Comments on: The System Worked! TSA Fails To Spot Gun At Montana Airport

By: The Watcher

The Watcher — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:27:05 +0000

As somebody who occasionally travels with a handgun I need to ask:

Was this weapon in checked baggage or in carry-on?

If the former the only risk to ANYBODY (let’s assume the guy could legally possess the gun at both ends of the flight – required by federal law) would have been if the TSA screeners would have found the gun in subsequent secondary screening. He’d get arrested etc.

If it’s in carry-on then we have a major TSA screw-up. So what else is new about that?

THAT we need to deal with…. But the real issue here is strip-searching an eight-year-old doesn’t help nearly as much as keeping a Muslim off a flight if his name turns up on somebody’s list…. Problem lately is that the lists are secret….

AARGH….

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:33:37 +0000

I really don’t think that TSA is paid minimum wage, though I seriously do think there is a cap on their IQ requirements – no one with triple digits allowed.

By: Breetai

Breetai — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:31:07 +0000

No doubt everyone in management involved in this will be reprimanded with promotions.

By: Dallas

Dallas — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:50:22 +0000

#15 LOL. Ain’t that right. I once tried to get away with a 3.5oz of expensive lotion instead of the approved 3oz.

Nope. They caught that puppy and scorned me. When I mentioned it was half full, they called backup. I told them it was theirs and politely asked for forgiveness.

By: Phydeau

Phydeau — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:47:28 +0000

The bottom line is: In order for us to prevent the truly dedicated suicide bomber from getting on a plane we’d have to do a full body scan on each and every passenger, to detect (for example) explosives swallowed or shoved up their rectum. Since that’s impossible, what can we do? Two things: 1. accept that occasionally a terrorist will successfully blow up an airplane. And 2, look at what we’re doing in the world and see if we can limit the things we do (like blowing up wedding parties with Predators) that inspire people to become suicide bombers.

By: bdgbill

bdgbill — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:27:05 +0000

Well, at least it wasn’t something truly dangerous like a bottle of water or nail clippers. I’m sure they would have caught that.

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:43:38 +0000

The other passengers, not the TSA have stepped up whenever there was an incident. From the shoe bomber to the underwear bomber it was the passengers who tackled the bomber. The passengers were thanked by being treated like criminals on future flights.

I say just ban the TSA and go back to the old way of walking through metal detectors. If a terrorist gets on board a plane, then the passengers can tackle him. Flights would return to normal. People know that since Sept 11, cooperating with terrorists will get them killed so now they step up when a terrorist tries to ignite a bomb in his shoes or underpants.

By: Phydeau

Phydeau — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:49:52 +0000

#10 I would say take a long hard look at the charter of the TSA and see if they’re really doing what makes sense. Giving people an illusion of security doesn’t make sense to me.

#11 Exactly. There is no 100% security anywhere. People who try to achieve it will destroy themselves.

As I said in another thread, terrorists cannot destroy America. They can only scare America into destroying itself.

By: beigs

beigs — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:45:12 +0000

How exactly do you forget that you have a gun in your luggage?

By: RBG

RBG — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:31:19 +0000

What I find amazing is that their are actually people who believe there are things that are 100% foolproof.

RBG

By: jobs

jobs — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:13:59 +0000

#2 What do you suggest they do? If the government can’t do it and a security company can’t do it then what. Would you prefer our armed forces checking peoples shoes?

By: pedro

pedro — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:12:30 +0000

This administration is soooooo different than the previous one. It shows, huh?

#2 Sheeple stupidity is even more spectacular.

#4 Let me re-write Brain Half Full posts if the previous admin was still at the whitehouse:

“…That’s 2 million a DAY! If you seriously think that little stories like this are not a serious problem because once a week we here about something that got missed…dude 14 million people boarded US planes this WEEK, one gun got through that we know of …or 4…or 10? That’s pretty unacceptable!”

Sheeple!

By: Mojo Yugen

Mojo Yugen — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:51:13 +0000

Well at least they caught my headphone amplifier in an Altoids tin! It took four of them to determine that it wasn’t a bomb. One of them suggested that they keep the 9 volt battery “just to be safe”. I had to bite my tongue in order not to remind them that I could just buy another one in the gift shop a few feet past the security check point.

By: amodedoma

amodedoma — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:45:31 +0000

I don’t get it. Isn’t there anybody left that remembers the 60′s and the 70′s? Back then we used to have new skyjacking almost every week. So exactly why are we supposed to be more frightened now?! and don’t gimme none of that 9-11 BS – the failure in security that made that possible was fixed almost immediately. Don’t be such zombies, and remember, anybody that keeps reminding you that you should be afraid, is probably trying to manipulate you.

By: AlanB

AlanB — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:45:25 +0000

@2 Phydeau- In addition, hiring a contractor puts a scapegoat between Gallatin Field Board Chairman Dick Roehm and the next missed weapon. ie. -We didn’t screw-up, we hired the best contractor out there. Were going find another contractor.-

@4 Glass said “one gun got through…or 4…or 10? That’s pretty FREAKEN good!” – Rings true. And, if screening went back to the way it was before 911 ,which wasn’t nonexistent, likely only a few more guns would make it through. Mainly because the vast majority of people don’t carry weapons when flying. So we pay for TSA (and all the frustration) to gain a minuscule fraction of a percent based on the millions that fly. Just saying.