Inert
Ordnance and Grenades Etc. –
We continue to find inert hand grenades and
other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc.,
it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or
in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays. I know they are cool
novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane. Read here
and here on
why inert items cause problems.
- AT-4 Rocket Launcher – This bring back memories. I had a few of these in the back of my HMMWV in Desert Storm when it caught fire! Talk about lighting a fire under your seat… This particular AT-4 at Latrobe (LBE) was expended, but it was an eye-opener for our officers to say the least. It was discovered in checked baggage.
- Four inert grenades were discovered in carry-on bags this week at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas (DAL), Houston (HOU), and Juneau (JNU).
- A grenade shaped belt buckle was discovered at LaGuardia (LGA).
- A perfume bottle in the shape of a grenade was discovered at Houston (IAH).
Items
in the Strangest Places
–It’s important to check your bags prior to traveling. If a prohibited item is
discovered in your bag, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law
enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were
found in strange places.
- An 8” knife was detected under the lining of a carry-on bag at Newark (EWR).
- A razorblade was detected in a sock at Newark (EWR).
- An 8” knife was detected in a cane at Baltimore (BWI).
What
Not to Say at an Airport – Statements
like these not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience
many other passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:
- A Newark (EWR) passenger told the gate agent: “If you don’t want another terrorist attack, I better make this flight.”
- During a bag search at Boise (BOI), a passenger stated: “I might have a bomb in my bag.”
- During a bag search at Dallas (DAL), a passenger stated: “I’m a terrorist.”
Stun Guns – Forty stun guns were
discovered this week in a carry-on bags around the nation: Lincoln (LNK),
Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Columbia (CAE), Newark (EWR), Minneapolis (MSP), Atlanta
(ATL), Minot (MOT).
- A passenger at Boston (BOS) had seven stun guns in his bag. They were Christmas gifts… One could say they were “shocking” stuffers.
- This probably sets some sort of record, but a passenger traveling out of John F. Kennedy (JFK) had 26 stun guns in his carry on bag!
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, bb and pellet
guns, Airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp
pointy things -- to mention a few…
Firearms
- Here are pictures of
some of the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last
Friday. See a complete list below.
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.
If
you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you
can contact us by clicking here.
46 comments:
Despite some of the TSA-negative publicity, someone is doing their job. These guns aren't "security theater".
I find this intresting (crazy some weeks) though facinating. Wondering sometimes what the statistics are by Airport?
Anonymous @ 6:35 PM 12/7/12, you're right. The guns aren't "security theater". They're old, pre-9/11 security. Caught with the baggage x-ray. So why can't we go back to that security again? After all, it seems to be working.
Also, Bob, it's really curious how pro-TSA posts always seem to be the first posted. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, right?
Screen shot taken.
Once again you emphasize only "grenade" and not INERT.
Scary looking? Yes. Dangerous? NO.
Knock off the pathetic scare tactics, Bob.
Yes it is theater. Michael Chertoff admitted it in an interview several weeks ago.
Yes, some people are very dumb, but to be on the safe side, never carry these items, if kind of legal, checked bagage but never handcarry. In Korea at the base exchange they sold canes with swords inside, they were discovered at sometime, but I wonder how many people returned them to the store for an exchange. Never carry any weapons unless you are law enforcement, and there are proper procedures to notify security, never any odd or possible weapon inside your hand carry baggage, that is unless you want to be arrested. Just keep the dumb things at home, period.
Bob S said...
Yes, some people are very dumb, but to be on the safe side, never carry these items, if kind of legal, checked bagage but never handcarry. In Korea at the base exchange they sold canes with swords inside, they were discovered at sometime, but I wonder how many people returned them to the store for an exchange. Never carry any weapons unless you are law enforcement, and there are proper procedures to notify security, never any odd or possible weapon inside your hand carry baggage, that is unless you want to be arrested. Just keep the dumb things at home, period.
December 8, 2012 3:13 AM
...........................
Almost all of us carry potential weapons.
Any kind of power cord, cable,shoelace,or such makes a fine garrote.
Have a writing instrument? Perfect for a good stabbing. The old cheap Bic's are perfect for that task.
Want to bludgeon a person? The edge of a laptop will fill the bill.
There are many other things in the typical persons belongings that are easy to use as a weapon. So what is TSA going to do, prohibit everything?
Bob, yet more TSOs who think that photography near the checkpoints is not allowed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk-s5YHW8Yk
Why do TSOs continue to tell us that photography is prohibited?
Anonymous said...
Despite some of the TSA-negative publicity, someone is doing their job. These guns aren't "security theater".
Except how many of these guns were caught with pre-9/11 methods, or could have been? All of them? Yup. Everything on top of that is theater.
When I was in Guadalcanal last year on a tour, others were buying WWII relics to take home like very rusted bayonets & ammunition etc. I was tempted but didn't want the hassle of figuring out whether they were legal to bring back or not. It's not so easy as at home to just call up UPS and ship these things. How about some sort program where you could declare any items you think might be even slightly questionable, like the grenade shaped perfume bottle, so they could be hand-inspected & either allowed in checked baggage or provide a representative from a shipping service that would take it right there?
big Whoopity Doo they found guns and such last time I read our US constitution we have the right to keep and bear arms. If you really want to brag tie these weapons to a terrorist not a citizen who beleives in the constitution.with aright to travel our land without having to show his or her papers. You really want to brag, tell us how we have the right to protect ourselves without government intervention. Wow it really feel safe when an unarmed TSA officer is there to protect me! Gee thanks FEDS! The best thing you could possibly do for our protection would be to get out of our lives.
Hey Bob,
Keep up the good work! Some people will criticize no matter what.
How about adding an "Arrested Y/N" column to your weekly gun summary? I for one would like to know if these people were actually arrested or "Allowed to rebook" after trying to sneak a gun (Oh yeah, I believe the "I forgot" defense) onto a plane.
Why do you congratulate yourselves so much on finding guns? Isn't that the bare minimum job requirement of a screener? That seems like the equivalent of a fast food restaurant getting my order correct.
It looks like all of these items were found with pre 9/11 screening measures. Why do we need the expensive and not as effective body scanners that have health and privacy issues?
Isn't an expended rocket launcher pretty much just a metal tube?
Keep up the good work! Some people will criticize no matter what.
How about adding an "Arrested Y/N" column to your weekly gun summary?
Because nobody cares. If there were a danger to aviation from the presence of guns on planes, the danger would have manifested itself through the use of one of the 70% of guns that do get through the checkpoint.
Anonymous said...
Bob, yet more TSOs who think that photography near the checkpoints is not allowed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk-s5YHW8Yk
Why do TSOs continue to tell us that photography is prohibited?
December 8, 2012 9:44 AM
.....................
A better question is: If TSA can't even train its employees that photography is not prohibited why should anyone believe that TSA can train these same employees to do anything?
This continuing issue is perfect proof that TSA employees are not trainable or the total failure of TSA management to,.....well manage.
Bob, which is it?
Yeah, yeah. Thanks for keeping us safe from all of the inert, replica weapons some moron forgot to take out of his/her bag before heading out to the airport. In the meantime, can you remind us how many dangerous iPads has TSA protected us from?
"Why do TSOs continue to tell us that photography is prohibited?"
1. It may be incompetence.
2. It may be fear of being caught doing criminal acts.
3. It may be a "power trip".
In response to RB on 12/8/12 at around 11 p.m.:
It is beginning to sound as if the TSA trains its screeners to attempt to intimidate photographers..
screen shot
Nothing on this list requires a whole body scanner to find. Why do you need them again?
I watched the Youtube video that was posted in these comments. Why was the photographer harrassed by the TSA? I thought your policy allowed photography, yet I see so many videos where the TSA workers are telling the person filming the opposite.
If the TSA cannot train their workers that photography is allowed, how can we trust them with aviation security? What other procedures are they doing wrong if they can't get their simple photography rules right?
Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards? What is prohibited on a plane, what is allowed, who can take a loaded weapon on a plane and who can't, and how to tell the difference between the two passengers?
You have a right to do just about anything you want in your home or on the street.
You ARE NOT required to allow anyone to look in your bags, scan your body, or pat you down. Only if you want to fly. There are many travel alternatives to flying available who those find our screening practices unacceptable. Passengers agree to abide our to screening procedures BEFORE entering security.
Fortunately, the vast majority of the flying public realize that we do a needed, if unpopular, service. We will continue to screen as we are trained and realize and take pride in the impact we have in making air travel as safe as we can.
Anonymous said...
In response to RB on 12/8/12 at around 11 p.m.:
It is beginning to sound as if the TSA trains its screeners to attempt to intimidate photographers..
screen shot
December 9, 2012 10:06 AM
..................
I think we are well past "beginning to sound like" since proof is the actions of TSA employees.
So TSA publicly has a statement saying that pictures are not prohibited yet TSA employees are saying something else and it is not just a one off issue.
I would think a professional organization could solve such a PR problem if they wished.
Is TSA a professioanl organization or does TSA not wish to solve this problem?
John and Mary:
A proper level of screening would be pre-9/11 screening:
WTMD
HHMD if WTMD alarms
Pat-down or WBI ONLY if HHMD does can not resolve an alarm.
NO private room pat downs unless requested by the passenger: anything the TSA needs to do can be done in public.
The two steps that will prevent another 9/11 were taken years ago: hardened cockpit doors and non-cooperation with terrorists.
That is all that is needed.
John and Mary said...
Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards? What is prohibited on a plane, what is allowed, who can take a loaded weapon on a plane and who can't, and how to tell the difference between the two passengers?
----------------------------
I say we go back to pre-9/11 screening with the addition of hardened cockpit doors. 9/11 wasn't a failure of the screeners. Boxcutters were a permitted item that day. Passengers will no longer be compliant with hijackers so the combination of that and the hardened cockpit doors means that type of attack will no longer work.
Metal detectors and explosive trace detection is all that is needed. If the TSA questions that a bottle of water is not filled with water, they have tests they can run on that.
If terrorism is such a constant threat, wouldn't the TSA have caught at least one terrorist by now? Instead, they treat every passenger like a terrorist, even though none of us are. People shouldn't have to have their genitals touched to get on a plane unless there is some serious probable cause to do so.
John and Mary said...
Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards?
This has been asked and answered numerous times before. Usually as part of the strawman argument "if U don't like the TSA, then lets have NO security!!1!"
A return to pre-TSA security would be fine. Metal detectors for passengers, X-rays for carry-ons. Stop the knives, stop the guns from getting on the plane.
No nudie-scans.
No gropings.
No separating people from their belongings so they can be stolen.
No making mothers taste their own breast milk.
No handing pliers to women to remove their nipple piercings.
No spilling peoples colostomy bags.
No putting hands in little kids pants.
(and, yes, all these have happened)
How many of these were found with the help of explosive detection canines?
"...Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards?"
Picture ID at check in.
Walk-Through Metal Detectors.
Greater screening of checked baggage.
Basically.... pre September 11 levels of security will be more safe than the TSA ever will be.
Oh, but what about 9-11 you are going to say.... nothing the TSA does now would have prevented 9-11, and will not prevent another 9-11.
The airlines hardened the cockpit doors which when combined with a plane full of passengers willing to beat the crap out of anyone trying to take over the plan makes air travel more safe than TSA could ever hope.
Defunding TSA would save the taxpayer over 8 billion a year so that is an improvement.
Removing TSA and its violations of the Constitution is an improvement.
Greater Baggage screening makes it more safe.
Ending the TSA becomes the Win-Win scenario you asked about.
John and Mary said...
"You ARE NOT required to allow anyone to look in your bags, scan your body, or pat you down. Only if you want to fly. There are many travel alternatives to flying available who those find our screening practices unacceptable. Passengers agree to abide our to screening procedures BEFORE entering security."
.................................................................
Can you tell me what I am agreeing to abide by when I enter security? Oh that's right, I'm not entitled to know. And these other alternatives that you suggest - why aren't those targeted on a regular basis? Hard to believe I can be safe without some stranger sticking their hands in my pants.
[i]Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards?[i]
Metal detector with shoes and light outerwear on, X rays for belongings, laptop inside the bag, no liquid madness. No ID, whole body imagers, rub downs, hands in pants and SPOT. Do it just like security abroad, where planes don´t fall out of the sky (and actually fly over and into the US with no problem whatsoever).
And invest in behind the scenes intelligence.
"Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards? What is prohibited on a plane, what is allowed, who can take a loaded weapon on a plane and who can't, and how to tell the difference between the two passengers?"
WTMD-only, no shoe carnival, no belt carnival, no liquids farce, no naked body scanners except as an optional secondary screening method for those who alarm the WTMD or have metal implants, etc. and choose a scanner over a wanding and limited area pat-down.
Everything except firearms, large knives, and explosives is allowed on planes.
Retraining for each and every screener in politeness, manners, and hygeine, preferably by personnel from any of the dozens of other countries that do airport security well, which is to say, unlike TSA.
I have no idea who the two passengers between whom you can't tell the difference are, but that's your problem, not mine.
Screencapped.
How many of the guns were carried by terrorists? Transnational? Domestic?
How many of the guns were carried by convicted criminals or persons with extensive arrest records?
How many guns were carried by law enforcement personnel or persons with concealed carry permits?
How many arrests resulted from the discovery of the firearms?
How many convictions?
John and Mary said...
"You ARE NOT required to allow anyone to look in your bags, scan your body, or pat you down. Only if you want to fly. There are many travel alternatives to flying available who those find our screening practices unacceptable."
Yeah- like taking the train. Sure, it'll take a lot longer, but...
Oops, the TSA is there, too.
Well, you could take a bus...
Oops, the TSA is there, too.
I could drive...
Oops, the TSA is there, too.
I suppose I could walk.
Oops: http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2011/03/02/docs-reveal-tsa-plan-to-body-scan-pedestrians-train-passengers/
So AFSD in Miami is an ex-cop fired for soliciting sex.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-12-13/news/miami-tsa-screening-chief-juan-garcia-fired-from-mpd-for-trying-to-buy-sex/
screen shot
@Anonymous, December 11, 2012 3:28 PM:
DHS might have given up on the x-ray plans but they are still financing the audio recording of people riding buses in certain cities:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/12/public-bus-audio-surveillance/
"Transit authorities in cities across the country are quietly installing microphone-enabled surveillance systems on public buses.....The systems are being installed in San Francisco, Baltimore, and other cities with funding from the Department of Homeland Security..."
screen shot
I think the TSA folks are doing a great job! I find it disturbing to read the negative comments on this blog in favor of people trying to bring guns, fake grenades etc on a passenger plane. How STUPID can people be?? and to try to hide stuff, again how STUPID can people be? Whenever i have flown, i never had problems with any of the TSA folks, and i am so glad we have them to go through stupid peoples' bags. Because i will tell you, there will be a time when something that you think is innocent will not be.
"Shortly after leaving MPD, Garcia landed at the federal TSA. A spokeswoman declined to comment about Garcia but sent a statement from the agency: "[Garcia] fully disclosed the charge on his application. As part of a full background check, TSA determined the charge had been dropped and therefore did not violate any hiring qualifications."
----------------
So, as to your "So AFSD in Miami is an ex-cop fired for soliciting sex."
I guess someone shouldn't be hired because a charge against them was dropped?
I don't buy a bit of this baloney. It IS security theater, and the stuff in these pictures is just a dog and pony show. Note that no-where are we going to find out exactly where and how these weapons were confiscated and under what circumstances. This whole story is made-up and I view the TSA as no better than the DPRK at making propoganda. I don't fly because of the TSA, and that's cost the airlines tens of thousands of dollars over the years.
I don't buy a bit of this baloney. It IS security theater, and the stuff in these pictures is just a dog and pony show. Note that no-where are we going to find out exactly where and how these weapons were confiscated and under what circumstances. This whole story is made-up and I view the TSA as no better than the DPRK at making propoganda.
I see that the little girl with brittle bone disease (confined to a wheelchair) crying as TSA agents claim she has bomb residue on her hands...is not in your week in review. Why not?
"...Will those who disagree with our standard practice of screening please respond with an acceptable alternative screening procedure that will maintain or improve upon current security standards?..."
Use pre-9/11 procedures plus hardened cockpit doors plus 100% cargo and baggage screening.
"...You ARE NOT required to allow anyone to look in your bags, scan your body, or pat you down. Only if you want to fly..."
Google "roving backscatter vans." Such vans allow TSA to scan (i.e., irradiate) you and your belongings surreptitiously as you walk or drive down the street.
John and Mary said...
You ARE NOT required to allow anyone to look in your bags, scan your body, or pat you down. Only if you want to fly. There are many travel alternatives to flying available
Really? Please tell me, what "travel alternative" will get me from the East Coast to the West Coast overnight for a meeting? What 'alternatives' do I have to travel to, say, Hawaii for a week?
I was not allowed to have water for my 3 year old on the line going to the screening, which took one hour. The guy in front of me was drinking. TSA employees are incomptent and love the power they are given. I did not want to arguee because I just wanted to go home, but it's really frustrating.
Clicking on an item of "links to this post", which are all to Maximizing Progress causes my IE browser to crash
I totally understand confiscating firearms but a bottle of wine.... come on
So how many terrorism attempts did the TSA prevent in say... the last three years?
This article title is clearly designed to make it look like the TSA has contributed something... like reducing the threat from firearms in... checked baggage? a passenger wouldn't even be able to get to those. These are rather misleading statistics.
I'm terrified to think what harm could be caused by a belt buckle or perfume bottle. I guess being hit with a belt would hurt or something.
Thanks for all your hard work guys!
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