Originally Posted by
Wilbur
That is a pretty good summary of how the TSA cannot seem to operate with any sort of process efficiency or consistency.
What should happen? The TSA inspection should take place before the bag goes into the handling system and in the owner's presence at the carrier's check-in desk.
What does happen? Just about anything else, as the OP described it, including TSA violations of Federal firearm transportation regulations and contravention of common sense.
I disagree. There are multiple processes to screen checked firearms.
I would like to point out something that no one has mentioned, because the odds of it happening are very rare. I have heard people state that to prevent theft throw a gun into the bag, thus the bag is checked in front of you, and so on. Ok, lets say that works, and often it will.
But what happens when and if you bag is put on the wrong plane, unloaded at another destination, and when the airline employees realize it, submit it for re-inspection by TSA, the lock is cut off, the gun found - and now your luggage can not go, stuck in an airport you are not.
As example, today I had to screen bags that the airline put on the wrong plane, then waited at the baggage claim area before the airline employees realized were put on the incorrect flight. So the bags had to be rescreened before being flown to their original destination. It doesn't happen often, but considering how many hundreds of thousands of people who fly in a single day, I would guess it happens thousand of times a day around the country.
I realize this is off topic, just wanted to throw this out there to make sure your aware of the possibility. Have fun discussing it by yourselves.
Add: the other day I remember having to screen a baby carriage that was put on the wrong flight. Family got it the follow day. Felt bad for them.