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| Stock Photo of Lipstick Knife |
It was business as usual at the checkpoints again this past week.
A passenger at MCO gave us a good example of something you should never say during screening: "You better check me close. I am about to blow." After finishing screening, the passenger's airline denied them boarding and removed their bag from the plane. The passenger was permitted to rebook with a different airline.
In addition to all of the loaded guns we found, (listed below) we also found a lot of other prohibited items around the nation to include gun parts, ammunition, stun guns, mace, throwing stars, throwing knives, switchblades, butterfly knives, kitchen knives etc. In one instance at MDW, one of our officers found a lipstick knife. Paging 007... AT RSW, a passenger went as far as to conceal two knives in the handles of their carry-on bag. In yet another instance at SFO, a knife was found detected under the sole of a passenger's shoe. One could say they were walking on a knife's edge.
Our officers found a couple of other notable things this past week, but they weren't prohibited. A passenger at EWR was relieved after answering a page on the public address system. He had left his wrist watch and a wallet containing $405.00 in cash at the checkpoint. An alert team of TSA officers had found his belongings and worked with the airport to page him so that he could come back to retrieve his belongings. Another passenger who had just traveled through ROC was taxiing to the runway when she noticed that her two-carat diamond had fallen out of her ring. After a series of phone calls, officers at ROC located the diamond on the floor at the checkpoint and it was eventually returned to a very happy passenger.
Our officers found 21 loaded firearms since I posted last Friday. (Not counting the unloaded and replica firearms we found). Here is a rundown:
A passenger at MCO gave us a good example of something you should never say during screening: "You better check me close. I am about to blow." After finishing screening, the passenger's airline denied them boarding and removed their bag from the plane. The passenger was permitted to rebook with a different airline.
In addition to all of the loaded guns we found, (listed below) we also found a lot of other prohibited items around the nation to include gun parts, ammunition, stun guns, mace, throwing stars, throwing knives, switchblades, butterfly knives, kitchen knives etc. In one instance at MDW, one of our officers found a lipstick knife. Paging 007... AT RSW, a passenger went as far as to conceal two knives in the handles of their carry-on bag. In yet another instance at SFO, a knife was found detected under the sole of a passenger's shoe. One could say they were walking on a knife's edge.
Our officers found a couple of other notable things this past week, but they weren't prohibited. A passenger at EWR was relieved after answering a page on the public address system. He had left his wrist watch and a wallet containing $405.00 in cash at the checkpoint. An alert team of TSA officers had found his belongings and worked with the airport to page him so that he could come back to retrieve his belongings. Another passenger who had just traveled through ROC was taxiing to the runway when she noticed that her two-carat diamond had fallen out of her ring. After a series of phone calls, officers at ROC located the diamond on the floor at the checkpoint and it was eventually returned to a very happy passenger.
Our officers found 21 loaded firearms since I posted last Friday. (Not counting the unloaded and replica firearms we found). Here is a rundown:
- 10-7: TSA Officer at IAH detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-7: TSA Officer at LBB detects a loaded .380 pistol.
- 10-7: TSA Officer at SAT detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-8 TSA Officer at MOB detects a loaded .32 pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-8 TSA Officer at AUS detects a loaded .380 pistol.
- 10-8 TSA Officer at SEA detects a loaded .357 pistol. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
- 10-9: TSA Officer at PHF detects a loaded .22 pistol.
- 10-9: TSA Officer at STL detects a loaded .22 pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-9: TSA Officer at MSY detects a loaded 9mm pistol.
- 10-10: TSA Officer at MCO detects a loaded .380 pistol.
- 10-10: TSA Officer at SLC detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber. (ABC4)
- 10-10: TSA Officer at SAT detects a loaded 9mm pistol.
- 10-11: TSA Officer at DEN detects a loaded .22 with a round in the chamber.
- 10-12: TSA Officer at GSO detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-12: TSA Officer at MSY detects a loaded .22 pistol.
- 10-12: TSA Officer at HOU detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-12: TSA Officer at GRR detects a loaded .22 pistol.
- 10-13: TSA Officer at ANC detects a loaded .380 pistol.
- 10-13: TSA Officer at IND detects a loaded 9mm pistol.
- 10-13: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .357 pistol.
- 10-13: TSA Officer at SAT detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber.
- 10-13: TSA Officer at MIA detects a loaded firearm of unknown caliber.
Unless you're a law enforcement officer or Federal Flight Deck Officer who is able to fly with a firearm in the cabin of the aircraft, your firearm (s) must be declared to the airline and checked in your luggage. You can go here for more details.
Just because we find a firearm on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. And just so you know, we also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.
Just because we find a firearm on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. And just so you know, we also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.
TSA Blog Team
