Posted on 07/15/2004 12:04:45 PM PDT by 10mm
Flying to New Orleans, LA from Fort Lauderdale, FL. LA and FL have reciprocity so I can carry while I'm there.
Get to Ft. Lauderdale airport early in the morning. Go up to Skycap and inform him that I'm declaring firearms in my checked baggage and tip him 5 bucks. He says to follow him inside since this has to be handled at the customer service counter. We proceed past about 40 people to the front of the line, saving me from at least a 1-hour wait!
Tell the agent behind the counter that I'm declaring firearms. She has me open the luggage and the locked firearms case to demonstrate they are unloaded. I clear my Glock 22, Glock 29 and Kel-Tec P32 for her. Ammo for said firearms is also inside in a hard plastic ammo case.
She fills out a tag and places it in the case. I close and lock the case, and zip up the luggage. She checks the baggage in. That's it.
The flight back from New Orleans was exactly the same. Tipped the Skycap 5 bucks and he marches me to the front of a very long line at customer service. Ran through the same drill. Same outcome. Extremely satisfied with SouthWest Airlines.
Moral of the story: The quickest way through an airport is to bring a gun!
...and 5 bucks.
Heartwarming.
Thanks for the ping.
10, actually. (Round trip).
No. He was surprised. And very angry.
Reminds me of a line from the movie "Unforgiven," where the one-armed deputy is checking and reloading his revolvers.
The other deptuty says something like, "Damn, you've got three guns, but only one arm!" His response was, "I don't want to die from a lack of shooting back!"
Mark
Great story. Made my lunchtime, it did! :-)
Grate story!
I think I will get one of the kids' squirt guns and pack it next time I fly...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.