Only in America.
Flying fashionistas with a thing for the Second Amendment may want to leave their gun-themed purses and other paraphernalia at home, lest they be flagged as a security risk and miss their flights.
As she was flying home after the recent holiday weekend, Virginia Gibbs' gun-themed purse was flagged as a security risk by Transportation Security Administration officials at the Norfolk, Virginia, airport.
If you follow the link and see the photo, yep that there is a depiction of a gun.
the 17-year-old says she was told that the purse "was a federal offense because it's in the shape of a gun. I'm like, 'a design on a purse. How is it a federal offense?' "
Well, this young girl may not realize this, but this prohibition goes back to before the TSA. Just like making a joke about having a gun or explosive, within hearing of a security officer, is also a federal offense punishable by fine and prison time. Follow me over the strange orange swirly for a real life incident.
Back in the late 80's (1987 I want to say) I worked for a private security firm that had responsibility over passenger screening for Terminal One at O'hare airport. Members of a four person team generally cycled between Greeter/Instructor (Take any metal out of your pockets, Lay bags flat on the belt, etc.) X-ray, Handcheck and what we called Mag, for Magnetron which is the metal detector. These cycles would be approximately 30 mins to limit boredom in each position and possible exposure to the X-ray.
We were subject to at least one "test" per shift at the Xray and Mag positions, from our employer, plus each station would be tested daily by United Airlines, and twice monthly by FAA. Generally, these tests consisted of our supervisor placing a replica weapon or device either on the belt or trying to bring it through the Mag, if we didn't catch it, well, with our employers it was retraining. If it was United or FAA, immediate termination.
One night, I'm on the Xray, very few passengers, and I see what appears to be our test time bomb on my screen (Three dark gray tubes, wires coming off the tubes, what appears to be an electronic device on top of the tubes). I stop the belt and call through my headset for control to get a supervisor(standard procedure) I knew things were squirelly when the passenger starts saying "Ohh, I know what you're looking at, let it out and I'll show it to you" Supervisor shows up, I point to the screen and I can see his face turn gray. His next words chilled me "It's not ours."
There was a panic switch down by your foot in those days and as soon as he said those words, I kicked it. Within two minutes we had a United rep, an FAA rep, the Chicago Police detachment. And a very shaken passenger, begging all of us to let him show us what was causing all of this ruckus. After some intense discussion, we brought the package through the machine. He opened it to reveal...a novelty alarm clock in the shape of a time bomb. He was a representative from a toy company on his way to a trade show. And here is where the discussion got very weird (at least from his perspective I imagine)
Me: I'm not allowing it on the concourse.
Him: But you know it's a toy!
Me: Don't care, it's not going past this checkpoint.
Him: (talking to my supervisor) Can he do that?
Supervisor: Yes and actually I agree with him.
Him: Why?
Supervisor: Not allowed to tell you why I agree with him, but it is a violation of FAA policy.
Him: (Looking at FAA rep)
FAA; Yes sir, the best I can tell you is that if your carrier will let you check it under the plane, we'll allow it, because it is a novelty.
He was very upset, but he ended up checking the item(also back in the days before these ridiculous checked bag fees) He said something about writing his congressman, but I wasn't worried.
What none of us could tell the passenger directly, to prevent others from overhearing and getting strange ideas(lord, we were so innocent pre-9/11) was the reason. The last thing I, or my supervisor wanted, giving this guy the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn't pull a DB Cooper, was for some joker to cause panic at 30,000 feet by saying "Look what they let me onboard with" or someone else seeing the item and causing a panic.
Airplanes are little cigar tubes with seats in them, when passengers panic, there is nowhere to run TO, so a little panic can quickly escalate to a major problem.
Now, most of my Kossack brethren, I imagine, think twice anyway, but in this season of travelling to and fro, please be safe and sane.