It caused a big hassle (obviously), for me especially, because I was right behind him, so my bags were in the x-ray machine too. As soon as the x-ray guy saw what it was (it appeared to be in a case - but even I could see clearly on the screen what it was), the machine was stopped and the police were called. I wasn’t allowed to touch my bags.
Apparently the guy had ‘paperwork’ for the gun, and he seemed very irritated by the ordeal, saying he had told the guy at the front that he had the gun before he put it on the conveyer and was waved through. He also said things like ‘I don’t need attention on me like this, and now look what’s happening.’ Finally, after about 20 minutes, the police let me take my bags and go, so I have no idea what happened afterwards. The guy did appear to have some sort of official looking paperwork with him but I didn’t see anyone look at it before I was able to leave.
It seems to me that if one didn’t want attention on oneself, one wouldn’t take a friggin’ AK47 in one’s carry-on. I mean, a pair of scissors, a jar of homemade jelly, these are things that one might brain-fart on, and accidentally cause a scene at security. But a very large, powerful, and recognizable gun? That goes way beyond “oops, I forgot about that”.
Hm. On the few facts you’ve given, I’m guessing he either (a) was completely and utterly clueless about airport security; or (b) foreign, and possibly completely and utterly clueless about Canada’s gun laws. An AK-47 is a prohibited weapon in Canada (cite). Especially because of the latter point, I don’t think any paperwork he claimed to have would do him much good.
Yep. There are procedures for this sort of thing. Was it possibly just a replica? The dude should have declared himself way before the checkpoint. Weird.
However, my plan to smuggle awful Canadian beer into the US has succeeded thanks to this masterfully executed diversion. (Although I sense the RMP closing in…).
Dreadfully all evidence of said crime has been disposed of
It might have semi-automatic rifle that just looked like an AK-47 or even a non-functional replica, but I don’t know how anybody would think they could carry it on the plane instead of declaring it and getting it blue-tagged and put in checked luggage.
See the link right above your post. No one besides Sky Marshals and the like can carry a gun onto a plane. With the right paperwork, you can put a gun in your checked baggage, and pick it up at your destination just like any other baggage. It will be outside your reach and control for the entire duration of the flight however.
The relevant security agency in this case is CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority), and this is from their page on carrying firearms and other weapons:
Emphasis added. It would seem that no, the man the OP encountered would not be able to carry his AK-47 in his carry-on, regardless of what paperwork he had.
Canada does have air marshals on selected domestic and international flights, but the nature of the weaponry they carry is not public information. Cite.
So, this guy is lying and insane? I would REALLY like a link to a follow-up story about this, something like “Clueless Idiot Tries to get Weapon Onto Plane.”
A 12 ounce bottle of hair spray along with a firestriker would be the BOMB against those motherfucking snakes.
One or the other, obviously. (That is, either lying or insane. Or possibly both.) I’ve been looking at various Calgary news sources to see if they have the story, but I’ve seen nothing yet.
Well clearly the guy’s daughter has been kidnapped by Colombian drug to lords to ensure his participation in one last billion dollar scheme, But after escaping from the henchmen guarding him he was on his way to kick some ass in the evil fortified compound. American TSA would understand this situation immediately of course and expedite him sneaking onto some hot babe’s private jet to South America, but I guess you nanny-state socialists up there actually make him show paperwork? :mad: