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Airline Passenger Walked Past Security With a Loaded Gun Magazine (apnews.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the in-flight-magazine dept.

An airline passenger "passed a security checkpoint with a loaded gun magazine," reports the Associated Press, citing information from an airport duty manager: Bob Rotiski said the passenger who apparently had visited a shooting range packed a loaded magazine in his carry-on bag. He said an officer identified the magazine during security screening, but the wrong bag was pulled from the line. By that time, the passenger had already left the checkpoint with the bag containing the magazine....

Security lines were closed and flights were temporarily grounded at a San Francisco International Airport terminal...for nearly an hour, and United Airline flights out of Terminal 3 were grounded Saturday morning as TSA officers looked for the passenger.
"Rotiski said the lines reopened after officers located the passenger and brought him back for re-screening."

5 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Theater by markdavis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ain't nothing more entertaining than the play that is security theater.

    1. Re:Theater by sycodon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Imagine the carnage if that guy decided to start throwing cartridges at people!

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  2. No the system actually worked here by goombah99 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1. They did identify the clip
    2. But they searched the wrong bag.

    WOuld you, as a hijacker, think that was a great way to smuggle in a gun? No. while (2) happened it's a low probability event. Not something you would count on.

    Thus as a deterrent for overt attacks this is worked. Not saying the process can't somehow be subverted in some other way but this particular example is not a good one to point at and yell "security theater".

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re: No the system actually worked here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Protected the public from nothing. Wasted time and money. Job well done.

  3. Nothing to see here by ebonum · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Reality: He would have gotten on the plane had a crappy meal, a fraction of a can of Coke(tm) and arrived at his destination. A disaster was not averted. 100's of lives were not saved. A government rule was enforced. Nothing more.

    TSA headline: Our agent heroes saved you AGAIN! Countless lives saved and counting. btw. We demanddeserve another 10 billion in funding.