Man Forgot Loaded Handgun in His Carry-On, TSA Forgot To Notice

[Elizabeth Grunewald]

Man Forgot Loaded Handgun in His Carry-On, TSA Forgot To Notice

A man made it through security, onto a plane, and to his destination with a loaded handgun in his carry-on.

The holiday season is one of the busiest travel times of the year, but this isn't an oversight that can reasonably be chalked up to busyness. Farid Seif, a businessman from Houston, Texas, always carries a loaded .40 caliber gun. He was flying out of Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and forgot the gun was in his carry-on bag. He was able to board the plane without realizing the oversight, though, because nowhere in the security checkpoints and screenings did anyone notice his loaded gun.

Seif realized he had the weapon upon arriving at his destination, and promptly reported it. He was pretty shocked, particularly because there was nothing else in his carry-on; as he told his local ABC news outlet, "There's nothing else in there. How can you miss it? You cannot miss it."

The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been in the news lately for various controversial screening techniques, such as full-body scanners and pat-downs. A representative for the Houston Airport System refused to comment on this incident.

All I want is for everyone to get to keep their shoes on in the airport, but I'd certainly settle for no loaded handguns.

Source: Geek [http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7848683]

(Image [http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlisbona/412910081/in/photostream/])

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[justcallmeslow]

I find it worrying enough that people can wander around with loaded handguns, let alone take them on planes. Every part of this story is silly.

 

[Megacherv]

I read about this earlier today I think, seems that the TSA have their priorities in completely the wrong places, who woulda thunk it, eh?

 

[Bretty]

This is too funny.

While flying back from Toronto (I live in Vancouver) the airport security thought my Home and car keys were fishy and put them through 4 different tests and made me stand to the side while they did it....

And this guy can bring a gun????? Hooray for the guy that failed to look at the moniter to miss the OBVIOUS gun shape in a bag. If you have ever seen these screens you can see the motherboards and GPUs in a laptop!

Mistakes happen though, but shame on TSA for not finding something so obvious.

 

[manythings]

Well it's because they are too busy taking all the 5 year olds out of line to strip search them in the secure, unsupervised area.

 

[Booze Zombie]

This just shows how checking peoples shoes does nothing... you just need to look busy and they'll let you through.

 

[Jaebird]

"Let's see here: toothbrush, shaving cream, loaded handgun...wait a minute! Sir, what are you doing with shaving cream in your carry on? Don't you know how volatile the chemicals in this can are at high altitudes? Please walk with my associate here for a full-body scan and pat down."

Edit: "Oh, and don't forget your handgun, sir. Have a nice day."

 

[Motiv_]

I was once flying to New York, and I had a stack of books with me. They put them through several different tests, and I asked the lady why.

Apparently, you can hide stuff in hollowed out books [No shit].

If that's the case, why not just give the books a shake? Anything inside would fall out, and we'd both be well on our way.

 

[Agayek]

And after this, we'll have even more ridiculous measures taken by the TSA to "ensure our safety". Wonderful.

 

[Plurralbles]

and yet they have to molest young children and women...

FUCK the TSA. Those lazy good for nothing bastards need to go straigth to hell.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Heck, a friend of mine made it through three TSA security posts with a three inch blade in his backpack's front pocket without noticing it.

The TSA sucks at their job.

 

[Jonluw]

Makes me wonder whether it was just coincidence that the one guy they overlooked was carrying a gun, or they just overlook a lot of people.

 

[Jaebird]

Well it's because they are too busy taking all the 5 year olds out of line to strip search them in the secure, unsupervised area.

I've heard it's suppose to be referred to as "play time". No joke, too.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Vaguely related:

I was travelling back home on the trains in Britain on Saturday, and at Manchester I had to check my suitcase in for a half hour so I wasn't lugging it round the station. I forgot that I had my 360 in there, and that I was bringing home my BB Gun revolver.

Yeah.

I removed the gas cartridge from my BB Gun a while ago, and I never load it anymore (I used to do Airsoft but no more) but it still looked like a gun on their scanners. I had to go through a whole check and search thing, which lasted most of the half hour I had intended to have my bag kept for anyway. It's a funny old world, but I'm actually glad they spotted it, because it would have concerned me if they had missed the obviously gun shaped thing in my bag.

 

[Something Amyss]

I read about this earlier today I think, seems that the TSA have their priorities in completely the wrong places, who woulda thunk it, eh?

You mean the guys who banned nail clippers but allowed lighters on planes right up until someone tried to light up an explosive? Nah, their priorities are in the right place.

 

[teh_Canape]

only in 'merica, folks

anyways, sarcastic, slightly racist comments aside... that's human stupidity at it's finest

the guy for having a loaded gun along with him, and the guards for not checking for it*

*actually, can't really blame them, everybody has it's derp moments here and there

 

[R4di4ti0n.]

Well, anyone who claims the TSA is racist is officially full of shit. An Iranian-American gets through with a gun, no problem. If they were as racist as everyone says, he would have been strip searched at the door.

 

[shootthebandit]

this doesnt surprise me at all a) its in america b) it in texas

you crazy yanks and your guns, youre all too lazy for a bit of melee

 

[dalek sec]

This is why my mother and I try and take the train as much as we can these days. It's not worth a fucking strip search each time we have to get on a damn plane these days.

 

[maninahat]

I once was told off for trying to take liquids on a plane. Whilst passing through the scanners, I realised I was carrying a zippo, which I actually showed to them. They did't give a shit and waved me through.

Airport security has to deal with thousands of people everyday. Is it any suprise when stuff manages to get through? All it takes is a second of doziness from the scanner guy.