TSA confiscates armed soldier's nail clippers, Allowed to keep his M4 Carbine rifle

[cags]

TSA confiscates armed soldier's nail clippers
Allowed to keep his M4 Carbine rifle

http://www.thinq.co.uk/2010/11/21/tsa-confiscates-soldiers-nail-clippers/

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Despite having already been vetted, when the soldiers tried to re-board the plane they were subject to TSA checks. And one soldier was stopped and told he couldn't take his nail clippers on board.

"You’re not suppose(d) to have them," a TSA official informed the startled grunt.

"Why?" he asked.

"They can be used as a weapon," the official informed him.

The soldier then touched butt stock of the rifle he was carrying. "But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on."

"Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane, you don’t have bullets," the smug official replied.

"And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?" the soldier said, a suggestion that was met with 'awkward silence' according to the source

_________________________________________________________


Whats to stop someone from plugging a couple bullets up their backside?

[LisaL]

1. This sounds like a made up story.

I don't think soldiers fly with their guns.

[Hawkowl]

2. Could be....

Never seen anyone board one of my planes with a rifle. However, being an airline captain, I have had the TSA confiscate my nail clippers in the past telling ME I could use them to take control of the plane. They were completely confused when I told them that control of the plane was my job.

[saigon68]

3. Many of the TSA obviously need a Brain Transplant

[Posteritatis]

4. I'm now picturing a pilot crashing around the cockpit, fighting himself for control of the plane..nt

[kimi]

21. Yeah, me too

I've been sort of befuddled by all the TSA threads, but this one gives me the best word pictures so far.

[Recursion]

23. In the red corner: Colin "Bomber" Harris

Heh

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9qZ4Zs6Ys

[uppityperson]

6. Sounds like a Mel Brooks movie.

"Myself! Do what I say or else I get it! Never! I can never make me do what I want me to do!"

[Dragonfli]

19. LOL

:rofl:

[struggle4progress]

5. Links ultimately to a story on the rightwing RedState: no names or dates attached

[Recursion]

12. I did a few times

Depending on your orders you may have to fly with your TE weapon(s). I think they chartered the whole plane, though; everybody else on the flights was DoD as far as I can remember.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Your memory is correct

Hawaiian flies those charters by the way...

[jberryhill]

13. You are correct, it's a bullshit story /nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Yes they do, regularly, out of Honolulu for example

[uppityperson]

7. Unrec for urban legend. Sending off to snopes to double check

Reading the story at the link, sounds very implausible. Only source is a message board story with no info to show any connection to reality. Sorry, but unreccing and sending it off to snopes.

[originalpckelly]

8. Follow the link to the original source at RedState...

Person who wrote it says they know the soldier. It does sound fishy, however, and considering it came from a rightwing blog it does give me pause. The right has no problem with inventing things for their own purposes.

[uppityperson]

9. I did follow it and it reads like typical urban legend.

Rather like microwaving the wet cat. Not jumping on this one, have enough that is provable to be upset about.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Your choice but we saw

Something like this in Hawaii with a well armed platoon of guard troops.

Yes, they were well armed. Yes, they were on the way to a gate with Hawaiian and yes they were on their way to Iraq. Oh and finally it was funny as hell.

[Recursion]

24. Signs of a BS story

No name of the soldier.

Nothing more specific about the TSA person's job title than "official".

No call to TSA for an explanation or an official "no comment".

[cags]

10. the article says it was a military charter flight, not a commercial flight.

[Duckhunter935]

11. Could be military charter flight

I have taken weapons on planes before. Military charter from Desert Storm, interesting brief on stowing your weapon in the plane. Coming back from korea I could not take a plaque due to it having a plastic sword due to new TSA regulations in Dec 2001, as we got our food we recieved metal silerware whith a knife. Also a military charter.

[CreekDog]

14. this is false...i'm unhappy with TSA, but we should rely on true accounts

:hi:

[Sirveri]

15. When I was in the service I was tapped for special attention.

But that was because I bought a plane ticket on the day I was flying. I also didn't have a weapon, and this was in '05 when the TSA was still in its infancy. Even the fairly intelligent TSA agent thought it was kind of silly since I showed military ID and was dressed in my working whites (navy).

What's really funny is that, while on base military personnel aren't generally allowed to keep firearms in their residence, they're instead required to keep them in the base armory. And when I flew in '08 with a Glock 17 pistol, I was also allowed to keep it, however it was kept locked and in my check in luggage, which is the proper way to fly with firearms according to airline and federal regulations.

[Recursion]

22. I was tapped one day when I was in my alphas

But then again, if I were a terrorist bent on taking over a flight, a Marine uniform might be a pretty good idea for a disguise.

[ManiacJoe]

20. But nail clippers are allowed on in carryons.

:shrug: