TSA Week in Review: Passengers Continue to Pack Guns & Grenades

Inert Grenades – In addition to a spike in the number of guns found each day at checkpoints recently, we continue to find hand grenades and other ordnance on weekly basis.  Please keep in mind that if something looks like a bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. And when these items are found at the checkpoint, they can cause significant delays to you and other passengers. I know they are cool novelty items; I use to own a few. But again, please don’t take them on planes!  Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.

• An inert grenade was discovered in a checked bag at Seattle (SEA) which resulted in a baggage screening room evacuation.
• An inert grenade was discovered at Seattle (STL).
• An inert grenade was discovered in a carry-on bag at LaGuardia (LGA) which resulted in a checkpoint closure.
• An inert grenade was discovered in a carry-on bag at Milwaukee (MKE).
• An Airsoft grenade (used by war game enthusiasts) was discovered in a checked bag at Phoenix (PHX) which resulted in an evacuation of the checked baggage area.

Gallup Survey Gives TSA Good Grades - Did you see the latest Gallup poll that Americans’ views of TSA are more positive than negative? Check it out!

Firearm Parts –I want to point out that firearm parts are prohibited from being carried in your carry-on bags. Why, you might ask? Because while one passenger may have just the barrel, another passenger may have the rest of the parts to assemble a fully functioning firearm.

Items in the Strangest Places – It’s one thing to forget you had a prohibited item in your bag, but when you intentionally try to sneak it past us, you could be cited or even arrested by law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where passengers tried to sneak items past our Officers.

• A dagger concealed in the handle of a hairbrush was discovered at Minneapolis (MSP).
• A knife was found concealed in a shoe at Bethel (BET).
• Officers in Philadelphia (PHL) found a toiletry kit with undeclared liquids over 3.4 concealed under the clothing of a passenger in a wheelchair during the screening process.
• A knife was discovered taped to the underside of a bag handle under the lining at St. Louis (STL).
• A knife was found concealed in a binder at Rapid City (RAP).
• A bottle of lotion was discovered in a passenger’s slacks at Phoenix (PHX). The first time she brought it through, it was in her bag.
• A pocketknife was discovered sewn into the lining of a carry-on bag at Albuquerque (ABQ).

Stun Guns – 5 stun guns were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints around the nation at: Lynchburg (LYH), Reno (RNO), Denver (DEN), Detroit (DTW), Burbank (BUR)

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items - In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp pointy things. Just to mention a few…

Firearms - Here are the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure. 

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Week in Review: Miami Behavior Detection Officers Thwart Kidnapping

Behavior Detection Officers (BDO) Help Thwart Kidnapping – Two BDOs at Miami (MIA) alerted on a woman with several other passengers whose behavior seemed out of the ordinary. When the BDOs approached her and asked if she needed help, she rejected their offer. During the conversation, they noticed that she was attempting to disguise that she was badly bruised. The BDOs approached her again to ask if she was harmed by the people she was traveling with, and when she said yes, the BDOs immediately escorted her out of the checkpoint and contacted the police. After an investigation, it was learned that the woman had been badly beaten and was being kidnapped. Watch this video to learn more and hear from the BDOs who thwarted this crime. 

 Inert Ordnance – In addition to a spike in the number of guns found each day at checkpoints recently, we continue to find hand grenades and other ordnance on weekly basis.  Please keep in mind that if something looks like a bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. And when these items are found at the checkpoint, they can cause significant delays to you and other passengers. I know they are cool novelty items;  I used to own a few. But again, please don’t take them on planes!  Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.

• Five inert grenades were found this week at 5 different airports: St. Louis (STL), San Diego (SAN), Dothan (DHN), Minneapolis (MSP), Gainesville (GNV). A replica grenade lighter was also discovered at Rochester (ROC).
• A realistic replica of an artillery round was discovered at Tucson (TUS).
• An inert warhead was discovered at Providence (PVD).

Items in the Strangest Places – It’s one thing to forget you had a prohibited item in your bag, but when you intentionally try to sneak it past us, you could wind up being cited or even arrested by law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where passengers tried to sneak items past our Officers.

• A credit card with a concealed 2½-inch knife was detected in a carry-on bag at Albuquerque (ABQ).
• An artfully concealed belt buckle knife was found at Rochester (ROC).
• A 3-inch Swiss Army knife was discovered artfully concealed in a lead-lined film bag at Tampa (TPA).

Stun Guns – 7 stun guns were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints around the nation at: Richmond (RIC), La Crosse (LSE), 2 at Denver (DEN), Dickinson (DIK), and 2 at Baltimore (BWI).

People Say the Darndest Things – Here is an example of what not to say at the airport. Statements like these not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience lots of other passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:

• After having their bag searched, a passenger at Bradley (BDL) stated:  “Hope they get a bomb and blow you *expletive* up.”
• After a bag search was called on a passenger’s bag at Orlando (MCO), they stated: “I have two bombs in my carry-on bag.”
• A family member escorting a passenger at Phoenix (PHX) approached and Officer and stated “I am a former Al Qaeda individual escorting a family member to her flight.”

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items - In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also found firearm components, realistic replica firearms, stun guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp pointy things.

Firearms - Here are the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday.

Prohibited Bling

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure. 

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Week in Review: Cornucopia of Grenades

Cornucopia of Grenades – Please, please, please, leave your grenades at home. Like milk and cola, grenades and airports do not mix, yet some still keep mixing them together. Please leave them at home or ship them via your preferred shipper. A grenade belt buckle was found at Northwest Florida (ECP). A novelty grenade designed to be screwed onto a gearshift was discovered at Des Moines (DSM). And two inert grenades were discovered in Orange County (SNA), and another at Denver (DEN) and yet another at Chicago O’Hare (ORD). Read here and here on why inert items cause problems at checkpoints.

Items in the Strangest Places – It’s one thing to forget you had a prohibited item in your bag, but when you intentionally try to sneak it past us, you could wind up being cited or even arrested by law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where passengers tried to sneak items past our Officers.

• A pocketknife was found concealed in the side lining of the carry-on bag at San Juan (SJU).
• A 3-inch knife was found concealed in the belt buckle of a passenger at Houston Hobby (HOU).
• Yet again, a passenger tried to conceal marijuana in a jar of peanut butter. Marijuana stuffed in a jar of peanut butter looks odd on the monitor. We’re not looking for marijuana, but we have to report it when we come across it. This time it was at Seattle (SEA).
• Multiple razor blades were detected concealed in the shoes and wallet of a passenger at Burbank (BUR).
• A 6” knife concealed in a metal tube was discovered in Guam (GUM).

Certain Water Filtration Systems Look Like Pipe Bombs – I’ve read about this 3 or 4 times now where a water filtration system looks like a pipe bomb on the X-ray monitor and the checkpoints/terminals have to be evacuated while the bomb experts do their thing. So… if you have a water filtration system that is similar to this one, you might want to consider shipping it or coordinating with TSA or your airline prior to travel. This time it was discovered in checked bags at Phoenix (PHX).

Stun Guns –9 stun guns were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints around the nation at: Tallahassee (TLH), Atlanta (ATL), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Lubbock (LBB), Knoxville (TYS), Washington Dulles (IAD), 2 at San Diego (SAN), and New York LaGuardia (LGA).

People Say the Darndest Things – Here is an example of what not to say at the airport. Statements like these not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience lots of other passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:

• A passenger approached an Officer at Los Angeles (LAX) and asked: “Would you help me get a bomb on a plane?”
• A passenger at New Orleans (MSY) told another passenger: “I have explosives in my bag.”

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items - In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also found firearm components, realistic replica firearms, stun guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp pointy things.

Firearms - Here are the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure. 

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.

TSA Pre✓™ Hits 2 Million Mark

As of today, TSA has screened more than 2 million travelers through the TSA Pre✓™ prescreening initiative! Interested? Go here to read all about it!

Long story short, it's an initiative that allows passengers to expedite their screening experience if they opt in. How do you opt in to TSA Pre✓™? Funny you should ask. Just go here. 

Here are some other TSA Pre✓™ posts that might interest you:

• TSA Pre✓™ participants who qualify via their membership in a CBP Trusted Traveler program should enter their full name exactly as it appears on their Global Entry card or in their GOES account.
• TSA Pre✓™ Through Global Entry: One Sweet Deal!
• The Scoop on TSA Pre✓™
• More Than 1 Million Passengers Screened by TSA Pre✓™
• TSA Pre✓™ Pilot to Expand to 28 of the Busiest US Airports         

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here. 

TSA Pre✓™ Check In: News for LAX and IAH!

TSA Pre✓™ Expands at LAX to Include United Airlines – As of today, TSA Pre✓™ operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will be live at Terminal 7 with United Airlines.

TSA Pre✓™ Begins at George Bush Intercontinental Airport – Also starting today, TSA Pre✓™ operations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will be live. Select United Airlines frequent travelers and members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler programs are now eligible to participate and may receive expedited screening benefits when flying domestically.

TSA Pre✓™ Tip: TSA Pre✓™ participants who qualify via their membership in a CBP Trusted Traveler program should enter their full name exactly as it appears on their Global Entry card or in their GOES account, along with date of birth, gender, and nine digit PASS ID number, when making a reservation for travel on a TSA Pre✓™ participating airline. A reservation made with a name that does not exactly match a passenger’s Global Entry card or GOES account will result in the passenger not being considered for TSA Pre✓™ screening.  It is important to note, however, that TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited screening.

Click to Enlarge

In case you're wondering what TSA Pre✓™ is, you can go here to read all about it. Long story short, it's an initiative that allows passengers to expedite their screening experience if they opt in. How do you opt in to TSA Pre✓™? Funny you should ask. Just go here. 

Here are some other TSA Pre✓™ posts that might interest you:

• TSA Pre✓™ Through Global Entry: One Sweet Deal!
• The Scoop on TSA Pre✓™
• More Than 1 Million Passengers Screened by TSA Pre✓™
• TSA Pre✓™ Pilot to Expand to 28 of the Busiest US Airports         

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here. 

My TSA Mobile App Now Available on Android!

For all the Android users out there, I wanted to let you know that the My TSA App, previously available for iPhone and mobile web users, is now available at Google Play.

The My TSA App provides passengers with 24/7 access to the most commonly requested TSA information.

• Airport Status: Users can see what airports are experiencing general delays (not flight specific) or search for conditions at a specific airport. This information is provided by the FAA.
• ‘Can I Bring?’: Users can type in an item they plan to bring on a trip to find out if it is permitted or prohibited, and whether they can pack it in carry-on or checked bags.
• Guide: Users can get travel tips on an array of some of the most popular topics of air travel, including traveling with children, 3-1-1 rules for liquids, gels and aerosols, special medical needs, packing tips, tips for how to dress for airport security, tips for military members, and traveling with food and gifts.
• Security wait times: My TSA gives passengers the ability to share their wait time and see what wait times other passengers have posted for U.S. airports.
• Contacting TSA:  If a user can’t find information they need on the app or the TSA website or wants to provide feedback, they can contact the TSA Contact Center by phone or email by clicking the “About” button on the main page of the app.

For more info on the apps, you can go to our blog, or web page.

Also, we recently updated our template for the TSA Blog, and since doing so, it is now mobile-friendly. 

 

Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us by clicking here.