Unfortunately, I think incidents like this only serve to increase scrutiny of carryons, with more bag checks and more attention being paid to objects of every type.

I don't agree the screener should be automatically fired for this. Coming from a quality inspection background, it is impossible for a human to detect every defect (i.e. gun) through visual inspection 100% of the time. ANY human. Was the screener rotated properly to limit fatigue? Was the checkpoint properly staffed? Were they distracted by a supervisor? Were all proper processes followed? Is the X-ray sufficient to see the gun in this configuration? ........ These are all things that cannot be answered without an investigation to see if this particular screener was truely at fault. The vast majority of the time the overall system failed, not the individual worker.

I agree that much of that overall system is the search for water and shampoo which adds nothing to security and makes the job harder. Eliminating that would increase the probability of finding truely dangers guns and bombs. That probability will never hit 100% with humans being such a key factor in the screening.

Now I really don't believe that TSA will do a true root cause analysis, let alone admit to the true root cause. I expect they will let this die without comment until they can trumpet their next big catch of a 20 year old with a fake ID.

Surely, we can detect every defect if we throw more money at the problem.

Think of the children!

It's true in a lot of things. I've inadvertently taken my cell phone into prohibited areas a couple times before. It'd have been more trouble than it was worth to report it, so I'd just shut it off in the bathroom and go back to my car at the earliest possible chance. Never had an issue.

It would have been much more trouble than it was worth to report it. Sad to say, but that's what security in general promotes.

Had to have the obligatory sheeple statement in the story.

It reminds me of my wife's recent parking lot bump where she left a note. This put the renewal of our insurance in jeapordy and certainly raised the premiums.

The message for this passenger and that of my wife's fender bender is being honest doesn't pay. Frankly, this comes as no surprise as evidenced by events in this country over the past 7 years.

What a wonderful message for our children!

Stay the curse.

I have a business acquaintance who had a similar experience.

How did he "accidentally" take his gun to the checkpoint? It was simple, really: 1) he travels almost every week, 2) about half his travel is by car, half by air, 3) like many frequent travelers he has a lot of stuff "ready packed", 4) he has a CCW permit and carries his weapon when traveling by car, and 5) this one time he just forgot to remove the gun before heading to the airport.

After passing through security he realized that his gun was in his bag. Since he had the time he exited security, locked the gun in his car and came back to be re-screened. Good for him that he kept his mouth shut at the airport.

I imagine this happens much more frequently than anyone suspects.

I see a promotion for someone. Let's remember if nothing else the "Peter Priciple" is alive and well.

Would you prefer the message "it's OK if you don't get caught?" Your wife harmed someone, and took responsibility for her actions. I'm shocked that you'd imply that our children should be taught NOT to do so!

One of the ways we learn is by example, and the example set by the insurance industry, TSA and police in these examples appear not to your liking. We have an executive branch of the federal government that professes to be a very strong believer in family values, and as I believe children born into wedlock are considered part of "the family", I would assume that this applies to "the children" as well.

I have ocassionally observed, and I certainly could be wrong, that views and statements credited to the executive branch as fact are not consistent with reality. Perhaps my problem is that my families values are not the same as the government's.

I hope this clarifies your confusion.

Stay the curse.[/I]

Actually, it doesn't at all. I wasn't talking about the Bush administration reference. Your wife hit someone else's car and damaged his property. She should be held responsible for that. I applaud her for taking responsibility for her actions - it sounds like she could have been dishonest and gotten away with it.

I want my children to know that taking responsibility is the right thing to do, even if it has negative consequences.

A friend of mine accidentally carried on a gun. luckily he did not discover it until he was unpacking at his destination.

I bet it happens a lot.

I taught my children to take responsibility for their actions.

However, from personal experience, I have come to the belief that honesty does not pay, especially when said honesty brings a penalty far in excess of the "crime", as happens far too often.

Would I teach them the same thing today? I don't know.

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I recall a few years ago when my son filed his income tax return. A few months after he filed it, he got a check from the IRS telling him he had overpaid by $2,000. Then two or three years later, the IRS came back and said HE had made a mistake on that return and owed them the $2,000 back plus interest and penalities. The IRS made the mistake and assessed him for it......he took it to a tax attorney who, wonder of wonders, got the IRS to admit they had made the mistake and he was not assessed.....however, he had to pay the attorney just about the entire sum that the IRS wanted back. If the government doesn't have to own up to mistakes, why should we?