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[starlagurl]

If you are afraid of getting your valuables stolen by luggage handlers, it appears that you can pack a "weapon" and it will be tracked by the airline company.

This guy says:

One note on using TSA rules to your advantage.

Weapons that travel MUST be in a hard case, must be declared upon check-in, and MUST BE LOCKED by a TSA official.

A "weapons" is defined as a rifle, shotgun, pistol, airgun, and STARTER PISTOL. Yes, starter pistols - those little guns that fire blanks at track and swim meets - are considered weapons…and do NOT have to be registered in any state in the United States.

I have a starter pistol for all my cases. All I have to do upon check-in is tell the airline ticket agent that I have a weapon to declare…I'm given a little card to sign, the card is put in the case, the case is given to a TSA official who takes my key and locks the case, and gives my key back to me.

That's the procedure. The case is extra-tracked…TSA does not want to lose a weapons case. This reduces the chance of the case being lost to virtually zero.

It's a great way to travel with camera gear…I've been doing this since Dec 2001 and have had no problems whatsoever.

What do you think of this? Is it an abuse of the system?

[mmbcross]

Only in the U.S.A.

[starlagurl]

Would you ever think of doing that?

[mmbcross]

Frankly, no.

[starlagurl]

Yeah, I don't know...it's gotta be sort of a drain on the system to do that. I hope people don't start.

[raniroo]

Unnecessary baggage......who would want to lug that around?.....