FFL Trust Federal Firearms License Blog

C&R 03 FFL License

The Collector of Curios and Relics license, also known as the C&R FFL, is a special license needed by persons who wish to collect antique weapons, categorized by the ATF as artifacts or curio’s. This is the most prohibiting and confining license and it varies quite a great deal compared to other FFL licenses.

The C&R license only allows owners to collect items categorized as relics or curio’s that are not subjects to the Brady law, that specifically solicits a background check for all transactions involving firearms. A person owning a C&R license can’t simply buy items in order to resell them. Type 03 FFL Collector’s license is dedicated to persons who only wish to collect antique guns. In case the person would like to buy a contemporary weapon, it would be still mandatory for the licensee to fill out a 4473 form, just as a person with no license would have to.

There are three characteristics that an item must have in order to be considered a “curio” or “relic” by the ATF. The first is related to the age of the firearm – it must be produced 50 years before the current date. Replicas of the firearm don’t matter. The original firearm must be this old. The second characteristic is that a curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum, which exhibits firearms has confirmed, that the firearm can be of museum interest. The last criterion is related to the financial value of the item that is set in accordance to its particular, exceptional, curious or linked to a historic figure, event or time.

The person owning a C&R license must, however, keep the same kind of inventory records, just as any FFL licensees. The FFL book must include information on the weapons characteristics as well as information related to its origin (from where and when you acquired the weapon). The ATF will not solicit you to hand over your records when you solicit a license renewal.  Only FFL licensees “engaged in business” must present the records to the ATF. The C&R license isn’t permitting the owner to engage in business.

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Have you finally decided on getting your FFL License after reading about all of the great advantages it involves? (What? You don’t know about the advantages of being a FFL holder? You’re in luck simply clicking and reading our “The Benefits of a FFL” blog post now!) Do you now have this vision in your head of you sitting quietly at your kitchen table, peacefully running your FFL activities when all of a sudden the ATF pops by, guns blazing, asking to inspect every single inch of your home! Are they telling you they’ve come to confiscate all items in your inventory stating that you haven’t been keeping your books in order, and they need to check up on every move you’ve ever made? You wouldn’t be the only one being afraid of the unknown. This is something hat gets many people worried. Thankfully, it’s very exaggerated and quite false.

First concern and misconception – “the ATF will be watching you like a hawk.” As far as we’ve experienced, if you don’t happen to get involved in some sort of criminal activity, which we all know you wouldn’t do, this scenario is definitely, not ever going to happen. First of all, the ATF can rune a single inspection per year per federal law in the absence of a warrant. In addition, according to the ATF’s website, there were over 87,000 FFLs in fiscal year 2015. Over 13,100 inspections were performed. What these numbers indicate, is that, basically less than 20% of FFL holders have been inspected in that year. If this trend would be up kept, you should count on being given an inspection roughly every five years. However, the realistic scenario, from what we’ve learned from other FFL holders who have been in this business 20+ years, they may have had in inspection from ATF once or twice in that 20+ year time period. Long story short- no need to panic. If you mind your conduct to be as the one of a good citizen who follows the rules, we can promise that there is nothing to worry about.  Another interesting aspect you should take into consideration is that pawnshops are usually inspected each year and most FFL dealers rarely ever are given a inspection.

Second concern and misconception– the paperwork that goes along with a FFL is quite puzzling, and you are prone to make mistakes which is turn will lead you to prison. We’ve said it over and over again, if you’re not doing it wrong intentionally, there is no problem at all. The one important book that goes alongside your record keeping for your FFL is actually quite easy. You can imagine it to be something quite similar to a checkbook register. The procedure as it is basically simple, what you do is this: whenever an item goes in or out of your inventory, you are supposed to write it down. It’s absolutely easy! You need to keep track of your sales, where you are sending and from where you are receiving your items. And, certainly, as a customer of FFLTRUST.com, we’ll help you through any questions you might have while completing this process. So what happens if you happen to get inspected and they find any sort of error you might have done? The ATF’s whole point is to explain and teach you what to do so you don’t make the same mistake twice. They’ll explain to you what your mistake was, what exactly went wrong, and what to do in order to mend that mistake.  If you look at it from the right perspective, the only person who is holding information about who receives a firearm is the FFL holder (including the serial number of the firearm). It is mandatory that the ATF makes sure we keep good records in case they are in the middle of a criminal investigation regarding one of our past customers.

Third concern and misconception– is related to your personal inventory and how it functions once you become a FFL license holder. In relation to this topic there are a couple of options available to you. The first one is simple to fulfil, meaning you can keep your personal collection (firearms you possess before become a FFL license holder) and your FFL inventory absolutely separate. After you become a FFL license holder and you wish to add an item to your personal collection, you must simply enter it into your books and then mark it out of your books and adding it to your personal inventory. The second is that you can tag all of your personal firearms with a sticker or label that says “Not For Sale”. In addition, you can keep a separate record of the firearms in your personal collection in a booklet you can obtain directly from the ATF that permits you to write down the make, model, serial number, and some other item specific information that clearly state which firearms are for your personal use.  Becoming a FFL license holder has no real impact over your personal firearm collection. The only effect it can have is in the situation you wish to sell a personal firearm. We strongly recommended you to transfer it through your FFL.

As you can see, becoming a FFL license holder is truly not as terrifying or overpowering, as it might seem at first. FFLTRUST.com is more than pleased to assist you putting all of your doubts to rest. Join FFLTRUST.com today!

More Resources on getting a federal firearms license.  Want to know how many people we’ve helped in your area already?  See customer map. 

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NFA Trust Loophole – Obama

The ATF 41P Proposed Rule Change is a 14 pages long presentation of support and data that means to convince the Congress of the imperative need and motivation of rule change. This is the document that means to close the “NFA trust loophole”. With courtesy of the ATF, the motion is open to comments. This leaves parties of the firearm industry the opportunity to sustain their opinion. Many have already done so.

In unanimity, we consent that this motion for rule of change could hit the silencer industry financially in an adverse manner. El Paso Silencer is in business in Texas, Georgia, and New Mexico and we are quite lucky that the CLEOs (Chief Law Enforcement Officers) agreed to sign Form 4s for us. Unfortunately in other states like North Carolina or Texas many sheriffs don’t agree with signing the Form 4 so clients must buy their NFA products through a trust. What the 41P would enforce, and what the ATF would demand is that all sheriffs sign Form4s, no matter who would submit them – an individual or a trust. Their signature would mean that fingerprints and photographs of individuals are satisfactory. As far as the situation goes now, sheriffs may disagree to signing the form, on principle, even if there is no plausible reason why an individual shouldn’t have an NFA item.

When there will be no possibility of acquiring a silencer or a NFA item, there will be no more sales for these items. This would lead silencer dealers all over the country to lose a great deal of their income, very rapidly.  In order to better understand the impact of the 41P implementation, the Wall Street Journal interviewed owner of Silencer Shop, based in Austin, Texas. Dave Matheny, stated that 80% of his sales run through the NFA trusts. His monthly sales reach approximately $1 million. In Mr. Matheny’s case, it’s quite easy to see how an $800,000 drop in monthly sales, due to 41P would negatively impact his business.

FFLTRUST.com is a small business, started to chase the American dream. Seeing the possibility of another small business, designed to deliver professional service and products to clients, suffering such a huge damage because of needless government regulations, is saddening. The ATF actually lays out the predicted  cost increase to trusts and other businesses that will be affected by the 41P legislation. But the one cost they don’t mention at all is the complete loss of business for all the silencer dealers in the states where the sheriffs or other CLEOs won’t sign the forms. Perhaps it is not the most inspired idea for a government whose economy isn’t exactly blossoming, to force small businesses to go out of business.

The renowned Gun Trust Lawyer and NFA esteemed member, David Goldman, also made his opinion known publicly. Mr. Goldman has estimated that the ATF’s analysis includes a mistake regarding the increased trust costs which he considers to be to low. The ATF came to this lump sum conclusion based on two major players listed on each trust or company documents. Indeed, we at El Paso Silencer, actually see many trusts that list one or two persons as responsible.  We see even more trusts that list at least 3-5 responsible persons. The reason this happens, at least what we know through our own experience is that at the moment the trust is created, the family members and the close friends like to share the silencers or NFA items. So, this is why we see this quite often, having one trust, that lists 6-7 responsible persons. Obviously, in such cases, all of the responsible persons would need to get fingerprints, photos and CLEO signatures each time they buy an NFA item. We consider this habit might be quite common in many other states as well.

As we’ve stated priory, we don’t have the feeling the 41P would cause damage. Nonetheless we stand united with others that have voiced their opinion regarding the ATF suggested regulations. We take into consideration the possibility of taking on lawsuits against the sheriffs that refuses to sign a Form 4, if authorization as written in the new regulations, doesn’t mean the sheriff is supposed to outer his opinion about the sale procedure – he must only perform his duty of signing the papers that confirm the pictures and fingerprints match the buyer.  We have the strong belief that we must stand up for our client’s freedom of acquiring NFA items. The ATF is open in receiving opinions and arguments until the 9^th of December 2013. In case you are interested in presenting your own opinion on the suggested rule change, please do so by following the steps the ATF lays out. You find more information regarding this and you can read the entire proposal on Gun Trust Lawyer’s website. There is a pdf version of the document, ready for the download. We strongly embolden anybody interested in the NFA items to make their opinion known to the ATF, so proper measures can be met or perhaps the rule of change entirely dismissed.

There is also another option, we might suggest to our clients, in case this rule of change will actually be applied. We can urge them to find other eligible Chief Law Enforcement Officers, capable of signing the Form 4. These are: the Chief of Police (an option for those living within city limits), the county attorney or a local judge presiding in your county. See, only because some sheriffs refuse signing, it doesn’t mean there are no more options at all. There are means for vendors and clients to work around the regulation, should it pass Congress. The crucial part in the job of the ATF is keeping firearms out of the reach of criminals. Still, the ATF is not moving closer to that goal by trying to remedy a problem that isn’t even one.  We feel that the ATF 41P rule of change is yet another method for the Obama Administration to fool people in thinking they are on top of gun control. 41P seems to be the solution to a non-existing problem.

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Class 3 Dealer – NFA Dealer

One of the FAQ’s FFLTRUST.com members ask is what a Class 2 License or SOT stands for and what they can use it for. Let’s start with what it means. SOT means Special Occupational Tax or Special Occupation Taxpayer. The difference applies to the way you use the term (i.e., I am a SOT versus I have a SOT). Terms such as “Class 3 dealer” or “Class 2 dealer” are quite common, however they are not the official denominations the for any ATF issued licenses. They are what we refer to as “slang”, hardly ATF accepted terms. As a matter of fact, if you’d call yourself a Class 3 dealer in an official conversation with an ATF member, they might give you a rough time, since the license is of an SOT dealer not a Class 3.

Prior to attaining your SOT license you must possess a FFL License. What the SOT is in fact, is somewhat of an FFL License upgrade. In such you must first solicit your FFL license in order to be eligible for the SOT License. After attaining your SOT License you can deal or produce (depending on your type of FFL) National Firearms Act (NFA) products. Amongst these products there are: firearms categorized as “any other weapon”, machine guns, silencers, short barrel shotguns and short barrel rifles.

Are you wondering what “any other weapon” stands for? There are a number of such items that the ATF has categorized as such. Please make sure to check the complete definition of the term on the ATF’s official website. The ATF also, mainly considers, any equipment that can suppress the report of a gun, to be a silencer. The short barrel rifle is a firearm whose barrel is less than 16 inches or that has a total length that is less than 26 inches. The short barrel shotgun is composed of one or several barrels or 18 inches (or shorter) or a total length of 26 inches. A machine gun is a firearm that discharges more projectile with one single trigger pull.

One of the benefits of having an SOT License is that the limits for silencers and SBR sales are higher than in regular weapons. The reason is the to possibility of time coverage due to the lengthy transfer process and paperwork amount involved. So, in case you wish to find an opportunity to earn some extra cash, go for the SOT License. The only inconvenience of the SOT License is that it must be renewed on a yearly basis. Nonetheless, the opportunity of selling some silencers in the first one year period, would reimburse the cost of the initial SOT License. Don’t forget, FFLTRUST.com is here to help you every step of the way in applying, successfully obtaining your SOT License and furthermore helping you get your paperwork ready in due time.

Join FFLTRUST.com and check our FFL Resource Page for more information on firearm legislation and be a FFL owner yourself!

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FFL Dealer Sales – Military Personnel

If you live close to a military base perhaps you should consider servicing the active duty military personnel as clients. The Gun Control Act (GCA) took the residency of active military personal into consideration when the ruling on firearms sales was set out.

Corresponding to the ATF, active duty members of the Armed Forces can have more than one state of residency.  Before proceeding, let us clarify what ”active duty” stands for. This is the official definition the Defense Department attributes to active duty: “full-time duty in the active military service of the United States. This includes members of the Reserve Components serving on active duty or full-time training duty, but does not include full-time National Guard duty.” The initial state of residence falls under the Gun Control Act definition of State of Residence, meaning the state in which the person in cause is residing. The alternate state residency means the state in which the permanent duty station of the service member is located. But, in a situation where the person is residing and stationed in Nebraska, the State of residency would be solely Nebraska.

We will list some useful examples for you the have a clearer picture. The Air Force Base Offutt is situated in Omaha, Nebraska. Due to Omaha’s vicinity to Iowa, a member of the Armed Forces could daily commute to Nebraska. In this case, the service member would be eligible for residency in Nebraska and Iowa. Another example is Ft. Campbell Army Base, that is literally situated in Kentucky and Tennessee. In this case, obviously the service member would have both Kentucky and Tennessee residencies.

In the case potential customers with dual state residency, that wish to acquire a firearm from you as a FFL licensee, you must follow specific rules when you fill out the ATF 4473 Form, in the Firearms Transaction record.  For example, if a service member is buying a firearm in the state where his/her permanent duty station is situated, but does not live in the duty station, he/she must fill in both duty station address and residence address as an answer to Question 2. If a service member is buying a firearm in the state where his/her permanent duty station is situated but has a driver’s license from a different state, you should fill in the transferee’s military ID card and official orders that demonstrate where his/her permanent duty station is situated in response to Question 18a.

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FFL Requirements – Flea Markets & Gun Shows

The most important thing that you must do, after attaining your FFL license is knowing where and when you are allowed to sell weapons. As you’ve probably heard, gun shows, are considered by the ATF, to be an extension of your license. This means, that you can do exactly the same type of activities as you would at your license location: sell, do transfers etc. The only thing is , this rule applies to gun shows in your state. Still, there is a clear distinction the ATF makes between a gun show and a flea market.

According to the Gun Control Act of 1968, all dealers that are licensed, are allowed to run their business in their license or a bona fide gun show. However, a FFL license holder is allowed to have a firearm display at a flea market so he can take orders. You won’t be allowed to deliver your NFA item at the flea market, but only at the licensed location. This rule comes with a single exception: firearms considered to be curios/relics may be sold to other FFL license holders.

Unlicensed individuals are allowed to conduct sporadic sales or buy firearms to/from residents of the state where the flea market is taking place as long as the process does not fall under the definition of “dealer” in firearms. However the unlicensed person may not buy or order of firearms to residents of any other states.

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Once you are a FFL license holder, you are expected and solicited to keep several important documents and other material on hand at your licensed location (often your home). If the ATF will conduct an inspection at your license location they will want to make sure you have these things. So it’s highly relevant for you to know which ones they are.

Clearly the firs document they’ll look for and that you must have on hand is a copy of your FFL license. You need to keep it at hands reach in case an ATF officer will come to inspect your location. You shouldn’t expect an ATF officer to pop up once a month, but when and if one should you should make sure you can show him your license in a split second. Sam thing applies for participating at gun shows.

The second thing they’ll be looking for is the Youth Handgun Poster. This is a poster providing general information related to young people and generally the use of firearms as well as certain articles from the Youth Handgun Safety Act. Same as the poster are the Youth Handgun Safety Act Notice pamphlets that you can have on display and readily available for handing out. They contain basically the same kind of information as the poster.

Last but not least, because it is equally important is having an archived copy of all your inventory records. This means: 4473s, any FFL related record and the A&D (Acquisitions & Dispositions) Book as well. These records should be stored in a orderly fashion. As an example, many silencer manufacturers  uses large 3-ring-binders for this purpose.

In case you keep your FFL inventory at the same location as you do your personal firearms, make sure to stick a tag on all personal firearms as “not for sale” so the ATF doesn’t waste any time on these personal items.

In case you have your Class 3 license, you’ll obviously have to have a copy of that on hand at your location, just like with your FFL license. Please make sure to have all inventory records related to your Class 3 SOT license on hand as well. In case you’ve applied for any different license, you should also have copies of those on the ready for the ATF to check.

This isn’t a huge list of documents that you need to have on the ready, but it is relevant that you make sure you have each of these available and updated.

If you don’t have your FFL yet, but would like more information on how to get it, join FFLTrust.com today!

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Obtaining an FFL license, for some people, is a bit exotic in the beginning because they  don’t really know a lot about it.  When putting forward paperwork to the government, we are always stressed about doing it the right way, but also worried about not submitting anything they do not require.  The unknowns in the procedure build up a lot of stress for us.  We read firearms related forums and online articles, and we soon understood the information we were obtaining getting seemed to be in disagreement and quite often turned out to be wrong. It was also quite a stretch to determine of the sources of the information were in fact solid.   We soon understood that the procedure can actually vary in one part of the country compared to another part; this is why the ATF has regional offices and even satellite offices outside the regional offices.  What works in Utah, might not work in Kansas…  This is the prime motif we conceived these FFL guides to assist clients in all states no matter their locations.  Success comes fairly easy when a confirmed procedure is followed.  Home based ffl can be more complicated than this, but no reason for concerns… we have you covered!

Actually, many applicants are declined in their first effort to obtain the FFL license, because they follow some defective information. Unfortunately once you are turned sown, it can be extremely complicated to get approved at a later stage. With all of the complications in place one finds while attempting to obtain a license, it is no wonder why so many persons have turned to FFLTRUST.com. We can help set you up and increase your chances of obtaining your FFL license. Our guides will actually walk you through, step-by-step, every bit of the process of getting your FFL license. We take the time to personally answer each and every FFL related question our customers have. Customers of FFLTRUST.com are in the best hands while working on obtaining the FFL license. 

Understand How to Get an FFL License Now

The services we provide here at FFLTRUST.com are efficient, effective, and complete. There are nine different types of FFL licenses that you can choose from, and our CEO will make sure all his customers are knowledgeable on every single one of them, making 100% sure his customers understand the current and future advantages of each license type and assist them in finding the right type, that best suits their needs.  What’s great about FFLTRUST.com is that customers deal directly with the owner of the company. Another thing that our CEO does is assisting customers with their FFL application set of paperwork, while also replying to state and federal regulations related questions and how they might affect the approval process. Our CEO is so positive that he can help each and every single customer, that we guarantees our services 300% to all customers; this is due to the fact that he takes the time to walk you down every step of the entire FFL approval process prior to you sending out your application. This is how he can be certain that you can face each impediment you might come across along the way.

The value of having FFLTRUST.com and our CEO  at your side is proven. Clients can save themselves hundreds of dollars by taking the help of a professional who has been, personally, through the FFL license application process on eight separate occasions in four different states. I could add that after customers have obtained their FFL license, our CEO personally assists his customers in setting up accounts with wholesalers, by using his detailed list of FFL wholesalers and firearms manufacturers across the United States of America, our CEO will not rest until he assists each and every one of his clients in getting the best deals on firearms and ammunition. No matter how much of an online surfer you are you can’t find these priceless insider secrets and professional advice anywhere online, no matter how hard you try.  Our CEO also manages to stay updated in all trends across the US and actually runs his FFL by himself in four states.  We are keen on helping you get your FFL license as fast as possible!

Take a peek at our FFLTRUST.com FaceBook Fan Page and see the reviews others left us!

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Home FFL & 4th Amendment

The best way to get started as a FFL license is a home FFL. It is a common delusion that being a home-based FFL holder automatically implies that the ATF has the unlimited authority to be prying around your home. This is nothing else but false.

Fourth Amendment in a nutshell

There is much to complain about when it comes down to the U.S. federal government, but it also is forced to abide to certain constitutional limitations. Everybody knows that the Second Amendment emphasizes the right to keep and bear arms. Another constitutionally guarded right is the individual’s Fourth Amendment right that refers to the right of being safe against illogical inspections and confiscation.

The Fourth Amendment was approved along with the rest of the Bill of Rights back in 1791. It was part of the Anti-Federalist struggle to attentively limit the authority of the newly established federal government by clearly listing certain specific, fundamental rights and the nature of the connection between the federal government, state governments, and the American people. The Anti-Federalists were hoping that the Bill of Rights would prohibit the federal government from striping Americans of the liberty they’d just won in the war for American independence. Fresh in their consciousness were the memories regarding the obligatory accommodation of British troops in American homes and the random searches by British soldiers and profit agents attempting to instate different disparaging laws that served as a motivation for the revolutionaries. It is no surprise that they wanted to make sure a homegrown version of the same sort of oppression would be prevented as much as possible..

The Fourth Amendment states that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” It means that any involuntary inspections and confiscation by government agents must rely on probable cause. The much-hated Writs of Assistance used by the British to enable the offensive intrusions of colonial homes were clearly prohibited with this constitutional requirement that warrants be specific to specific places, individuals, and objects.

In todays America, the usual antidote for a person who is the subject of a senseless search and seizure in the course of a criminal investigation is elimination of evidence that is demonstrated as a result of that search or seizure. This is a great comfort for the individuals who are innocent, since they have no evidence to eliminate anyway. But law enforcement agencies are not generally predisposed to spending resources on activities that cannot support a prosecution at a later time. This antidote however, does seem to provide some restraint against improper warrantless inspections and confiscations.

Actual inspection requirement for Home FFLs

It is true that your licensed location, including storage locations, must be open to conformity inspections during your regular working hours. The ATF explains this in great detail in their regulations as the “right of entry and examination.” The inspector does not have to consider that a contravention has taken place in order to conduct a premises inspection.

During an inspection, the ATF can ask to review the records and documents that you are solicited to have as an FFL holder, and they are allowed to inspect your firearms inventory and the entire licensed premises. However, unlike telephone solicitations for information from your records and archive that must be answered within twenty-four hours, premises inspections, if they take place, won’t happen more often than once annually (27 C.F.R. § 478.23(b)(2)(i)) The only exception to this rule is if there is a criminal investigation relating to a firearm that has been traced to your FFL going on. Only about one in five FFLs has been inspected by the ATF in 2015.

But they’re in my home already!

As the FFLTRUST’s guide clearly explains, you can narrowly define your licensed premises and regular operating hours to limit the effect and purpose of these inspections. If you bear this in mind while completing your application paperwork and provide acceptable working hours of operation and obvious defined premises that only involve that part of your residence where you will actually engage in FFL related activities, the ATF will not fondle with checking out your bedroom unless, as priory mentioned, you are the subject of an on going criminal investigation. Even in these cases, the inspection must be based on a warrant issued by a federal magistrate (27 C.F.R. § 478.23(a)) this procedure being basically similar to the one taking place in case a home belonging to someone who is not an FFL at all, is being searched for evidence.

ATF inspectors who are concerned in civil matters carry out warrantless conformity checks, namely, your deference with the recordkeeping and storage solicited by federal laws for FFLs. It is of course a possibility for you to grant an inspector your concession to approach other parts of your home, just like it is possible for you to allow a warrantless police officer to search your home. Still it would be a Fourth Amendment breech without your distinct agreement. By becoming a home-based FFl owner you are not permitting that sort of access by default. In rare cases where an inspector might try to overstep the purpose of his authority, you entitled by your constitutional right to politely refuse to grant your consent.

Conclusion

By opening your new firearms business at home is a advantageous, affordable way to get the many advantages of being a FFL holder. There are many requirements that you should get familiar with even if they are federal statutory and regulatory requirements regarding licensees. But you don’t have the obligation of giving up your home to the ATF in order to become a home FFL.

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TSA Confiscates Toy Gun – What Next?

One of the major tragedies in our nation’s recent history are the events on September 11. The attack on the nation’s security has had many consequences, amongst which a review on airport security regulations. The changes made, are crucial in order to keep both people and flights safe. Nonetheless, if you put rigid TSA regulation and enhanced talk of gun restriction in one blender, the result can be quite engaging!

Some days ago, a lady travelling with sock monkey knitting kit, was stopped by the TSA. One of the prop for one of them was confiscated by the TSA. The prop, a True Grit, John Wayne look a like, was holding a small six-shooter and was seized by the TSA agent because, even though it wasn’t real – it was still looking like a gun. Eventually, only the six shooter was confiscated and the lady was allowed to board the plane with the monkey.

Surely, we all want to be safe while travelling and are thankful for the attention that the airline security agents put into their duty. Nonetheless, there must be a line standing between personal security and irrationality. In order to legitimize his action, the named TSA agent stated that he confiscated the toy gun, because if the toy were pointed at someone’s neck, the person couldn’t tell if it was real or not..(Click here for picture of the prop). If the line of what’s considered safe and what isn’t is stretched that far, we might be heading down a two-faced path. Some people may assert that by seeing a threat in a toy, we already are on this two-faced path.  The negative undertone, the word “gun” implies nowadays, also due to the anti-gun political discourse, has people panicking on the spot. Even if there is no actual peril present.

In order to ensure the safety of passengers and flights it is important to take extra measures (such us being prevented from bringing firearms or bombs onto airplanes). Still it is quite important to keep these measures as being part of reality. However, pointing out that every similar looking object or any object positioned like a firearm can be threatening will have the exact opposite effect than proper information or awareness raising would – leading to utter anxiety in the general public. Obviously the TSA is performing a highly relevant task and the general public must have confidence that the TSA ground agents are enhancing their efforts onto weighing efforts of keeping the airlines secure.

Now, if you are a constant flyer, you’ve probably experience some interaction with the TSA, no matter if the reason was your luggage or the persons in front of you. If you’ve experienced some extra agitation due to more rigid, post-9/11 regulations, please share them with us. Whether it’s a situation in which the TSA were proficient at their job or one that stroke you as being a little bit ridiculous (such as a sock monkey’s toy firearm!) we’d love to hear about it! Please share your story in the comments section!

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