Passenger carries firearm through TSA screening at Atlanta onto Delta flight

[IronLionZion]

Source: CNN

(CNN)A traveler carrying a firearm boarded a flight from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and flew to Tokyo Narita International Airport on January 3, according to a statement from the Transportation Security Administration.

"TSA has determined standard procedures were not followed and a passenger did in fact pass through a standard screening TSA checkpoint with a firearm at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on the morning of January 3," the release states.

Delta Airlines also issued a statement to CNN, saying that "upon the customer's disclosure, the airline reported the incident to the TSA."

The security breach came two weeks into the government shutdown, during which TSA agents have been required to work but have not received paychecks. CNN first reported on January 4 -- a day after the breach -- that hundreds of TSA agents from at least four major airports had called in sick.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/13/us/tsa-gun-flight/index.html

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TSA

[TomSlick]

1. I am very worried about the TSA screening.

The TSA agents must be distracted worrying about their finances.

I have chaffed about the TSA screening in the past but I miss the confidence I once had in the screening. I would be very concerned about flying before this mess is resolved.

[IronLionZion]

3. They have failed their tests almost every time

According to a report based on an internal investigation, "red teams" with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General were able to get banned items through the screening process in 67 out of 70 tests it conducted across the nation.
The test results were first reported by ABC News, and government officials confirmed them to CNN.

https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/politics/tsa-failed-undercover-airport-screening-tests/index.html

[TomSlick]

4. That doesn't make me feel any more secure.

[MosheFeingold]

24. My son called the screening "Kibuki Theatre Security"

And he is pretty correct. It is almost impossible to screen for weapons/items.

Human intelligence and screening people is far more effective (but fraught with human rights dangers).

Presumably a balance of the two can be implemented.

[IronLionZion]

29. Humans consciously or subconsciously use racial profiling

which lets whites go by with weapons. TSA has had many human rights violations against women and minorities since their founding. When humans are given a little bit of power with immunity from criminal prosecution, some will abuse it.

The full body scanners actually makes things a little less racist since most everyone has to go through it.

TSA already uses a lot of human intelligence and behavior-based screening and there is public information of the stuff that has been unclassified when the ACLU sued for it. It doesn't help. There are in-depth 20+ question interviews now for international flights coming in to the US, and no they don't care if you're a US citizen with pre-check and global entry. It's largely a brown and white issue. I have a Jewish friend and when she gets tan at the beach they "randomly select" her for extra screening coming back. Every single time.

[IronLionZion]

31. TSA Behavior Detection and Analysis Program

https://www.tsa.gov/news/testimony/2013/11/14/tsa-behavior-detection-and-analysis-program

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

33. +11 Interesting.

TY.

[AllyCat]

46. We flew awhile back and I was shocked to find my kid's

Cub Scout penknife in his backpack in our hotel. They stopped our other son for a small bottle of water he had squirreled away.

[fierywoman]

52. I know an oboe player who flew with a reed knife: they are as sharp as a razor. And

I know a watercolor painter who had his (masking-type) tape taken away from him.

[dflprincess]

47. He's right

the main point of the TSA is to remind us to always be afraid.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

6. TSA has an abysmal failure rate at detecting weapons

and other prohibited items. They had a 95% failure rate at detecting items. This prompted more training and they improved to a whopping 70% failure rate.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2017/11/09/tsa-misses-70-of-fake-weapons-but-thats-an-improvement/

[IronLionZion]

2. Dems have a tremendous opportunity to reform this agency

and ICE too. Get them to do stuff that actually helps security instead of racial profiling and sexual assault. They are an epic failure at their core mission.

Maybe implement major reforms to TSA's processes, ICE's processes, and comprehensive immigration reform, and let dipshit build his useless wall.

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. We get what we pay for

Beginning salary for TSA agents is less than $25K.

[jmowreader]

5. The Hard Right is about to lose what mind it had left

The Japanese DO NOT play around when it comes to guns.

[IronLionZion]

8. Freepers are calling on privatizing the TSA

and firing and replacing all of them

[jmowreader]

10. Of course they did

Privatized airport security was in place on 9/11.

[obamanut2012]

19. I told someone that this weekend, and they said I was lying

Then they Googled it.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. They didn't think to wonder why DHS eventually became the largest government Department

civilian that is... (which would warrant that good "pop quiz" about the 55,000 screeners (PDF) who were hired/converted )

[3Hotdogs]

13. Help Wanted.... Airport Security Personnel. Contractor is looking for qualified staff.

Oh, by the way, since we are a contractor, you still ain't gonna get paid.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Some smaller airports already have privatized screeners

I believe it was part of a waiver that had been offered as part of the legislation (and/or amendments to it) that created TSA.

Here is a list of airports using private (TSA-approved) screeners -

Atlantic City International Airport
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport
Dawson Community Airport
Glacier Park International Airport
Greater Rochester International Airport
Havre City-County Airport
Jackson Hole Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Key West International Airport
L. M. Clayton Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Portsmouth International Airport
Punta Gorda Airport
Roswell International Air Center
San Francisco International Airport
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport
Sioux Falls Regional Airport
Tupelo Regional Airport
Wokal Field/Glasgow International Airport
Yellowstone Airport

https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/screening-partnerships

[obamanut2012]

20. Orlando and SF aren't small at all

That's odd.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. I have been to both

and they aren't quite like JFK (NY), LAX (Los Angeles Int'l), ORD (Chicago O'Hare), or ATL (Hartsfield-Jackson), which are others I have been to... but some articles about this partnership indicated that it would probably be burdensome for the largest airports to attempt to convert (which would require TSA approved practices/procedures regardless).

[zipplewrath]

34. That's Sanford

That's the Orlando Sanford Airport, not OIA/MCO.

[at140]

7. Was that a dis-assembled plastic gun made on 3-D printer?

Those have very few metal parts.

[IronLionZion]

9. American woman brings pistol, bullets onto Delta Air Lines flight to Japan

CHIBA
An American woman who was found to be in possession of a pistol and bullets on a flight from Atlanta to Narita airport near Tokyo last week was denied entry to Japan, airport sources said Friday.

The woman, believed to be in her 30s, told Delta Air Lines crew during the flight that she had mistakenly brought the handgun and ammunition with her onto the plane, despite passing through security inspection at the southern U.S. airport, the sources said.

The cabin crew took the handgun from the woman until the plane's arrival on the afternoon of Jan 3, the sources said, adding that she apparently owned it for self-protection.

The woman returned to the United States the same day she arrived, they said.

https://japantoday.com/category/national/American-woman-brings-pistol-bullets-onto-Delta-Air-Lines-flight-to-Japan

I didn't find anything about the type of gun in a quick google search.

[petronius]

14. Pretty expensive mistake, but she's probably lucky that she found it in time to inform

the flight crew, and didn't get caught in Japan with it...

[Blue_Tires]

23. Anyone who "forgets" they have a sidearm on them

when traveling halfway around the world shouldn't be allowed to own guns in the first place...

So how did the Japanese authorities handle this?

[IronLionZion]

25. They apparently deported her back to America same day

[Blue_Tires]

30. Good...

Why haven't they named her? I'm very curious to know what kind of nutbar "forgets" they're carrying...

So as I see it, here are the possibilities (of course only Numbers 1 and 4 align with her "forgot" excuse:

1. Her gun is undetectable...

2. She knows ATL well enough to bypass security and find some alternate way through the terminal to her gate (maintenance access, maybe?)

2A. She waits for some huge distraction or diversion to grab the attention of the cops and TSA at the security screen and just waltzes through.

3. Her gun was detected and somehow she was able to "explain" her way through the TSA...

4. Her gun was detected and the TSA was too short-staffed/incompetent to notice or care...

[IronLionZion]

32. All those possibilities are worrisome

This shouldn't be acceptable and shows the current processes are obviously not good enough.

[at140]

38. You can transport firearms in checked baggage?

Is that correct? So may be she is a cheap skate who did not want to pay $30 bag checking fee.

[melm00se]

40. Yes

you can transport a firearm in checked luggage (internationally requires a ton of paperwork). You go to the ticket counter and state "I have something to declare". Every time I have done that the agent never blinked an eye and asked "Is it unloaded?".

here are the TSA rules https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition


Most international flights allow for 1 free checked bag per person (as long as it is under the 50 pound weight).

This had to be a royal screw up on the TSA's side. I have had my leatherman micro picked up on an xray scan and my watch will set off the body scanner.

[Blue_Tires]

41. I don't get it... Was the sidearm in a carry-on or was it on her person?

[melm00se]

42. either way

it is against federal law and should have been caught at the security checkpoint.

Firearms in checked baggage, like I said, is legal as long as the gun is declared and you are compliant with the local laws at both the origin and destination.

[ManiacJoe]

49. In a carry-on.

Most likely in her purse, some of which are specially designed for that job.

[AllyCat]

54. Yes. We got held up at baggage check in

By 3 Americans checking weapons. Most appeared to be hunting. It took 20 minutes and held everyone up. If this woman didn’t want to wait...

[AllyCat]

53. I agree. If someone is that forgetful of having a lethal weapon

They cannot safely possess one.

[MosheFeingold]

27. No

And those are basically useless, one shot, novelties.

When I was a teenager, we used to make guns using radio antennas and a thumb tack.

(You break off the retractable antenna (which is hollow and collapses) -- push the tack to the bottom, point up towards the hole, drop in a .22 shell (bullet side up), and stuff in a piece of paper to keep it from coming out.

You just hit the end of the antenna with your palm and "bang".

Similar, much more serious, weapons can be made with pipe and a shotgun shell.

It's just not that hard.

[IronLionZion]

35. Here's a heavy metal revolver that made it through last year

https://www.foxnews.com/us/flier-makes-it-through-airport-security-with-loaded-gun-in-her-purse

Metal guns make it through more often than some may like to believe

[at140]

37. That scares me to fly any more!

I hate today's air travel anyways with cramped seating and other issues.

[area51]

11. Thanks, Trump.

[PoliticAverse]

12. From 2015: TSA failed 95% of the time...

According to a report based on an internal investigation, "red teams" with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General were able to get banned items through the screening process in 67 out of 70 tests it conducted across the nation.

https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/politics/tsa-failed-undercover-airport-screening-tests/index.html

[MadDAsHell]

17. I'm not sure anyone will care; some media has contended that TSA makes us LESS safe. nt

[IronLionZion]

18. They give the illusion of safety, which makes us less safe

the whole thing is for show. The racial profiling and sexual assault are the worst.

I don't want to shit on working people when they are not being paid, but this is a prime opportunity for sensible reforms of that agency.

[Blue_Tires]

26. Even turning the clock back twenty years ago (pre-TSA)

this story is pretty alarming... How the hell did she even get through the metal detectors??

Or is this one of those lowkey subtle tests to gauge the effectiveness of those 3-D printed plastic guns?

[Blues Heron]

28. arent' the new xray/microvave machines in place of metal detectors?

so they didn't see it.

The shoe thing really is a joke though. At least put a chair there so people can more easily take their shoes off ffs

[dflprincess]

48. I can't remember what airport I was at,

I went though the x-ray that isn't an x-ray machine (so they tell us) and they pulled me aside to wand the lower part of my left arm. I have a plate & screws in my right wrist but that didn't seem to worry them. I still can't figure out what they saw on the left one - unless the screener read the x-ray backward.

[ManiacJoe]

50. It went through the x-ray machines without being noticed.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

36. The same airport where TSA agents confiscated my 92 year old mother in law's tweezers.

They said it was a “poking weapon“. I shit you not, a “poking weapon”!

[MadDAsHell]

39. There's so much fear of discriminatory behavior that we take away agents ability to use common sense

The fact that we have to hand wand 92 year old women just to be "fair" defies all common sense.

[IronLionZion]

44. Who fears discriminatory behavior?

Because if I get "randomly selected" for extra screening almost every time despite having pre-check and global entry, then it may not be random.

I agree with you on the 92 year old woman, but ask any brown person who flies about discrimination.

[MadDAsHell]

45. I agree with you, but can we not be grown up enough to all agree 92-year-old women can be exempt?

Almost all terror attacks have two things in common: young, and male.

Why we can't have the maturity and common sense in this country to face those facts and not subject the other 85% of the population to the same frequency of random checks is ridiculous.

When it's 99% young males, its not stereotyping; it's mathematical fact.

To create hours long lines just to ensure we're being "fair" when virtually every attack ever has been perpetrated by the same age and gender demographic is just insulting to our intelligence and an incredibly wasteful and ineffective screening approach. Being "fair" can be one of the best things about this country, but there are plenty of times when it's one of the dumbest. When it forces us to ignore every fact that's right in front of our face, it's the latter.

What's interesting is that everyone wants to wring their hands over stereotyping and discrimination, and yet I guarantee you that 99% of people would choose the shorter line that was focusing its screening on mostly young males, over the longer line that was not allowed to focus on anybody and thus was truly random.

[brooklynite]

43. C'mon, it could have happened to ANYONE....

...who brought a gun to the airport.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

51. I'm a former airline employee.

I went to work at Washington National Airport in January, 1969, almost fifty years ago now. Before any sort of screening. Heck, we used to let passengers out on the ramp to take photographs of the airplanes, as odd as that must sound now.

In the early 1970s people were hijacking airplanes to Cuba, and it quite frankly got to be a bore. So the original screening procedures were installed, mainly to intercept guns. It was successful. Hijackings dropped to zero.

Then 9/11 occurred, and the current system was put in place. It's total bullshit. And it's why I rarely fly any more. Not because I think flying isn't safe, but because I'm not willing to put up with the bullshit of the TSA. When I do fly, I buy a first class ticket. Airlines have trained passengers to purchase the cheapest possible ticket, regardless of the inconvenient routing. Me? I won't fall for that. So I buy a first class ticket. I long ago learned that if I buy my ticket a couple of months ahead of time I can get a fare I'm willing to pay. Of course it's not the cheapest possible fare, but I don't give a flying fuck. I go first class. And I usually get the pre-check thing, maybe because I'm already a senior citizen, maybe because I bought a first class ticket. Not to worry.

I have seen the TSA wanding toddlers who are crying for their mothers, or 90 year old nuns. Really? There is simply no common sense being applied. Okay, so maybe I'm advocating profiling, but toddlers or 90 year old nuns?

I used to joke that my goal in life was to be able to afford to fly first class all the time. Then 9/11 and the nonsense of the TSA happened. My current joke is that I want to afford to fly on chartered aircraft. Or find a time machine and go back far enough to avoid all this bullshit entirely.