion, RKBA, vote, or freedom from illegal search and seizure, we lose them. Exercising them entails some risk. Failure to exercise them is ultimately fatal.

- Jim