T-shirts, socks, 357 magnum, underwear …
How in the world do you forget a firearm
that’s packed in your luggage?
NBC News is reporting that 3,000 firearms
have been confiscated at airports already this year. There were also high-profile
incidents in Turks and Caicos earlier this year, in which people were caught
with firearms.
Sorry, but I have no compassion or
tolerance for such stupidity. And that’s assuming it’s just a genuine mistake and
not something more devious. That’s why I partly don’t buy the ‘I forgot’
excuse.
And it’s more
prevalent than you think.
Remembering whether or not you packed a
toothbrush is one thing. A gun is something different.
Now, let me say this before all the Second
Amendment advocates get up in arms – I totally respect the right to legally carry
a weapon. But there’s an incredible responsibility that comes with that. Forgetting
that you have a firearm in your luggage is irresponsible.
Traveling can be stressful. But this is
inexcusable. People have been known to forget their passports, but a firearm is
a pretty tough thing to forget. You remember your credit cards and cash, right?
Those are most assuredly part of your itinerary. Remembering you have a gun in
your carry-on is just as important, if not more so.
I know it sounds harsh, but that’s why I
have no tolerance for such idiocy.
Perhaps the Transportation Security Administration
can come up with an amnesty-like program in which you can just turn over your
weapons if it is discovered that you brought them by mistake. But nobody wants
to surrender a firearm that they paid several hundred dollars, if not more,
for.
Otherwise, I can’t come up with a viable
solution for stupidity.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
