Hidden mags - why?????

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav...azines-infant-toy-orlando-airport/4319291002/

There's a reason that Transportation Security Administration screens everything.

TSA officers discovered two high capacity magazines in an infant's toy at the Orlando International Airport that was made to look factory-sealed. The security agency disclosed the discover in its "Week in Review" post covering Nov. 4 through Nov. 17.

The magazines in the toy were among 205 firearms found in carry-on bags between Nov 4 and Nov. 17. Of that number, 176 were loaded. During that period, 31.7 million passengers were screened by TSA, according to the post written by Jay Wagner.

"This case also elucidates the reason why the TSA must and does screen everything that is heading for the aircraft in order to keep you safe every day," Sari Koshetz, TSA spokesperson, told USA TODAY in an email.

TSA confiscated the magazines and called in the Orlando Police Department.

David Baker, spokesperson for Orlando Police Department, told USA TODAY in an email that an officer responded to the call from TSA on Nov. 12.

"It was determined that the magazines were empty and did not have any ammunition," Baker explained. " As a result, no crime was committed and no police action was taken."

After interviewing the woman who was carrying them, the police cleared her to travel, without the magazines, according to TSA.

"The discovery is a testament to the fact that our officers are highly trained to find possible threats wherever they may be hidden," Koshetz said.
 
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She was headed to one of the banned states, obviously. ;)
 
"It was determined that the magazines were empty and did not have any ammunition," Baker explained. " As a result, no crime was committed and no police action was taken."

After interviewing the woman who was carrying them, the police cleared her to travel, without the magazines, according to TSA.

"The discovery is a testament to the fact that our officers are highly trained to find possible threats wherever they may be hidden," Koshetz said.
These 3 statements should be in different stories. They make no sense together.

“Empty mags are allowed on planes. However, she was forced to leave them behind. Finding these non-criminal items is the reason why we need the TSA.”

What???! My head hurts.
 
I like...It was determined that the magazines were empty AND did not have any ammunition......Must get paid by the word.

Maybe they didn't have springs or followers or base plates, so they were empty AND had no ammunition. That, or the writer is just ignorant.
 
I like...It was determined that the magazines were empty AND did not have any ammunition......Must get paid by the word.

I mean, they were in a child's toy. I guess it was possible to use them as crayon dispensers. So, no crayons? Empty. Also, no ammo.

All bases covered, right? :D
 
I mean, they were in a child's toy. I guess it was possible to use them as crayon dispensers. So, no crayons? Empty. Also, no ammo.

All bases covered, right? :D
PEZ dispensers...:D
 
TSA employees aren't on this side of the bell curve.
You say that, but it was an obvious attempt to smuggle something and it was firearm related in nature. Sometimes this can yield something else in a more rigorous search that might have been missed. I would have flagged it for more investigation. However, keeping the mags didn't make sense. If she couldn't fly with them she should have been able to ship them to herself.
 
@georgel makes a good point, it was an obvious attempt to smuggle something on board. That it was something questionable, but not illegal makes me think that it was a test to see what would happen. I wonder how the TSA interview went and what the traveler said to make it all seem innocent.
 
I joked about an obvious reason being her destination may not have allowed full capacity magazines. We've all heard about the fanatical response of some LE in MD and that incident in NY to things as simple as a magazine or spent shell casing. Maybe, it was just to avoid casual detection in case her luggage was opened. I could easily see some guy in a banned state asking his sister, girlfriend, mother, etc. to bring him a couple of full capacity magazines for his gun when they come up for a visit. But, don't let anyone see them, they're illegal.
Or, more nefariously, someone is assembling a gun by parts to get through security. That would be a coordinated multi player operation.
Did you know that if flight crew is randomly selected by the scanner, they won't inspect them. They inspect the next person. :rolleyes:
 
I could easily see some guy in a banned state asking his sister, girlfriend, mother, etc. to bring him a couple of full capacity magazines for his gun when they come up for a visit.
In which case, the one way trip would likely have been perfectly safe to put them in checked baggage. For that matter, unless TSA makes it their mission to enforce local or state ordinances, which would be above and beyond their mission, you could probably go both ways with them.
 
And who said the TSA was useless
 
And who said the TSA was useless

I did!

I had a run in with them while brazenly attempting to smuggle a long 11/16 - 5/8" double box wrench (vintage Plomb, as I recall... I like old tools, and this was a flea market score) into my carry on luggage. Given that it exceeded some ridiculous specified length, it too was deemed a weapon of mass destruction . "Take me to Havana or I'll tighten this bolt!!!!"

The very self satisfied TSA drone asked me (while brandishing this fearsome weapon) what I wanted to do with it, since it couldn't possibly go on board with me, and I told him he " could stuff it anywhere he wanted to ".

Idiots.
 
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I joked about an obvious reason being her destination may not have allowed full capacity magazines. We've all heard about the fanatical response of some LE in MD and that incident in NY to things as simple as a magazine or spent shell casing. Maybe, it was just to avoid casual detection in case her luggage was opened. I could easily see some guy in a banned state asking his sister, girlfriend, mother, etc. to bring him a couple of full capacity magazines for his gun when they come up for a visit. But, don't let anyone see them, they're illegal.
Or, more nefariously, someone is assembling a gun by parts to get through security. That would be a coordinated multi player operation.
Did you know that if flight crew is randomly selected by the scanner, they won't inspect them. They inspect the next person. :rolleyes:
Seems much simpler to just ship to the ban state
 
Going back to Afghanistan after being home for leave, I’d bought 3 large bottles of mouth wash that I couldn’t get over there. I put one in my shaving kit and the other 2 in the bottom of my rucksack. When I went through TSA, they looked at my bag and told me they needed to search me and the bag. They found the one in the shaving kit and didn’t even look any farther. I carried the other 2 onboard the aircraft. Real smart guys!
 
When I was on my way back home from the UK for work earlier this year, they said they spotted something in my carry-on laptop bag and needed to search it. It was a tube of toothpaste that exceeded the size limit. I had no idea it was in there. Must have taken it to work with me one day when I had a dentist appointment and then stuffed it in my bag afterwards. I didn’t need it, apologized, and told them just to throw it away.
What bothered me was that on the trip over to the UK from RTP, they scanned the same bag with the same tube of toothpaste and didn’t notice it.
 
When I was on my way back home from the UK for work earlier this year, they said they spotted something in my carry-on laptop bag and needed to search it. It was a tube of toothpaste that exceeded the size limit. I had no idea it was in there. Must have taken it to work with me one day when I had a dentist appointment and then stuffed it in my bag afterwards. I didn’t need it, apologized, and told them just to throw it away.
What bothered me was that on the trip over to the UK from RTP, they scanned the same bag with the same tube of toothpaste and didn’t notice it.
Right after the airlines began flying post 9/11, an Eye-talian come over here to work in our showroom. When he emptied his pockets before bed that night, he realized he had been carrying a couple box cutters (typically carried by people working with leather) and had been passed thru Eye-talian, German and JFK airports. :eek:
 
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When I was on my way back home from the UK for work earlier this year, they said they spotted something in my carry-on laptop bag and needed to search it. It was a tube of toothpaste that exceeded the size limit. I had no idea it was in there. Must have taken it to work with me one day when I had a dentist appointment and then stuffed it in my bag afterwards. I didn’t need it, apologized, and told them just to throw it away.
What bothered me was that on the trip over to the UK from RTP, they scanned the same bag with the same tube of toothpaste and didn’t notice it.

It's all security theatre anyway so I wouldn't worry about it too much. When they inert test bombs in luggage etc the TSA usually miss them. Too busy being the Gestapo over water I guess.
 
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It's all security theatre anyway so I wouldn't worry about it too much. When they inert test bombs in luggage etc the TSA usually miss them. Too busy being the Gestapo over water I guess.
They have a failure rate of 95%. Any private organization would be done with only a 5% success rate.
 
It's all security theatre anyway so I wouldn't worry about it too much. When they inert test bombs in luggage etc the TSA usually miss them. Too busy being the Gestapo over water I guess.
I had a coworker who used to put her dirty underwear on top so that they had to go through it if they wanted to search her bag.

I had another coworker who was going through the line and they searched this one woman's bag. The guy pulled out an item and asked, "What is this?" to which she replied, "That, young man, is my vibrator."
 
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