Sig sorry that happened to you. Was this in the precheck line?

Not Precheck, but Dulles has a special security station for the crazy, lazy, and lame like me.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Deputy 617:
I was introduced to the 2 Federal Air Marshals

... boarded before any other passengers with a Glock 36 .45 ACP holstered in an OWB beneath my untucked T-shirt.

Interesting. I recently took an FAA exam that included the regs covering this area (I aced that portion of the test). It is spelled out that an armed LE with a prisoner is first to board, last to leave, but neither in my prep studying, nor in the exam, did I find anything about armed LE traveling without a prisoner boarding first.

I'm guessing that your experience might be airline policy; as far as I know, it is not federal regulation.

Introduction to the Federal Air Marshals -- is this standard procedure? I thought these guys were supposed to be anonymous. I can see the logic if LE is escorting a prisoner, but LE traveling alone? Thinking about this ... maybe if there's an incident on the flight, the armed Good Guys should be able to identify each other?

I don't know. I was required to fly for work with a couple other guys, and I hate to fly. This was the first (and hopefully last) time I had to do so. Anyway, as I recall.. I had to take a "Flying Armed" course, the big boss had to submit documentation, and we had to first go to Airport Police where they called in unique ID numbers for each of us to verify. From there, we just followed the instructions of the TSA folks, which was the same at both airports.

I remember they gave us a carbon copy of some form that we presented when we were boarded, and that was that. Our meeting with the Air Marshals was brief, and as I understand it... Done simply so that everyone on the plane knew who the other armed passengers were.

Personally, even though it was a fairly simple process... I hope to never have to do it again. I also felt like a jerk being pushed through ahead of everyone else.

I've posted this before but we had a friend who retired from the military.

Went to work for TSA in the upper hierarchy. Lasted less than a month before he quit.

"Biggest bunch of dumb asses every assembled under one roof".

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
Now BWI is your best alternative.
 

Not if you live in Northern Virginia, it isn't. Then you have to fight TWO rush hour traffic jams. I'd rather be abused for a few minutes by the TSA than endure D.C. traffic for two hours.

Yeah, from the NoVa perspective, you are right. I lived and worked in Montgomery County for 30 years, so each of the three airports was equally reachable. IAD and BWI I could get to without involving rush hours at all. DCA had Metro access. In a pinch, for IAD, I could cross White's Ferry and come in from the Leesburg end.
 
 
Entropy, who stole your watch at IAD, in the pre-TSA days?
 

They tried to confiscate it, or scam it or something... Long story short...

Was based there in the early 90s. Coming home in civvy clothes. Just happen to get in the screening line (or what it was back then) with a bunch of Eastern European types. Being an Eastern European type myself, I fit right in. I had taken the watch off and put it in the little basket to send thru, being VERY cognisant of its wheaeabouts. I go thru the magnatometer about the time my watch comes out. One screener tried to distract me while the other picked up the bin. I saw this and reached for the bin that was in the hands of the screener. He said "We need to have someone check this." I said (in perfect English) "Like hell you do!" and grabbed the watch. It was obvious they didnt expect English as my first language.

It was obvious what they were attempting. I was running late to get home and never pursued it. I regret it to this day. Now...in all fairness...that was back in the day they were all contracted workers by the airport and not .fed employees.