TSA detains teen for having a gun designon her purse

**Jenna** · 12-04-11, 07:52 AM

But on her way back home, TSA officials at Norfolk International Airport pulled her aside.
"She was like, 'This is a federal offense because it's in the shape of a gun,'" Gibbs said. "I'm like, 'But it's a design on a purse. How is it a federal offense?'"

After TSA agents figured out the gun was a fake, Gibbs said, they told her to check the bag or turn it over. By the time security wrapped up the inspection, the pregnant teen missed her flight, and Southwest Airlines sent her to Orlando instead.

More here: Florida teen detained by TSA for design on her purse | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

**gopherpuckfan** · 12-04-11, 08:36 AM

She should have been smarter. Same goes for the idiots that have a gun shaped belt buckle.

**cajunguy** · 12-04-11, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by gopherpuckfan

She should have been smarter. Same goes for the idiots that have a gun shaped belt buckle.

Or how about the belt with the removable "brass knuckles" for a buckle? I have three of those sitting on my desk at the airport.

And a box full of assorted Leatherman tools, the little bitty Swiss Army knives, Buck, Gerber, Kershaw, S&W, Winchester, SOG, Benchmark, and a few other brands of expensive knives. Oh, and don't forget the corkscrews. I could have a garage sale with those.

All stuff that folks tried to go through security with. Standard answer, "Oh, I forgot I had that with me!"

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**Rhino** · 12-04-11, 05:42 PM

Thank you, TSA. Our country is now a safer place.

Maybe it's just me, but the position of "the girl should have known better" sounds like blaming the victim. What's not okay are these ridiculous security measures that are federally mandated and thereby run by what is little more than trained circus bears.

**213th** · 12-04-11, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Rhino

Thank you, TSA. Our country is now a safer place.

Maybe it's just me, but the position of "the girl should have known better" sounds like blaming the victim. What's not okay are these ridiculous security measures that are federally mandated and thereby run by what is little more than trained circus bears.

Completely asinine. It doesn't appear removable. Someone needs to beat those TSA guards with a wet noodle. I'm not a fan of lawsuits, but I hope she gets some compensation for this ridiculousness

**cajunguy** · 12-04-11, 06:27 PM

I can see TSA taking things like scissors and screwdrivers from someone's carry-on baggage (yes, I have several of those too). But pliers? Crescent wrenches? Vise grips?

I even have an electric impact wrench in my office they took from someone. (You know, the air tool that shops use to tighten your lug nuts so that it's almost impossible to remove them to fix a flat tire on the side of the road.) Yep, I have one of those they confiscated from someone.

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**Badge17** · 12-06-11, 11:49 PM

I understand the security measures and precautions but why the hell do they hire the tatt'd up shit mopes to enforce all these things? Also why does it seem that almost all of them are lacking in the common sense department?

**Odd** · 12-07-11, 07:52 AM

cajunguy : Curious, what's the issue with the impact wrench? Suppose I can see how it could be used as the clunkiest flail in the history of medieval weapons...

Same question for Vise-Grips...what's next, duct tape and bailing wire?

**bayern** · 12-07-11, 08:29 AM

Based on the latest news about TSA, she was to young to be strip searched.

**TXCharlie** · 12-07-11, 10:46 AM

I've seen some decorative guns like hers that actually do function - Basically by putting a little NAA revolver in a hollowed-out area of the decorative casting or plastic..

Some of the most famous is a little key ring gun that looks like a "red dot" cap gun and can actually shoot those little plastic or paper caps. But open the tube face that the cap lays on, and you can put a .22 short in it. It's single use - the .22 short is way oversize for the plastic barrel (the cylinder is actually a 1/4" long barrel, just big enough to keep the .22 Short's brass case from splitting. It blows the tiny plastic decoy barrel completely off), and you're lucky you keep your fingers. The American Arms belt buckle gun, which is also a .22 short I think, is a real .22 revolver.

There was also a plastic Pokemon keyring character which was a single-loader. It had something like a strong rubber band keeping his head on, which you stretched out like a slingshot to hit a .22 CB primer in the base of the thing. Those plastic one-time-use key chain poppers had almost no barrel, just a sleeve the cartridge fit into so it wouldn't become a firecracker. The velocity was like a small pellet pistol and accurate range 3 feet or less. The NAA revolvers are quite respectable though, going up to .22 Magnum.

**MacLean** · 12-07-11, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Rhino

Thank you, TSA. Our country is now a safer place.

Maybe it's just me, but the position of "the girl should have known better" sounds like blaming the victim. What's not okay are these ridiculous security measures that are federally mandated and thereby run by what is little more than trained circus bears.

I usually check to make sure nobody has dosed me before agreeing with Rhino, but this time he's right.

I went through the airport in Vegas last week, and you should have seen the shit storm I caused and the wailing and gnashing of teeth when I "opted out" of their little X-ray.

The guy who searched me missed stuff I'd have failed FTO for.

It's an emblem on a purse. It is *not* a federal offense and *does not* meet the federal definition of "firearm."

**MacLean** · 12-07-11, 06:22 PM

Also, Air Marshals need to stop looking like Air Marshals.

**cajunguy** · 12-07-11, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Odd

cajunguy : Curious, what's the issue with the impact wrench? Suppose I can see how it could be used as the clunkiest flail in the history of medieval weapons...

Same question for Vise-Grips...what's next, duct tape and bailing wire?

Don't really know about the impact wrench. TSA gives me a box full of confiscated items on the first of each month to "dispose" of, and it was in the box a few months ago. Never got the story on it. Didn't make sense and still doesn't. Guess I could find out.

I've gotten numerous hand tools such as the vise-grips, pliers and such, but that doesn't make much sense either. I can maybe see things like hammers, since someone could do a lot of damage with that, but vise-grips?

Guess a determined terrrorist could clamp down on the pilot's nads with 'em and take over the plane. Hell, clamp down on mine and you can have anything you want.

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