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So I just got home from a round trip from Humboldt County to OC through John Wayne and back to Humboldt.
Coming down was a breeze. Checked in at the counter, signed the declaration, slipped it into my bag on top of my locked case, and off I went. Came down with regular baggage at John Wayne.
Coming back today, a whole other story. Same airline. Get to the counter, declare a firearm in my baggage. Sign the card all looks good so far.
Then the agent tells me that I have to open the gun case so she can check to see if it is unloaded. I tell her that is NOT United Policy. She, and another agent assure me it is. So rather than argue, I proceed to open the case, at the counter. She then tells me I need TSA locks on the case. I tell her that TSA specifically instructs NOT to do that.
So I open the case and she peers in at my SA stainless 1911 and says "OK". I ask, OK to what? She says "I can see it is unloaded."
I ask her how can she tell. She says she can tell by looking at it!!!
So I say OK. She then tells me to slip the card INSIDE the locked gun case. I tell her that is NOT policy and since it is locked with non-TSA locks they will not see the declaration inside the locked case, which they cannot open due to non-TSA locks.
So now she calls over a TSA agent AND her supervisor.
TSA tells her that TSA locks are not only not required but they do not want you to use them.
Her supervisor tells her that she does not need to "check the gun" and the slip is to be taped on the OUTSIDE of the locked hard case.
TSA tells her the same thing, because the declaration is me signing that it is NOT loaded. I am legally declaring that to be the case.
So as they say, YMMV. I happened across a person who insisted she has been doing it this way for years, and yet her supervisor and TSA both told her she was full of $#!t.
So that's my Christmas story.
BTW - my Springer arrived safe and sound, even flying through San Francisco!!
Merry CHristmas.
Coming down was a breeze. Checked in at the counter, signed the declaration, slipped it into my bag on top of my locked case, and off I went. Came down with regular baggage at John Wayne.
Coming back today, a whole other story. Same airline. Get to the counter, declare a firearm in my baggage. Sign the card all looks good so far.
Then the agent tells me that I have to open the gun case so she can check to see if it is unloaded. I tell her that is NOT United Policy. She, and another agent assure me it is. So rather than argue, I proceed to open the case, at the counter. She then tells me I need TSA locks on the case. I tell her that TSA specifically instructs NOT to do that.
So I open the case and she peers in at my SA stainless 1911 and says "OK". I ask, OK to what? She says "I can see it is unloaded."
I ask her how can she tell. She says she can tell by looking at it!!!
So I say OK. She then tells me to slip the card INSIDE the locked gun case. I tell her that is NOT policy and since it is locked with non-TSA locks they will not see the declaration inside the locked case, which they cannot open due to non-TSA locks.
So now she calls over a TSA agent AND her supervisor.
TSA tells her that TSA locks are not only not required but they do not want you to use them.
Her supervisor tells her that she does not need to "check the gun" and the slip is to be taped on the OUTSIDE of the locked hard case.
TSA tells her the same thing, because the declaration is me signing that it is NOT loaded. I am legally declaring that to be the case.
So as they say, YMMV. I happened across a person who insisted she has been doing it this way for years, and yet her supervisor and TSA both told her she was full of $#!t.
So that's my Christmas story.
BTW - my Springer arrived safe and sound, even flying through San Francisco!!
Merry CHristmas.
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