That way the TSA won’t miss finding it.
Just another itsy-bitsy oopsie on the part of our beloved but sadly undermanned masters protectors at TSA. Nothing to see here. Move along, citizens.
But what always gets me about these stories is the action of the would-be terrorist turned law-abiding citizen:
… when she landed at Newark Airport at 10:24, she immediately told a Port Authority police officer.
She did what? Oh, lady. For that alone you should have ended up in some secret supermax pour encourager les autres. Why the hell would you do such a thing?
Here’s a hint for other air travelers who find themselves halfway through an airline round-trip and wondering what to do with the handgun they inadvertently snuck through security on the first leg: Don’t, for god’s sake, walk up to the nearest cop you see and announce, “I have a gun and just got off that plane over there.” This lady got away with it because she was declared a sort of quasi-only one. You would not. I’m glad she’s not in jail, but let’s agree that it’s an anomaly.
No. What you do is take some time out – delay your return flight if you have to – and drive to the nearest state in which the government doesn’t fill its pants at the sight of a privately-owned handgun. Get yourself a Fedex box and some packing material. Ditch the ammo, carefully pack the pistol and magazine, and ship it back to your home.
Fly safe – don’t assume Officer Hands-of-Blue is on your side.
Alternatively (presuming of course you are in a free state, not NJ) one could go to a wal-mart, buy a pistolcase and cheap padlock, and pack EVERYthing (ammo included; seperated of course) in your checked luggage.
Not only will you probbably save money over shipping it (even accounting for the case purchase and checked bag fees) but you will guran-damn-tee your suitcase WON’T get rifled through by behind-the-scene bag screeners/pilferers with that big, bright TSA-UNLOADED FIREARM-TSA tag on the handle (checked firearms get extra special ‘make sure it don’t get stolen’ attention during handling).
What I can’t ever figure out is how in the world anyone could “forget” such a thing in the first place. My carry gun, of course, rides on my hip or on the bedside table… period. I wouldn’t put it into a bag like that to start with, ever. But, just say I did… I can’t imagine just “forgetting” it!!
Then again, I have no plans to fly commercially with one until such time as the check in attendant asks me if I have frangible ammo for my carry gun, and if not would I care for a complimentary box…
Oh, I disagree with that. I find it very easy to forget. In fact I’ll go ahead and embarrassingly admit I’ve been in situations in which I (momentarily) thought “I wish I had a gun right now” – when in fact I had a gun right then. Some of us – not too bright.
I have also left my gun in a bathroom. It was my own bathroom, thank all the gods, but still. Doesn’t stop me from making fun of “only ones” who do it, ’cause they’re all highly trained and qualified while I’m just this goober.