Marine veteran furious after TSA confiscates hollowed ammunition cartridge pendant
#16
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Location: DFW
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That is a cover all term, TSA does not confiscate anything as a matter of policy, and (for the most part) practice. TSA is supposed to offer options to the individual when an item is being denied entry into the sterile area. (what actually happens, based upon reports, seems to be a matter of debate - YMMV)
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
#17
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta TDK(or care)WIA, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,869
That is a cover all term, TSA does not confiscate anything as a matter of policy, and (for the most part) practice. TSA is supposed to offer options to the individual when an item is being denied entry into the sterile area. (what actually happens, based upon reports, seems to be a matter of debate - YMMV)
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
#18
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
That is a cover all term, TSA does not confiscate anything as a matter of policy, and (for the most part) practice. TSA is supposed to offer options to the individual when an item is being denied entry into the sterile area. (what actually happens, based upon reports, seems to be a matter of debate - YMMV)
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
That is a cover all term, TSA does not confiscate anything as a matter of policy, and (for the most part) practice. TSA is supposed to offer options to the individual when an item is being denied entry into the sterile area. (what actually happens, based upon reports, seems to be a matter of debate - YMMV)
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
In some cases specific items that fall into the WEI categories have a secondary protocol attached to them, like LEO notification or EOD calls - at that point, the other agency is in charge of the situation and the disposition of the prohibited items, so they may indeed be confiscated, but that would be done by another agency.
To the traveler, who may have limited time to make other arrangements for an item that is being prohibited from entering the sterile area, confiscation is in all reality what happens. Why else would TSA need Rubber Maid bomb disposal containers at the checkpoint if not for all of those dangerous prohibited bottles of water and what have you?
#20
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Denver CO
Programs: HHonors Gold, National Emerald Club, no airline affinity status
Posts: 3,347
This was 10 years or so ago and I was going through a TSA checkpoint at DEN. I have been through the same checkpoint a dozen of times previously with no issue with a shell casing key ring. "Oh, this is prohibited. You can't travel with this." Um, what? It's just a casing. My finger nail clippers are more dangerous than this casing. After arguing with them a bit I might have called them both idiots. They didn't like that and an LEO was called. He confiscated the shell casing and said I was lucky they were allowing me to fly out. I wasn't sentimentally attached to the casing so I let them throw it away in that special plastic bin full of bottles of water and shaving gel larger than 3.4oz.
#21
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,424
Agreed. To some travelers with time constraints, or other reasons that prevent them from taking advantage of the options, it functions the same way as if TSA had told them, "we are going to take this". It is not confiscation, but the passenger still feels like it is.
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 18, 2019 at 10:39 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by the same member; please use the multi-quote function. Thank you.
#22
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It's confiscation, even TSA uses that language in its communications with the public.
#23
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I have had a TSO toss something of mine in the bin without offering me the option of exiting the checkpoint to dispose of it myself. When I said I wanted to exercise that option, the TSO shrugged and said "Too late" instead of retrieving my item from the bin.
What legal term do you think TSA HQ would consider appropriate to describe this action?
What legal term do you think TSA HQ would consider appropriate to describe this action?
#24
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The fundamental question that should have been asked was: "Is this item in any way a threat to aviation security"?
The answer was clearly "no", so the item should have been allowed without even needing to refer to the 'rules' which suggest the item might be allowed depending on 'screener discretion'.
It's one thing to claim someone might intimidate the flight crew into opening the cockpit door if threatened with a realistic fake gun, but surely even the most poorly trained TSO can understand that a would-be terrorist isn't going to get very far threatening a plane load of people with a shell casing.
It occurs to me that this incident unfolded very very quickly. I assume the bins of confiscated items are disposed of at the end of every shift. I suspect retrieving a single small item after the bins have been emptied would be difficult. Was this issue escalated and the item retrieved all before shift end?
Last edited by chollie; Aug 21, 2019 at 3:41 pm
#25
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Original Poster
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It occurs to me that this incident unfolded very very quickly. I assume the bins of confiscated items are disposed of at the end of every shift. I suspect retrieving a single small item after the bins have been emptied would be difficult. Was this issue escalated and the item retrieved all before shift end?
#26
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: UA/Hawaiian/Marriott
Posts: 840
I've posted this on here before.
When I was working as a uniformed LEO at MCI, I got a call to a SW Gate.
Long story short, there was a 80ish year women crying her eyes out because the asshat "Agents" wanted to confiscate empty brass rifle casings from her brothers military funeral and a couple of other items that they said where "illegal."
SW gets involved but claims its to late to put it in her checked in-luggage...... (BS...hence the reason they haven't gotten a dime from me since).
Being the good LEO that I am, I take the items, get all her info, and after shift I go to the FedEX Support Area at the airport and send the stuff to her. I told them the story and manager shipped it for free.....
3-4 days later, my CPT gets a call saying they got the stuff and thanked me.
And folks wonder why I was such an ....... to "TSA" at MCI.
When I was working as a uniformed LEO at MCI, I got a call to a SW Gate.
Long story short, there was a 80ish year women crying her eyes out because the asshat "Agents" wanted to confiscate empty brass rifle casings from her brothers military funeral and a couple of other items that they said where "illegal."
SW gets involved but claims its to late to put it in her checked in-luggage...... (BS...hence the reason they haven't gotten a dime from me since).
Being the good LEO that I am, I take the items, get all her info, and after shift I go to the FedEX Support Area at the airport and send the stuff to her. I told them the story and manager shipped it for free.....
3-4 days later, my CPT gets a call saying they got the stuff and thanked me.
And folks wonder why I was such an ....... to "TSA" at MCI.