TSA inspections don't work for armed nation

A few months ago I wondered whether TSA agents looking through grandma's diapers were capable of inspecting folks intelligently at the airport. Now I'm beginning to wonder whether much intelligent life exists among the people being inspected.

Halloween may not come until Monday, but every day is trick-or-treat time for the TSA.

On Tuesday, agents in Salt Lake City noticed a loaded .45-caliber handgun inside a carry-on bag belonging to a man who was hoping to board a flight to Detroit. The man apparently was not a terrorist, because authorities decided not to press any federal charges.

But here's the scary part: This was the fifth time in October agents discovered a loaded firearm at a security checkpoint in Salt Lake City.

And that was considered barely newsworthy. A TSA spokeswoman told the Deseret News 22 loaded firearms were discovered at airports nationwide last week alone. During the first 10 months of this year, agents discovered more than 800 firearms in carry-on bags.

Let me see if I can reconstruct the thought process here. You're loading up a bag for your flight. Hotel reservation information — check. Laptop computer — check. E-book reader or mindless novel — check. Extra toothbrush in case you get stranded somewhere overnight — check. Fully loaded snub nose "baby" Glock pistol — check.

Say what?

Lest you think every American has gotten the message that such a thing might cause a delay in your traveling experience, a snub nosed "baby" Glock is exactly what Iranian-American businessman Farid Seif packed into an otherwise empty computer bag awhile back when he flew out of Houston. For him, this wasn't a conscious decision. It was habit. He generally carries the weapon with him, which made packing it about as routine as how I might accidentally stuff a loaded water bottle into my carry-on (which has happened more than once).

In Seif's case, he didn't realize what he had done until three hours later when he arrived at his destination and unpacked. TSA agents had X-rayed the bag and missed the gun.

Apparently, this happens a lot, too. Federal agencies conduct random stealth tests to see what they can get past the inspectors, and while the results of these are classified, media leaks in previous years show they aren't reassuring.