I left NC for air travel to Utah and Michigan earlier this week. Both states accept my NC CHP.
Checked in at the airlines desk in NC and discreetly told them I had an unloaded weapon in my checked luggage. Sadly, some nosy middle-schooler standing in line with his mommy kept his googly eyes on the process the minute he saw me whispering to the clerk. The airline clerk was nonchalant, but did ask me to open my COM safe. The kid's eyes about popped out of his head as he tried to espy my rig.
I opened the safe, completed the orange card, placed it back in the safe, and relocked it. I was directed to a "special" luggage screening area I had used once before with a set of golf clubs. The two bored TSA goobers jumped up, made me stand behind a line, and got all antsy when I said I had an unloaded weapon in my bag. The male goober asked for the key to my COM safe. I had to stand several paces back and winced as he tried to force the key in the lock the wrong way. I told him there was nothing to be nervous about and explained the key would work just fine if he took a moment to put it in the right way.
While he performed a clueless fondle of Mr Kimber, the female goober was busy rifling my bag, tossing my suit and shirts about and generally making a mess of things. She then started to swab down every part of my bag and the COM safe with separate fabric swatches to analyze for residue. She comletely overlooked the full box of Speer GoldDots and my knife in a very visible mesh compartment. I know I was legal, but it's funny how she was studiously ogling my shaving cream while missing knives and bullets.
They finally stuffed everything back in, I handed them the TSA lock for the outside closure, and went to the gate.
Got to Utah just fine. Rearmed in my rental car that was in a quiet place in the garage. Drove a long way to my hotel and went down to eat, still armed. Everything was fine. Got up for breakfast, put on my SuperTuck, Mr Kimber, and just pulled a black t-shirt over it all for the serve-yourself breakfast bar.
I have meetings today, then another long drive and another hotel stay. So far so good. I will be in Michigan (another state that recogizes my CHP) this weekend.
I am new to this, and I just wanted to share with other n00bs here so you can know what to expect. Updates will come after the multi-state trip concludes next week.
BTW, Mrs Mac (another new NC CHP holder) has been giving me ominous warnings for over a week since she learned I was going to travel with my rig. I hope to heaven I can say, "I told you so..."
Checked in at the airlines desk in NC and discreetly told them I had an unloaded weapon in my checked luggage. Sadly, some nosy middle-schooler standing in line with his mommy kept his googly eyes on the process the minute he saw me whispering to the clerk. The airline clerk was nonchalant, but did ask me to open my COM safe. The kid's eyes about popped out of his head as he tried to espy my rig.
I opened the safe, completed the orange card, placed it back in the safe, and relocked it. I was directed to a "special" luggage screening area I had used once before with a set of golf clubs. The two bored TSA goobers jumped up, made me stand behind a line, and got all antsy when I said I had an unloaded weapon in my bag. The male goober asked for the key to my COM safe. I had to stand several paces back and winced as he tried to force the key in the lock the wrong way. I told him there was nothing to be nervous about and explained the key would work just fine if he took a moment to put it in the right way.
While he performed a clueless fondle of Mr Kimber, the female goober was busy rifling my bag, tossing my suit and shirts about and generally making a mess of things. She then started to swab down every part of my bag and the COM safe with separate fabric swatches to analyze for residue. She comletely overlooked the full box of Speer GoldDots and my knife in a very visible mesh compartment. I know I was legal, but it's funny how she was studiously ogling my shaving cream while missing knives and bullets.
They finally stuffed everything back in, I handed them the TSA lock for the outside closure, and went to the gate.
Got to Utah just fine. Rearmed in my rental car that was in a quiet place in the garage. Drove a long way to my hotel and went down to eat, still armed. Everything was fine. Got up for breakfast, put on my SuperTuck, Mr Kimber, and just pulled a black t-shirt over it all for the serve-yourself breakfast bar.
I have meetings today, then another long drive and another hotel stay. So far so good. I will be in Michigan (another state that recogizes my CHP) this weekend.
I am new to this, and I just wanted to share with other n00bs here so you can know what to expect. Updates will come after the multi-state trip concludes next week.
BTW, Mrs Mac (another new NC CHP holder) has been giving me ominous warnings for over a week since she learned I was going to travel with my rig. I hope to heaven I can say, "I told you so..."