If you read our Week in Review posts here on the TSA Blog, you know that it’s not uncommon for our officers to find guns, knives, ammo, and even the occasional debrainer.
However, we’re not used to finding so many things on one passenger. At Sacramento (SMF) last week, a passenger was taking off his coat when an officer noticed he was wearing a shoulder holster with a loaded 9mm pistol in it. Yes, it has happened in the past where passengers have simply forgotten they had a firearm, but after our officers were finished searching the rest of his property, here is what was found:
- Two loaded 9mm pistols
- Two loaded .25 caliber pistols
- 192 rounds of ammo along with two magazines
- 3 knives
Did you know that TSA officers discovered 101 guns last month? 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.
If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.
32 comments:
TSA, Y U no let Schneier testify?
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/03/congressional_t.html
So again the extremely expensive and ineffective Whole Body Scanners played no role in this find.
It is notable that the old fashioned WTMD would have worked fine in this case.
That's nice. Now, why did you object to having Bruce Schneier testify about you?
I'm not that impressed with this. Not letting someone through the checkpoint with one gun is the bare minimum requirement of the TSA's job. Workers at McDonald's don't get praised when they correctly give someone the Big Mac they ordered.
Even if the TSO had not seen the shoulder holster, the metal detector and x-ray machine should have picked that up. The AIT machine may not have found the gun on the person depending on if it was carried on the person's side. I just don't see what the big deal is about finding guns. They should always be found.
How come the TSA is preventing security expert Bruce Schneier from testifying before Congress?
Imagine all the whining and crying that would be taking place if TSA missed this man. TSA can never win with some of you people.
So, there's currently some stuff happening in relation to the TSA in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Bruce Schneier, a genuine security expert was invited. He's a main author of Skein, currently a finalist in the SHA3 competition by NIST and author of the very widely used Blowfish cipher.
You'd think that he'd have some very good things to say about security, and anyone following his blog would have to agree.
http://www.schneier.com/
So, I'm just wondering, genuinely, why the TSA has asked for him to be uninvited?
You've been saying so far that it's about a lawsuit against the TSA he is running to suspend your full-body scanner program.
Why are you lot so scared of Bruce Schneier?
So, was the guy arrested? If not, then he obviously was no threat to the aircraft.
Didn't airport security find these things in the past? What increase in services are we getting as tax payers for the massive increase in budget? Other than cancer and useless backscatter machines?
I just want to thank you for doing all you can to keep me afraid. I'm quite worried that if I ever left my current state of fear that I would begin to think rationally and for myself. Upon doing so, I could see how I could come to the conclusion that all the "accomplishments" you list are things that any security team could do, minus invasive security actions. I could even see why I would question the existence of the TSA.
However, since you are so successful at keeping me in fear of what may occur, I willfully give up my rights. Some would say this is no different than being taken hostage, but I say, "Taken hostage by our own government? Bollocks! That's NEVER happened in the history of the world!" Keep fear alive TSA, because good ole' rational thinking is the biggest security threat facing this nation.
Blogger Bob.... it's been a while since i posted here, but this story about you guys getting Bruce bumped from the Congressional Panel can't be ignored...
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/03/gunshy-tsa-gets-critic-booted-from-congressional-panel.ars
This boils down to "Wahhh, Bruce says mean things about us, wahhh, we're not sitting next to him, whahhh!"
You guys are pathetic.
By getting him booted like this you are just proving how weak your position is.
Shame on you.
Anonymous said...
"Why are you lot so scared of Bruce Schneier?"
I think we all know the answer to that one.
The last thing they want at the hearings is truth and logic. This is a real threat to the people in charge of the TSA and they will fight with everything they can.
Anonymous said...
Imagine all the whining and crying that would be taking place if TSA missed this man. TSA can never win with some of you people.
March 26, 2012 5:21 PM
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I would be upset if the TSA missed this man. If the TSA can't find a guy with even 1 gun, then what's the point. Guns have been prohibited on airplanes for decades. Guns would also have been detected by the private screeners before 9/11 and with the metal detectors and the x-ray baggage scanner. It doesn't take billions of dollars worth of TSA and their fancy scanners to find a gun.
http://bostonherald.com/news/national/general/view/20120326lawmakers_call_tsa_airport_screeners_ineffective_rude
"Lawmakers call TSA airport screeners ineffective, rude"
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http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/tsa/218207-rep-issa-recites-facebook-tsa-complaints
"For example Joe Corica," Issa continued. "He's a U.S. Marine. He was flying in his "Dress Blues" -D uniform. He was forced to remove my trousers in full view of other passengers because the 'shirt stays' beneath were scaring a TSA employee.
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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/26/tsa_schneier_congress_block/
TSA bars security guru from perv scanner testimony
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FLL Airport: TSA Told Us to Lie About Existence of Security Video!
TSA informed County that the subject CCTV recordings at TSA checkpoints, including the mere existence thereof, constituted Sensitive Security Information.
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http://tsanewsblog.com/586/news/tsa-abuse-has-been-going-on-for-years-heres-my-story/
TSA abuse has been going on for years – here’s my story
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Copy of post submitted to DHS OIG.
It is NOT surprising--and it should NOT be surprising--that TSA finds guns & other often bizarre weapons on would-be passengers going through checkpoints at airports.
What IS surprising is how many people are carrying this stuff into airports! It is rather amazing that over 10 years since 9/11 and the ramped-up airport security measures that people are still carrying loaded guns into airports, hand grenades, big knives, truncheons, and god knows what else.
What we don't hear on this blog is the nature of the conversation that is had with these people. Are they simply clueless & innocent? Are they sneaky & nefarious? Are they dangerous people? We have no idea about any of this--all we are told is that TSA found this & that on so many people at airports within the last week or month or whatever.
I could carry 10 loaded weapons and I would not be a danger to anyone because I am not a killer, I am not a terrorist, and I am not a fool with weapons. Other people are highly dangerous simply when they open their mouth and begin speaking.
"What we don't hear on this blog is the nature of the conversation that is had with these people. Are they simply clueless & innocent? Are they sneaky & nefarious? Are they dangerous people? We have no idea about any of this--all we are told is that TSA found this & that on so many people at airports within the last week or month or whatever."
Right, because the vast majority of them are clueless or forgetful or stupid, not dangerous and certainly not terrorists. TSA won't tell us that, because these posts are about trying to keep people scared and trying to make people think there's a nonstop surge of terrorists trying to get guns on plains. And the plain fact of the matter is that there isn't.
Thanks for the link on how to travel with a handgun. But after seeing that laundry list of stupid requirements I was a little scared. If I do any of the list of items wrong, TSA is going to fine me $2,000.
Interesting all the comments about Bruce Schneier and him being an expert TSA didn't want to testify. Well I looked up his blog and his About Me page and it says nothing about him being an expert or having qualifications in aviation security. Seems most of his work is in cryptology which has nothing to do with the mission of TSA.
tramky said...
"What IS surprising is how many people are carrying this stuff into airports! It is rather amazing that over 10 years since 9/11 and the ramped-up airport security measures that people are still carrying loaded guns into airports, hand grenades, big knives, truncheons, and god knows what else."
Not really all that surprising. Someone has to live on the left half of the bell curve. Not everyone can be an Einstein.
I think it's cute when you talk about your "officers," as if TSA screeners were law enforcement. ;)
Anonymous said...
Imagine all the whining and crying that would be taking place if TSA missed this man. TSA can never win with some of you people.
March 26, 2012 5:21 PM
That's because the TSA has no hiring standards, so TSA screeners are lazy and inattentive. That's why they let 70% of weapons through undetected.
So while Bob crows about this guy, you have to figure that somebody got on a plane with 13 guns,640 rounds of ammo, and 10 knives.
But the traveling public can rest easy knowing that the TSA is on the lookout for water bottles and cupcakes.
Zero terrorists.
My bet is that he forgot about the holstered gun and the rest were packed in his checked bags. Read it again. If it was in his carry on they would have driven that home.
The additional 101 guns last month? Let's see...my guess is they were all packed in checked bags, unloaded most likely. 101 guns in how many total pieces of luggage nationwide over a month? If anyone in the private sector bragged about these stats, they'd be a laughingstock.
I went through DIA security this am. In my scanner lane there were no less than 7 uniformed TSA employees plus the 2 plain clothed DHS supervisors. Multiply this by the 10 lanes that were open and you would think things should flow smoothly. Lots of "manpower" you know. Evidently there was a bit of on the job training going on. At my work, we train people before we subject our customers to them. And we don't deal with "national security". TSA and DHS are poster children for gov't inefficiency and beauracracy.
Bob, will these two TSA employees make your weekly gun-roundup list?
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/28/2718902/tsa-employees-charged-with-trashing.html
TSA employees charged with trashing South Beach hotel room, shooting gun
If all the passengers had a gun, who's gonna pull out a rod and start anything?
An armed public is a safe public.
Maybe your next post should explain why two TSA officers were arrested for an incident at a South Beach hotel. Wow...the TSA stories just keep getting better.
Your bureaucratic disconnected government agency is a national disgrace!
So are you going to count the TSA TSM PIMP and the two screeners arrested down in Florida in this weeks stats?
Should be able to make a funny ha ha, right Bobby?
The reason is simple, they're too busy letting a manager at Dulles International Airport run a prostitution ring. They cannot even keep their own house clean and they want to hassle ME in order to fly?
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/tsa-manager-arrested-for-running-prostitution-ring-032812#ixzz1qRISaevM
Of course this will not be allowed to be posted. Don't know why I even bother. Good thing they don't control ALL the information outlets....YET.
TWO bad TSA stories in the press this week. It's a wonder how you guys have managed to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. I think any supporters you have left must be purposely obtuse at this point.
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?StoryId=%7B561bc07a-5da1-4fea-ac81-09e04b66417a%7D&src=MWHEAD
"According to the complaint, investigators secretly recorded a conversation between a confidential source and Fuamatu in which she tells the source how she uses her State of Hawaii Air Operations Area security badge to bypass TSA security checkpoints with the drug proceeds.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) says federal agents confirmed that Fuamatu has a state security swipe card that allows her access to parts of the airport that are not accessible to the public, including internal baggage carousels and the runway. The card also allows her to bypass security checkpoints and enter the gate area without being screened by TSA or any other airport security."
So, Bob, imagine if it were explosives that these workers were smuggling on-board.
But go on, keep going to bed each night thinking that your agency is keeping us safe.
The TSA does nothing but violate our constitutional rights. Congrats! Im glad you guys are so proud about violating people.
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