Don't feel to safe flying

**Pushndrt** · January 18th, 2014, 11:17 AM

I thought others on here would find this story as amusing and as scary as I did. And I am sorry if it gets lengthy.

A friend of mine is a subcontractor to various manufactures to install equipment in customers offices and shops. A few months back he received a dispatch from one of the manufactures to install some equipment. The address on the dispatch was Cargo City, Philadelphia Airport and no mention of anything else. Well upon seeing the address my friend never goes to the city of Philadelphia without carrying. And yes he does have his LCTF. Upon arriving at the location it was on the Airport property he was worried and hid his pistol under his seat and left it locked in his truck. He went into the customers location where he was buzzed in and then escorted at all times from the general office area to the secure shop area and the customer informed him that they would have to get him through security so his tools would be accessible. Upon getting back in his truck and worrying even more he took his pistol and buried it in his console to keep it keep more hidden. When he arrived at the security check point gate he was instructed to exit his vehicle and leave the drivers door open. At that point he had to sign in with ID at the guard shack while lets say two ethnic guards searched his truck. One of the guards had the mirror on the handle looking under his truck and the other one BRIEFLY opened the passenger door and look in his glovebox. At that point the guard with the mirror climbed up on the truck and opened the tool box on back of the truck to check it. He was then waived through security on to the tarmac of the International airport where he was escorted by his customer to their facility. Upon arriving at their facility he was backing in when he realized that not only had the TSA security guards missed finding his pistol in his console they had never even taken notice of the Remington 870 shot gun ACROSS HIS BACK WINDOW in plain sight that he have totally forgot he even had in there.

So while they say we are safe it just goes to show that if someone wants to do something there is a way. And just because you can't get a nail clippers on a plane doesn't mean you can't get a shotgun on one LOL.

**Gunsnwater** · January 18th, 2014, 11:32 AM

Life is a risk. I would think more about the maintainence, farmed out to foreign countries, that's done on planes. Honest people with guns don't frighten me even if they do forget things. More guys like your friend and maybe they would be in a position to stop the bad people. But hey I was paying attention when I was taught trading freedom for security was a lousy trade.

**Pilot321** · January 18th, 2014, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Gunsnwater

Life is a risk. I would think more about the maintainence, farmed out to foreign countries, that's done on planes. Honest people with guns don't frighten me even if they do forget things. More guys like your friend and maybe they would be in a position to stop the bad people. But hey I was paying attention when I was taught trading freedom for security was a lousy trade.

I have always said that it would be the air carrier support people that pose the most threat. Maintenance, baggage handlers, custodian, food service people, etc. They have pretty much unlimited access to planes, and the airport. Many are very low wage, and can be bought off easily to plant something. The TSA is just security theater.

**Bill67** · January 18th, 2014, 12:08 PM

Years ago, I delivered rolls for the Burger Kings in the Airport in Terminal D and E. At D I would literally back in between two idle aircraft. One a 727 and the other a MD80. I knew the ground crew by name and had a badge to let me in to the Terminal from the outside. Post 9-11 we lost our badges and had to be escorted, but even then , they only sat in their truck while we entered the tunnels to the store rooms. Their were times we would meet the Mgr of the BK on the departure lane and they would take the rolls from us there. The Philly cops ended that too after 9-11. If I wanted to unload a crate of AK's I could have and no one would have even noticed. I wouldn't, but the fact that I could was a little surprising.

**TaePo** · January 19th, 2014, 12:37 PM

Security, like carrying a firearm, is no guarantee or panacea against being harmed or killed by a criminal (especially a determined one).

However, it does increase the chances of survival / success in your favor as opposed to zero % without it at all.