FBI Agent Leaves Firearm in ELP bathroom
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
#17
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
Programs: ua prem exec, Former hilton diamond
Posts: 31,801
It is interesting that CNN has changed the headline from FBI to Federal Agent, so it may not have been an FBI agent (the linked story said Federal Agent, only the headline ever said FBI).
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: USA
Programs: UA/CO(1K-PLT), AA(PLT), QR, EK, Marriott(PLT), Hilton(DMND)
Posts: 9,538
TSA Lies! (again)
deleted - wrong thread - i often wondered how people posted to the wrong thread and now i know
Last edited by PhlyingRPh; Apr 6, 2011 at 4:01 pm Reason: deleted - wrong thread
#19
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 843
Yeah, but FBI and other Federal Agents are held to a higher standard. Honestly, the guy/gal will probably wind up with a reprimand or a couple days on the beach. I don't understand how people wind up leaving their firearms laying around. I've carried for 20+ years and I always know where mine is.
#20
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: YUL
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 446
You seem to advocate that someone shoots themselves when they discover a firearm where it's not supposed to be...
... but yet you call others jack-booted thugs? Do you really think that you can have it both ways?
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: USA
Programs: UA/CO(1K-PLT), AA(PLT), QR, EK, Marriott(PLT), Hilton(DMND)
Posts: 9,538
Ok, I'll bite, since you seem to be playing dumb about yknot's response.
You seem to advocate that someone shoots themselves when they discover a firearm where it's not supposed to be...
... but yet you call others jack-booted thugs? Do you really think that you can have it both ways?
You seem to advocate that someone shoots themselves when they discover a firearm where it's not supposed to be...
... but yet you call others jack-booted thugs? Do you really think that you can have it both ways?
If I found a gun in an airport or under my seat on a plane, or even placed in my bag, I would not hand it in. If it were in a bathroom, I would leave it alone - some chump would show up sooner or later and report it anyway. If it were in the seatpocket in front of me, I would leave it there. If someone were to show up mid-flight and try to use it I would kick their arse. Otherwise, let the cleaning crew find it later - it doesn't have my finger prints on it anyway. Now, if I opened my bag and found that someone (TSO probably) had placed it there, I would take it out using a tissue, put it on the floor and leave. I don't need to sit in a room being interrogated and likely smacked up by jackbooted thugs while I'm trying to get somewhere. I can, however deal with the pigs when I am back home, with my lawyer able to be present in order to protect me from a couple of community college, or US state university educated fbi agents who are trying desperately to pin some sort of evil intent on me.
So, my point was that the individual that discovered the gun should think about the bad things that might happen to them instead of focusing on being a good little sycophant / uncle tom / what have you. That's all.
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Marriott or Hilton hot tub with a big drink <glub> Beverage: To-Go Bag™ DYKWIA: SSSS /rolleyes ☈ Date Night: Costco
Programs: Sea Shell Lounge Platinum, TSA Pre✓ Refusnik Diamond, PWP Gold, FT subset of the subset
Posts: 12,509
What bad things would happen to me?
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: USA
Programs: UA/CO(1K-PLT), AA(PLT), QR, EK, Marriott(PLT), Hilton(DMND)
Posts: 9,538
I would just call 911 from my cell, keep anyone else from touching it, and wait for an LEO to show up. I wouldn't know if a round had been chambered, safety off, etc. I would feel terrible if a curious kid had gotten a hold of it with unfortunate results, and I had decided to let some other "chump" take action.
I don't know. What colour is your skin? What is your religious preference? What is your heritage? What countries do you visit? These things shouldn't matter but to those who investigate events similar to that we are discussing, these are factors that are taken into account.
#24
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,425
I cannot fathom an LEO leaving his protection like that. I'd feel naked....
#25
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 389
What to do anyway?
I'm not with you on this one. You have to do the right thing sometimes even though you get some s**t (stuff) for it. And getting that weapon properly in possession is the right thing to do. Any kid could get ahold of it and hurt themselves or someone else, or some off-balanced person could do some damage with it. It's not a question of being a state stooge.
I cannot fathom an LEO leaving his protection like that. I'd feel naked....
I cannot fathom an LEO leaving his protection like that. I'd feel naked....
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: USA
Programs: UA/CO(1K-PLT), AA(PLT), QR, EK, Marriott(PLT), Hilton(DMND)
Posts: 9,538
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
If I found a gun at an airport, I would let someone know about it. The risk is that you become the suspect, especially if you are of a non-Caucasian race. Sorry, it's reality. One part of me (even as a Caucasian male) would want to report it anonymously. But, another part of me would want to stay with the weapon to make sure that somebody else didn't pick it up and accidentally discharge (clinical term for "shoot") it. If I could legally withhold my identity from the cops, I would. For sure, I wouldn't answer any questions not directly related to the gun in the stall and the circumstances under which I found it. Also, I would not have touched it, so my fingerprints would not be on it.
It's bizarre -- These days in the USA, one has to really think twice about doing the right thing.
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,726
I don't know specifically what the earlier objection (by the other poster) to my post was. However, to address your response (and I'm not quite sure what you are trying to say either), I think others have provided a component of the answer (free gun, etc). But there's more to it than that. I don't see the choice/consequence ratio of reporting a lost gun in the same way you do, likely as a result of the prevailing climate surrounding automatic suspicion of anyone who is not white in the US.
If I found a gun in an airport or under my seat on a plane, or even placed in my bag, I would not hand it in. If it were in a bathroom, I would leave it alone - some chump would show up sooner or later and report it anyway. If it were in the seatpocket in front of me, I would leave it there. If someone were to show up mid-flight and try to use it I would kick their arse. Otherwise, let the cleaning crew find it later - it doesn't have my finger prints on it anyway. Now, if I opened my bag and found that someone (TSO probably) had placed it there, I would take it out using a tissue, put it on the floor and leave. I don't need to sit in a room being interrogated and likely smacked up by jackbooted thugs while I'm trying to get somewhere. I can, however deal with the pigs when I am back home, with my lawyer able to be present in order to protect me from a couple of community college, or US state university educated fbi agents who are trying desperately to pin some sort of evil intent on me.
So, my point was that the individual that discovered the gun should think about the bad things that might happen to them instead of focusing on being a good little sycophant / uncle tom / what have you. That's all.
If I found a gun in an airport or under my seat on a plane, or even placed in my bag, I would not hand it in. If it were in a bathroom, I would leave it alone - some chump would show up sooner or later and report it anyway. If it were in the seatpocket in front of me, I would leave it there. If someone were to show up mid-flight and try to use it I would kick their arse. Otherwise, let the cleaning crew find it later - it doesn't have my finger prints on it anyway. Now, if I opened my bag and found that someone (TSO probably) had placed it there, I would take it out using a tissue, put it on the floor and leave. I don't need to sit in a room being interrogated and likely smacked up by jackbooted thugs while I'm trying to get somewhere. I can, however deal with the pigs when I am back home, with my lawyer able to be present in order to protect me from a couple of community college, or US state university educated fbi agents who are trying desperately to pin some sort of evil intent on me.
So, my point was that the individual that discovered the gun should think about the bad things that might happen to them instead of focusing on being a good little sycophant / uncle tom / what have you. That's all.
9-11 only made things worse.
#30
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 221
Federal Air Marshal Mark V. Murphy
[Federal Air Marshal Mark V.] Murphy left his loaded service weapon, a .357-caliber semiautomatic pistol, in the airplane lavatory [mid-flight]. The boy found the gun and handed it to the flight attendant.