Some of us say good-bye to Swiss Army Knives that shouldn't be in a flight carry-on and others must toss long scissors or oversize screwdrivers at the TSA checkpoint.
There's also a more serious category of neglectful traveler. Twenty-seven people were stopped at Detroit Metro Airport last year because a firearm was in a pocket, purse, briefcase or hand luggage, new figures show.
That's the 14th-highest total nationally, though Detroit ranks relatively low proportionally – with just 1.7 guns found per million screened passengers. (Portland, Ore., is in the No. 15 spot with 26 firearms discovered – 3.8 per million boardings.)
While fewer than 30 local incidents seem relatively low, the Transportation Security Administration blog has this overview:
1,543 firearms have been discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country [in 2012]. That’s a little over four firearms per day! Of those, 1,215 (78.7%) were loaded.
Firearms have been found at a total of 199 airports, with Atlanta on top of the list -- 95 in 2012.
About 200 more guns were seized last year than in 2011, reports Time magazine, which adds that the latest tally is the highest on record.
At Metro, Wayne County deputies arrest gun-carrying passengers, including those with permits to carry concealed weapons. They can face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine on the misdemeanor charge of possessing a weapon in a prohibited area.
Those arrested last year include Anthony Adams, former deputy mayor of Detroit under Kwame Kilpatrick. He was nabbed Oct. 18 with a loaded handgun in his briefcase, and will have the charge dismissed if he stays out of trouble for a year.
-- Alan Stamm
