I had an experience recently where I got into a "disagreement " with the TSA and airline personnel in Phoenix while travelling with a firearm.
I arrived at the United terminal in plenty of time, and stated to the Ticket Agent that I had a firearm I wished to declare as part of my checked baggage. The agent then asked to see said firearm.
This immediately had me worried. I explained to here that the arm (a Makarov) was (1) diassembled (field stripped), (2) packed in it's own soft-sided case inside my hard sided lockable luggage, and (3) contained no ammunition. I also told her that, in the interest of avoiding a spectacle, I would show the arm to those interested in a location OTHER than the front desk at the airport terminal.
The agent dropped her first request, and then threw a curve ball, and said "it has to be in it's own hard sided lockable case". Fortunately, I was prepared, and I then pulled out a copy of United's "information for travellers with firearms", taken from their website.
United's policy explains that the firearm must be in a hard-sided lockable case, but that case need not be solely for the purposes of transporting the firearm. Thus, my hard sided luggage met United's (and the FAA's) requirements for transporting a firearm via commercial aviation.
Then the supervisor arrived, and explained to her that my method was, in fact, acceptable under United's rules. The supervisor now added a NEW twist, and stated that I MUST leave the suitcase unlocked so the TSA can "examine" it.
Now encountering this hurdle, I then pulled out 49CFR 1544.203 Part (f)(2)(iii), and told him that there was NO WAY I was letting that bag leave my sight unlocked, as that would put in the category of "criminal" to do so.
After several minutes of discussion, the supervising agent told me to complete my formal declaration and signing of the requisite "firearms declared" orange card, and he then let the bag go through locked. He DID however, instruct me to stay near the ticket counter until the TSA had "reviewed" the situation.
About 10 minutes later, I was paged to the United ticket counter. There I was confronted by a man in an Eisenhower jacket, but with no real signs of being part of the TSA (no badges, uniform, etc.). He acted like he had authority though--he was about as polite as a rattlesnake. He proceeded to demand my keys so that he could unlock and inspect my bag. I told him that the bag contained a declared firearm, and that it was locked in accordance with FAA regulations. I also told him, that while I would not give him the keys, I would be happy to accompany him to whereever he wanted to perform the inspection of my bag.
At this point, Mr. Personality told me that I had 4 choices:
1. give him the keys so he could unlock and inspect my bag
2. allow him to break into the bag (thereby creating a vioation of FAA regs.)
3. fly without my luggage
4. not fly, and have my bag returned.
Given all the wonderful options, and given that I needed to be on the flight due to a family emergency, I had no choice but to give him the keys.
When he returned about 10 minutes later, I asked him why a place was not set up to allow travellers such as myself to have such bags inspected in the owners presence, and thereby not violate FAA regs. His response: we don't have any room for such a location, and thus the FAA is allowing us to do it this way.
What a great consolation: one Fed. Gov't. agency is allowing another to break written rules/laws, and the poor citizen is stuck in the middle.
I sure feel safer now that the TSA is watching over us...........NOT!!!
as well, and I work for the airlines. Most of us in the business saw what what happening with the new Federal regs and shook our heads. It's all show to make the government look like it's doing something. And yes, it was fedgov who made the regs about carryon limits. We'd just as soon you carried whatever you wanted onto the airplane, or gate-checked it. But no, we get the brunt of both ends of it.
