Air travel can be stressful, between taking out your ID and putting it back and taking it out again and taking off your shoes and...oh shit, is that my handgun, did I seriously forget to take that out, are you freaking kiddi---oh, yes, officer, no I'm aware this is a weapon, honestly I just forgot it was in th--no, there's no need to arrest me, I promise I wasn't planning to do anything with it, I was just bringing it to my friend so she could make a cake!
Take it from these women, who—in two entirely separate instances—waltzed into JFK this morning carrying weapons, which were seized by the TSA in short order.
In the first instance, a Chatham, NY woman marched blithely through security with a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun tucked in her purse, a weapon she apparently forgot to remove before heading to the airport. The gun was not loaded, but the woman was nevertheless arrested on weapons charges, because that is what happens.
In the second incident, a Brooklyn woman attempted a similar stunt with a BB gun, though she walked away with only a summons.
This is not to say you can't ever travel with a weapon—guns can be checked as long as they are unloaded, properly packed in a hard-side suitcase and declared to the airline. But if a TSA agent has to pull a firearm out of your handbag, you can rest assured there will be consequences.
For more fun Gothamist gun air travel coverage, we've Googled "gun flight gothamist" for you. And for more information on traveling with your pet rifle, click here.
