Luggage
& Gear
This varies. I’ve used hard-sided gun
cases that can hold one or two firearms. Sometimes it’s the manufacturer’s
plastic case supplied for the gun—with a separate lock on the outside.
Other times, it’s a hard-sided case designed for handguns, with built-in
locks. I always store the gun with the slide locked back and a separate “childproof”
lock threaded thru the barrel or down the grip. The hard-sided case goes inside
my checked luggage, which used to also be hard-sided, but lately has been
soft-sided. (I’m going to heed your advice and switch back to hard-sided
baggage for the gun case on future trips.)
Note:
I had purchased two Winchester brand gun cases with combo locks built in for
traveling. Unfortunately, one of the cases had severe lock failure when the
cast metal hasp top broke off, leaving the lock useless. In another instance,
the lock on the other side simply fell off the case while it was stored under
a cabinet—again, cheap cast metal.
Outbound
Travel
Security
procedures at Norfolk, VA (ORF) change at times. Three or four years ago,
I used to be able to have the skycap at the curb process my ticket and do
the baggage tags, give me the TSA card to fill out for inside the baggage,
and then escort me directly to the TSA screening station.
The
procedure changed after a year or so, and the skycap could no longer process
me, but instead escorted me to the airline ticket counter where the ticket
agent processed my baggage tickets and gave me the TSA card to fill out. The
agent always asked to see the gun case inside my luggage, but he/she may or
may not have asked me to open the gun case to see the gun. Some agents required
that I put the TSA card inside the gun case, and others told me to put it
on top of the locked gun case before I closed and locked my suitcase. I then
had to take my baggage to the TSA scanning station, where they simply put
my bags into the machine and told me I was finished and free to go to the
gate, since I had TSA locks on the baggage.
Another
change had the skycap processing my ticket, but not my baggage. At the ticket
counter, the ticket agent gave me the TSA card and watched as I put it inside
my luggage (sometimes they wanted it inside the gun case and sometimes not).
They told me to not lock the baggage before I took it to the TSA screening
area. At the TSA counter, sometimes they looked inside the suitcase to see
the gun case and sometimes they didn’t. Sometimes they had me open the
gun case to see the gun. Sometimes they did the explosive swab and sometimes
they didn’t. They always had me secure the baggage and were happy that
I used TSA locks—“in case the bag needed to be opened later,”
they said. They never had an issue with my ammo, and were satisfied with my
verbal answers about the ammo being in original mfg boxes—never required
to show ammo boxes. The quantity was never addressed, nor was the fact that
it was in the same bag with the gun, or a different bag.
The
most recent procedure continues to eliminate the skycap, except to escort
me to the ticket counter line. At the counter, the agent gives me the TSA
card, processes my ticket, and tags my bags. I put the card inside the bag
on top of the gun case, but don’t open the gun case. Then, off to the
TSA area where the non-firearm bags are handled normally and scanned, while
I stay with the firearm baggage and go to a separate TSA counter, away from
the rest of the screening location. The TSA officer may or may not do the
explosive swab, but does want to see the gun inside the hard-sided gun case.
He also checks for the TSA card.
During
these procedures, I don’t recall any instance when any airline or TSA
personnel reacted negatively to my declaration that I’m checking a bag
with a firearm. All have been professional, and non-reactive. I have felt
that they try to process me in a timely manner, and they don’t cause
undue delay—with one notable exception, at my Homebound Departure Airport
(Ontario ONF)—which I will describe later.
I’ve
already commented about this, but wish to add that this procedure has changed
at Norfolk (ORF) over the years, probably as TSA has tried to streamline their
process. The current procedure requires me to remain with the firearm bag,
after the ticket processing, bag tagging, and departure of the non-firearm
bags. I then have to take the bag to another area (departure screening?)
At
Norfolk (ORF) the TSA screening area for firearm bags is quite far from the
regular TSA screening machines—at one end of the ticket counters. I have
to take my firearm bag, along with my carry-on bag down to the end of the
terminal area. Sometimes a person is waiting there, and sometimes the area
is unattended until I arrive. I’ve never had to wait long nor have I
seen someone else being screened there—probably low volume at this checkpoint.
The TSA personnel at that station do the explosive swabbing, and check to
see that the firearm is in a hard-sided locked container. My bag must be unlocked
when I hand it over, and they open it while I watch. The TSA officer ensures
that the TSA card is present and filled out, and does a cursory look at the
bag’s contents before closing the bag which I’m than allowed to
secure with the TSA lock. A new procedure I’ve noticed is that he makes
notations in some kind of logbook following the baggage check. My bag is then
taken thru a door, toward the interior of the airport. There has never been
an issue about my softsided bag being locked or not. If I don’t step
forward to lock it, the bag would be removed to be put on the plane without
the lock. Usually this job is done in a professional manner. I’m cautioned
that I’m not allowed to touch anything, once the bag is in the control
of the TSA officer. I can observe everything he does. I’ve sometimes
engaged in casual conversation about the process, and usually my comments
are acknowledged and questions answered professionally. Sometimes I’m
told to stand in a certain place, either behind the counter or away from the
inspection station, but still in full view of the bag.
My
flight experience has always been uneventful regarding my firearm onboard.
Upon
my arrival in Ontario, I only had one instance where I had concerns about
a possible “firearms indication” on my bag. Upon my arrival at my
destination, when I picked up my two bags off the carousel, the bag with the
firearm had a tag on the handle. It was a white tag with red diagonal stripes
on a border that ran around the outside edge on both sides of the tag. The
middle of the tag was plain white with no writing. This alarmed me, and I
called the airlines about this particular tag because I never had one on any
of the bags I had ever checked before. The answer was that the tag indicated
a heavier bag, not a firearm. This answer didn’t quite satisfy me because
I have checked heavier bags before with that airline (SWA) and they used a
yellow sticker with the word HEAVY printed on it. When I asked if the tag
was used to identify that there was a firearm inside, the answer was No, it’s
illegal to mark luggage like that. Since that was the right answer, I’ll
assume the heavy bag tag was the truth.
Note:
I do remember that many years ago—in the late-70s, any bag that was checked
with a firearm inside was tagged with “Firearm.” This seemed like
an invitation to steal. I guess I was lucky that my gun was never stolen on
my many commuter flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Homebound
Travel
Everything
concerning check-in is fairly standard at my homebound departure airport in
Ontario, CA (ONT). Never had a problem at the ticket counter, and the ticketing/baggage
process is usually fast and uneventful. I lock the bags and haven’t seen
any indications that the bag is tagged or marked for firearms. I
check in any baggage that doesn’t have a firearm, lock them myself—no
problems here—bags go through machine after I give them to TSA personnel.
The
firearms screening takes place in a separate area from the typical screening
machines. The TSA officer may or may not check the gun case or TSA card. They
may or may not check for explosive residue. This is usually a fairly streamlined
and quick security process at this airport—except for one time.
In
this instance, the TSA officer at the Departure Screening was excessively
slow in processing my bag. This agonizing experience began after I had
easily and quickly cleared the ticket counter and my non-firearm bag was checked.
I had to go to a TSA screening counter, where the young man was doing nothing—no
customers ahead of me. After tinkering with his equipment for about a minute,
he acknowledged my presence. I told him I had a firearm and TSA card in the
suitcase. He took the luggage, set it on the examining table and opened it.
He saw the hard-sided gun case with the TSA card that I had filled out at
the ticket counter. The card was on top of the gun case. He looked thru the
suitcase contents a while, then said he had to process the bag. He was unable
to open the drawer of his machine because it was locked. He told me he had
to get a key. Then he casually strolled the long distance down the line of
the ticket counters in the lobby to the far end of the terminal and disappeared
into a doorway. About 12 minutes later, he reappeared at the doorway and strolled
back to the screening counter. He unlocked the machine drawer. He took out
a swab and carefully ran it around the outside rim on the open suitcase, both
top and bottom, then put it into the machine. I assume it came up negative.
Then he decided to inspect the TSA card that I had filled out. He carefully
examined both sides (the back is blank) reading the few notations: my name,
address, phone number, and flight number. Then he looked at me suspiciously,
saying there was no date on the card. This caught me off guard, and I looked
at the card, too. There was no place for a date, no blank lines, nothing missing.
I told him there wasn’t supposed to be a date on the card, or they would
have put in a line for it. He seemed suspicious, as if I had counterfeited
the card or something. Then he said he was going to have to check with the
ticket agent who gave me the card. More delay! He put down the lid on the
suitcase, and walked off toward the SWA ticket counter which was about 30
yards away. I followed. The suitcase with the gun remained on the examining
table. I was torn between staying with the gun or monitoring the exchange
between the TSA officer and the ticket agent. Since there were other TSA personnel
at tables in the area, I decided to follow the guy. When I arrived at the
SWA counter, he was questioning the ticket agent about the card, and she told
him the same thing I had—the card didn’t require a date. She added
that the flight number was enough, along with my name which could be cross
referenced with the manifest and baggage tag—which DID have a date on
it. He began to argue with her, insisting there was supposed to be a date
on the form. They talked back and forth, repeating themselves. In exasperation,
I took out my pen, took the TSA card and wrote the date on it, beside the
flight number. “There, now there’s a date on it,” I said to
him, handing him the card. He turned and walked back to the screening table
where the bag was still sitting. Then he said the card had to be inside the
gun case. I had to open the case with my key, then put in the card and relock
it. Then he closed the bag, let me put the TSA lock on it, and told me I could
leave for the gate. This process had taken nearly 40 minutes—he was exceedingly
slow and unwilling to even give a hint of efficiency. By the time I cleared
the personal screening area by the gates, I had missed my flight.
Flights
have all been unventful and upon my return my bags never show any signs of
tampering. On two occasions, one of my TSA locks had turned red, but I can’t
recall if it was on the firearm bag or not.
Final
Details & Thoughts
Regarding that one unprofessional TSA situation at Ontario Airport (ONT),
I felt this officer was not particularly busy that afternoon, and deliberately
stretched out his processing to entertain himself. Although I was conscious
that my flight was nearing departure, I was unwilling to give him a hint of
my anxiety because I felt that would have cued him to be even slower. I felt
that his stroll to “get the key” was a ruse—he probably had
it in his pocket all along. Why wouldn’t he have a key to his own equipment?
I felt he would get some perverse satisfaction if he knew I was running short
on time, and perhaps use my desire for him to hurry up as a reason to detain
me longer. I did not report this experience because, frankly, it’s a
waste of time. The TSA personnel, for the most part, are courteous these days,
and seem to be trying to do a good job. However, some of them have poor attitudes,
and take advantage of their positions—which requires, at best, a high
school diploma or GED. The problem is that if you’re running late, and
show any signs of anxiety or desire to “get this over with,” these
guys will deliberately delay you and you have no recourse, except to talk
to a supervisor which only further delays you in the long run.
I’ve
had worse experiences overseas—departing for home from Frankfurt (no
firearm) after a trip to the Mid-East, when a caustic female security official
exchanged words (in English) with me. Since I was transferring from one flight
to a connection, I had remained inside the secure area. But, apparently, Germany
is extra cautious because they were doing screening, as if we had been outside
and returning—which wasn’t possible, as far as I could tell. The
officer had told me to hurry up when I was clearing my pockets and taking
off my shoes while preparing to walk thru the scanning machine. She said I
was holding up the line. As I walked thru the machine, I answered that I was
trying to be sure I had no metal on in order to avoid setting off the machine
and having to be wanded. She said I was going to be wanded, anyway—which
she then took me aside to do. Then she diverted me to an offside screening
room, even though I had not caused any buzzes or beeps of the machine or her
wand. When I went into the screening room, it had other occupants—seven
veiled women in Arab dress. I was an obvious westerner. After answering some
questions there, I was free to go on to the gate. As I passed the surly unifrmed
woman, I told her, in German, that she would have made a good Nazi. This was
probably over reaching, but it gave me some satisfaction at her unwarranted
treatment of me. I was probably lucky that she didn’t react and exercise
more of her authority—but I suspect she knew she had acted very badly
and was reluctant to have her behavior be revealed in a subsequent exchange
between me and her supervisors. Fortunately, I had no firearms on this trip.
