Well, at least the Yemen men weren’t carrying too much toothpaste.
The Transportation Security Administration has come under considerable criticism over the past few years, usually for harassing children and the elderly, leering at travelers they find attractive, stealing people’s possessions, and just generally being abrasive and snippy.
As disturbing as those actions and attitudes are from people who are supposed to be serving the American public, the latest TSA revelation is even worse.
On May 25, a man was attempting to board a one-way flight at JFK Airport in New York to his home in Yemen. He was traveling with another man from Yemen. Bassam Alkhanshli, age 32, and Methaq Mohammad Ali, age 28, were detained because one-way airline tickets always raise a red flag.
The TSA screeners discovered that the men were carrying more cash than is permitted (one had $12,000 and the other had $14,000), and the subsequent questioning caused them to miss their flight.
So far, so good. That’s the way the system is supposed to work. But here’s the clincher. Their 10 pieces of luggage had already been cleared by the screeners, and were, of course, not placed on the original flight. But when the luggage was re-examined before being placed on the later flight, two AK-47 assault-rifle magazines were discovered in one of the men’s bags. The clips were described as “high capacity ammunition-feeding devices.”
So, let me make sure I understand this. The TSA is very proficient when it comes to determining if you have 3.5 ounces of shampoo instead of 3.4 ounces, and they’re great at patting down little children and the elderly in their wheelchairs, and they are skilled at pocketing a gold watch that someone accidentally leaves in a tray, but they miss an AK-47 assault rifle magazine clip in luggage.
Maybe TSA agents were afraid that examining the luggage too closely would have been engaging in racial profiling. Because, you know, that kind of political correctness is much more important than catching a potential terrorist before he boards a flight.
Your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen.
Do you have any stories about your encounters with TSA agents? Please let me know, good or bad.
One of my friends daughter’s forgot she had her butterfly knife in her jacket pocket. She usually wore this jacket when,playing in the woods. When we got from Denver to Michigan I saw her with it. I asked where she got it she said it was in my coat pocket the whole time. Nice catch there tsa
There were two loaded magazines in checked luggage for an AK-47 that was not there. How is that dangerous? Does someone think they will sneak into the baggage bay during the flight and unload the magazines and throw the ammunition really really fast? I check my gun, multiple magazines and ammo in FAA approved containers whenever I fly. Never had a problem. I admit to not carrying large sums of cash.
About to board a flight to Florida, I was given a hard time over suntan lotion. I offered to throw it out & was pulled aside for additional screening.The mace attached to my key chain AND the small Swiss army knife in the mini 1st aid kit in my backpack went undetected. I realized they were there when I arrived in Florida. Nice job catching that dangerous sunblock TSA…
There are no such things as 1. Assault weapons. That is a made up term used by Progressives to make those who don’t know about guns fearful of them, 2. A “magazine clip”. It’s either a magazine, or it’s a clip. The difference? A magazine employs a spring to feed the round into the breech. A clip does not use a spring.
I’m a retired police commander and US Marine and every time I go through a TSA check point I have to laugh at them. They really do think they’re the police or some type of federal agent. They are laughable at best. I’ve been treated like crap so many times by these under educated misfits. They’re very disrespectful and extremely condescending. TSS is one big joke they haven’t stop a major terrorist since their inception. Total waste of taxpayer monies.
TSA ruined a laptop computer for me. It had a latch closing it and they (evidently) took a screw driver and forced it open breaking the latch and scratching (bending) it very badly. Furthermore, they make making a claim so difficult most people who should make claims for damage do not. In my opinion TSA is useless.
What has TSA ever done other then harass the passengers? Have they ever caught a terrorist? Have they ever stopped a hijacking? Why are they government employees? Would they operate more efficiently if they were airline employees? They are not allowed to profile and yet a muslim in muslim garb does not get searched according to what I have been told. Is that not profiling me?
The United States of America passes out confidential, secret, and top secret as well a crypto security clearances why do they not do the same for airline passengers who travel a lot. Other nations do and it works quite well. What ever happened to common sense in America? Oh I know progressives killed it!
You obviously have never worked there or even observed them for any length of time.
Yeah, I made it to my research week in Salt Lake with a mostly used tube of toothpaste. Used a whole week’s worth while I was there, so there was maybe 1 ounce left. The screener confiscated it! Guess little old ladies look like terrorists.
Off the subject.
I had taken a airplane trip from Denver to Las Vegas, and was pulled to one side because of my P-38 can opener. The security officer had to ask another officer “What is this”, I almost lost is.
What is a P-38 can opener? I have a Walther P-38 9mm pistol. It will open up a beer can.
You’ve never been in the military or you would know what it is. A Marine could probably take you out with a P-38 before you could draw and fire your little Walter P-38 9mm pistol. Might want to upgrade to a real firearm like a colt .45 with black talons. Lol
1. Please stop using the term assault rifle. It is a manufactured term used to demonize a certain class of rifles.
2. The ak-47 uses a magazine. The term magazine clip is a misnomer.
This is BS. Impossible for a magazine clip to be missed while screening baggage, loaded or not loaded, it is easily seen on x-ray. Thanks catchesthewind & others for your clarification as well with regards to this subject in news. You are right, stop using this term assault rifle, it is wrong and plays in to the whole guns rights evil agenda against it.
Reading through all these comments I must say many seem to be planted due to the stories they tell being impossible like this one told here. TSA employees make more then 8 – 10 an hour, closer to 13 an hour to start is more accurate. They also go through months of testing and class training prior to screening passengers. What you all over look is the fact that these agents must follow government protocols and rules, so to blame them for what they were hired to do – PROTECT YOU – is crazy talk and you all should be ashamed for falling for this propaganda news to promote hate in our government. The entire scope of which this dept. falls under and why it came to be has become out of control like all else is with government, BUT without it would you fly at all? Doubtful.
Now the Burka comment too is BS, they get screened. NO one, not even the TSA employees, get through without screening. They can not leave you waiting for a pat down for an hour either, another fake comment I am sure of it because I was one at one time. So to conclude, I like Allen Benge below am outa here because this is not the first time I have seen this attitude from this site. The right has become more evil then the left these days and no wonder they lose in all attempts to get votes. Tired of all these lies. Yea, this whole police state attitude sucks, but bashing people for what they are paid to do or calling them thieves or mocking their abilities because of their race is irrelevant and quite frankly a turn off to read. I do not trust you or your site anymore Frank. This story is not true and this fear factor from the right is losing much support. Better figure out a new game quick, better yet how about that game being the truth?? When was the last time we heard that? Why don’t you complain and write about all the chem trails we are breathing or the run away global warming that is reason for much of our changing ways today. Where is the media coverage for that Frank?? Oh yea forgot, you don’t believe in any of that right righty?? LOL foolish. Flying today is dangerous and TSA has nothing to do with that. There are more crashes then security breeches, gonna blame the screeners for that? Would you rather they let you go through after you sound all the alarms? You hand a credit card sized picture to them of your metal knee. OK, now they need to prove that picture is really what set off the alarm and they use a wand no pat downs unless you again set off the wand alarm. So grow up and be grateful people are there for safety and complain to your cons about the rules the employees are forced to follow or get fired. Point your fingers in the correct places or shut up. How about look up and see what is really going on. See ya, I’m not coming back here either, you just broke the camal’s back for me. Best to everyone.
Yeah, happy life in Yemen!
I purposely haven’t flown commercial since 2002, and don’t intend to. If everyone did the same, this nonsense would be over already, at the airline’s insistence. There are plenty of people who never fly … even those who travel as part of their work. It takes longer, but it says “I won’t put up with this police state, and here’s what I’m doing about it.”
One other comment … to the author … while you’re complaining about political correctness, would you please remove the phrase “Assault Rifle” from you article. There are no Assault Rifles … just rifle will do. That term was concocted by the anti-Second Amendment crowd to make guns seem scarier to those who don’t realize that the tool doesn’t make the scare. It’s the amount of wacko in the wacky that does that.
My TSA Experience:
My wife and myself were flying from Syracuse,N.Y. to Saint Albans West Virginia for my Daughter’s wedding. I have had back, and hip surgery and of course have metal implants. It set off the metal detectors. I showed the “official” my card from the doctor. I was “TOLD that “anyone” could make one on a computer. I was told “I am going to touch you in places a man normally does not touch you” I was groped, scanned for explosives, and interrogated. MEANWHILE a person (who knows if “it” was a man or woman) wearing a Burka was allowed to go through the “check” area without so much as a question! No scan, no groping, just allowed to go around the station and sat waiting for OUR plane to leave. “it” sat a couple of rows behind us on OUR flight. Many passengers were nervous including myself and wife. Thank GOD nothing happened, BUT if WE are subjected to this “screening” Why aren’t ALL passengers treated the same? ESPECIALLY MUSLIMS???
Cliff I understand your feelings and feel sorry for you and your wife. Things like this are why I drive and not fly. But remember our President would not want to upset the apple cart for we all know he could care less about us. He wants to make sure HIS fellow Muslim’s get around without any problems. And just think they get to have their drivers licences take with Burka’s on. Now are we sure that is REALLY a woman?? Can we tell just by the eyes?? Is this REALLY the USA??
Went thru security in St Louis MO and TSA stole my sunglasses out of my sneakers where I put them so they wouldn’t get lost! They are condescending thieves!!
At least when TSA agents are feeling you up, they aren’t on the street looting and burning.
This is all wacko crazy things going on . It seems to me the way to restore sanity is to stay away from flying as much as possible until changes for the better are made.
There is no sense putting yourself or your family in the middle of a situation if you can avoid it. Take vacations close to home.
My TSA experience:
I flew from Great Falls MT to Albuquerque NM and TSA took my nail clipper which did not have a threatening file on it but missed the folding box cutter that I use for a money clip and had forgotten to leave in my car. On my return I had to pay to check a bag or loose my money clip-box cutter.
They took my son-in-law’s shaving cream because it was regular rather than travel size = what can you do with shaving cream for pete’s sake?
I’ve had my share of TSA abuse. Last year in Hawaii, the 1-carat diamond fell out of my wife’s wedding band fell out. Intending to have it fixed when we got home I put it in a small zip lock plastic bag and put it into a pouch in my camera bag. The pouch was for data cards and had a zipper closure. When I got to Narita, I found the strap loose on the luggage that had the bag and a notice inside that the TSA had inspected my luggage. When I got home, the diamond was missing. Lesson: if you have anything valuable that is easily pilferable, keep it on your person. Another time, preparing for a business trip from Japan to California, I bought a new piece of luggage that cost $450. On the trip, I left it unlocked but strapped because it did not have a TSA approved lock. I changed planes in San Francisco to go to San Diego. When I picked up the luggage in San Diego, the latch was broken and the strap missing, and it was taped closed with duct tape. Pissed, but polite, I inquired with the United counter, and they told me that TSA was responsible. I inquired with TSA and they told me it was United’s fault. Naturally and as expected, I got no satisfaction. I have implants in both knees and plates and bolts in my back, all souvenirs of my military service. On one of my trips to San Diego, I had a 2 1/2-hour layover at San Francisco, and because I was in business class, I had access to the airline’s lounge. Anticipating a shower, rest, and a small lunch in the lounge, I tried to clear through TSA to get to the domestic terminal. The place was packed and getting to the TSA inspection point took over an hour. Then because all my hardware set off the bells and whistles, they made me sit aside until an agent could give me the standard frisking. I waited and waited and after a half hour, began reminding the agent that I had a flight to catch and that I had been waiting long enough. Each time, the TSA dork told me to wait and was not polite about it. Finally with only 20 minutes to boarding time, I stood up and yelled at the agent, “I have been waiting here for a fucking hour and if you guys don’t get your shit together I’m going to miss my flight!” They finally frisked me without saying a thing in apology and without that I was certainly not going to apologize for my bad language. I made to my gate as they were paging me. I really dread traveling stateside. They treat you like shit and act like it is a goddam police state. It has been more than 10 years since 9/11. It is time to get off the eternal war footing, repeal the stupid Patriot Act and get this country back to normal!
The point of the story is that TSA is more worried about toothpaste and shampoo than guns! I know there weren’t any involved but magazines don’t get much closer to guns.
The Patriot Act needs o be canned….it is the most unconstitutional piece of crap ever….it comes up for renewal this year, so contact your representation (I say that lightly) to not extend the Patriot Act. I don’t fly anymore because I get my mammograms, colonoscopies, and my husband’s proctologists exams at the doctors office. We invested in a small experimental airplane, so I don’t have to screw with the robbers dressed in uniforms at the airports. It was not that expensive and my husband loved taking the lessons….if you travel around the US a lot, think about investing in your own transportation.
I no longer fly to Europe from the US. I go to Canada where I am treated like a human being and not like a criminal. I can no longer tolerate the manhandling and denigration of the TSA because I have a steel hip and a pacemaker. Took me 6 months to get over the last TSA thug assaulting and molesting me. I am treated better in Siberia and Moscow and Vienna and Heathrow than I am here.
Eventhough I show them my cards that show how much metal I have in my body, they still give me the “full service” which is always demeaning. I want to knee the TSA guy in the crotch! And eventhough I left my ‘checked on luggage’ unlocked like they tell you too, they’ve still destroyed my luggage. Last time I didn’t recognize it because all my clothes were hanging out and the luggage duct taped together. When I complained, the man just looked down his nose at me and told me they aren’t responsible for my luggage being broken. When I start hearing of TSA members getting killed in the parking lot or at home, I’ll just say: “Told ya’ so.” Becasue these bullies are going to get their’s some day and they’ll want us all to cry when it happens. I don’t have to tell them to “go f#@% yourself!” because they already are! And this is just one “homeland security” group we traded for our freedom.
You know, TSA agents are hired from the general public, usually the uneducated lower rung of society. The Government only pays them $8.00 – $10.00 an hour, a half step above working at a fast food restaurant. The only real qualification is that these people pass a background check and pass the drug test.
Its no wonder why the TSA is having so many problems of late. Its bad enough, TSA Agents stealing from the passengers as they go through the screening process lets put them in charge of the luggage. They can learn from the baggage handlers how to open each bag of luggage, rifle through it, and grab the good stuff and not get caught. Heck, they will even show the TSA Agents where the surveillance cameras are.
I’m not saying that we don’t need the TSA in this day and age; but damn it all can’t we get some people with common sense? Maybe, if the Government pays these agents a little bit more we can get QUALITY in our Agents. Perhaps, if we put them through a police academy type of induction for instruction and pay them like they were Law Enforcement Agents. they wouldn’t behave so badly or be the laughing stock of the world or the country. But as it stands today, the TSA Agents are better off standing in front of an amusement park attraction keeping people in line. That is what they are truly qualified for, standing next to the rest of the clowns.
If you took a statistical report of who the TSA agents are, you will find that a majority are black. I am not saying that all blacks are racists, but sooooo many of them are, and they love to stick it to whitie because all of a sudden they are all victims of something from whitie that simply does not exist. They blame whitie for their positions in life even though over 50 years ago, they were given equality and given special treatment for decades called affirmative action….heck, in my town, white men who had been on the job for years were terminated and their jobs given to the blacks. Whitie has given and given and I think that whitie is getting a little tired of giving….if Sharpton, Holder and Obama keep pushing the race game, it is not going to end well.
You missed delivering or having a valid point in this story with most of us, An Americans with practicing the Declaration of Independence, We must believe in freedom and the responsibility to practice I in all our thinking processes. We do not need a new story frightening us of two empty magazines in anybody’s suitcase. You also did not include what happened to the two men who were traveling on a one way ticket to that part of the world. We all know very well that the part of the world these guys were traveling to has no shortage for any kind of gun magazines. I feel the story was misleading. Please correct this. Thank you
I’m confused and concerned by the implication in your article that it is ILLEGAL to have high capacity magazines in your luggage, including ones for an AK 47. As long as they are Not in your CARRY-ON bags, it is perfectly legal and OK to have such in checked bags, which is what is indicated in the missive. Even the AK 47 rifle itself and ammunition for the same is allowed as long as it is in a locked hard case. We already have enough restrictions on traveling with firearms and related equipment to suggest/imply more is reasonable.
we were traveling while in Egypt and someone says-“you better get over to the next counter-Your wife has a gun in her carry-on luggage”, yes she did. It was a replica flint-lock, inlaid pearl (also replica) black powder pistol. Bought at a market it was to be my surprise birthday present when we got home. They cleared it and away we went. I told her to pack it in our check-in luggage before we left next day for home. She did but did not notify anyone. We are on our plane at the gate and the airline hostess-asked our name-You are needed outside. We look out the window-nice man in nice jacket and nice police officer with AR-15. We are asked if the suitcases are ours-yes-open them. There in my wife’s suitcase is the pistol. The clean cut gentleman knew exactly what it was-“close it”, next time notify baggage. When we got to NY no one said a word.
Man Does not live by bread alone.”
That said; I can tell you, that if you live in a City or Way out in the Sticks, Your Survival Depends Solly on Your Survival Knowledge & the Wisdom to use it when it matters most!
I’ve Known People who have gone out on survival Test for ten days in a Forested Wilderness with only a Canteen, A Knife & the Clothes on their backs & came out weighing 5 pounds heavier than when they went in! It Can Be Done, IF YOU KNOW What to EAT & Look For!!!
What a rip-off! The headline and attention grabber was about TSA agents drinking confiscated shampoo. However, it was about a man from Yemen with rifle magazines in his luggage, unknown whether they were loaded or not was never specified. It is bad enough that TSA agents have had 420 of their number arrested for theft while not stopping even one terrorist, but you don’t need to come up with bizarre and ridiculous accusations like drinking shampoo. This is not the first of these emails that has pulled this, and if it happens again, I am outta here.
Amen, brother. It’s because TSA recruits and hires misfits and criminal.
Strike “harmless” and insert harmful, above.
Thank you!
Frank, why add to the non-gun owners confusion by calling a standard AK-47 magazine, a high capacity magazine for an “assault rifle”? I and many, many others legally own semi-auto AK-47s for defensive and sporting purposes. ASSAUALT WEAPON is, as you well know, an inflammatory term! A 50 caliber machine gun implacement is defensive. A 50 cal. machinegun is only defensive, until it is mounted on a mobile device, i.e. Helicopter, boat or other vehicle. An unloaded magazine is no more harmless than a rock. I am a wheelchair user and appreciate a very thorough pat down and security check prior to boarding a commercial flight. My wheelchair gets very little attention and that bothers me a lot! FR
i never realized how unfree we are until a recent vacation to costa rica , upon return we were harassed the minute we set foot on u.s. soil. people say this tsa crap is necessary for our safety, really how come with all the searching(including little room searches) did they miss 2 cans of beer & a bag of apples in my carry on? that’s after two layovers & searches that caused us to miss a flight. but they did make my mom throw away her cooking sauce. yea for safety. it’s all about control people, on the bright side i did enjoy my beer and apples ,i had completely forgot i packed them (old college habit)
2 AK-47 Magazines r u joking. Please 2 mags and nothing else. I would imagine that I would be a terrorist, if I were to fly back home and pack my 45 with 3 mags in my checked bags. And that my friend is how absurd this story is. So empty AK-47 mags makes u a terrorist.
Don’t need a gun for ak-47 ammo to be lethal-just pry off the heads and you have GUN POWDER-explosive or at the least flammable-set the whole plane on fire.
A couple of months ago I flew into Houston from Tokyo. I thought it was interesting that the TSA agent was yelling at the foreigners in the security check line like a Football coach doing drills. “Come on people move it, move it! ” When it was my turn to send my tray through the x-ray machine, the belt drive was not receiving the trays properly. The TSA agent yelled push it! Well, I was pushing my tray to the point that the other trays were beginning to flip over. I said, “I’m just learning how to do it.” The agent glared at me and said, “That is what I am here for…to teach you a lesson!” T Y R A N N Y