US air marshal leaves gun in airport restroom

[Mooney Driver]

SMH 11 April

A federal air marshal accidentally left her gun in a restroom beyond the security checkpoints at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, officials said today.

The weapon was discovered by a passenger who alerted an airline employee.

The marshal remained on the job after Thursday's incident when she visited an airport restroom and inadvertently left her gun behind, said Dave Adams, spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service in Washington.

The restroom was beyond security checkpoints, airport spokeswoman Pat Smith said. So the risk was that someone could have discovered the gun and taken it on a flight.

"Right now we're still doing the investigation," Adams said. "It will determine what disciplinary action will be appropriate."

He declined to identify the marshal for security reasons, but said her work in the past had been "outstanding".

The United States deploys armed air marshals disguised as passengers on thousands of flights each week as part of security measures implemented after the September 11, 2001, hijacked airliner attacks that killed about 3,000 people.


Smith said the incident occurred about 4pm on Thursday, when the air marshal went to the restroom. While washing her hands, she placed her gun on a shelf, but forgot to take it with her when she left the room.

Soon afterward, a passenger found the gun and informed an airline employee, who removed it and told police. The gun later was returned to the marshal.

Reuters

[itchybum]

A federal air marshal accidentally left her pink gun in a restroom, officials said today, after she mistakenly walked out with the hair-dryer.

The weapon was discovered by her partner since guards' SOPs are to always use the powder room in pairs.

"I don't like carrying the gun anyway because it's really heavy and I knew I could always hit a terrorist with my handbag or bitch-slap him," Agent Trixie said.

Her work in the past had been "outstanding" and there had been no complaints about her performance regarding sitting on her @rse in First Class or her ability to remain focussed on the in-flight entertainment for hours at a time.

[balance]

What was he doing playing with his "weapon" in the crapper anyway? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Pretty lucky it didn't go off on him, really...:uhoh: :uhoh: :uhoh: The cleaners would have to wear gloves for that one!:mad:

[Felix Lighter]

Having worn a gun daily for 3yrs I can safely say that I never needed to remove it from my holster and place it on a counter so I could do No2s and then wash my hands..............

What a feed of ar$e............

Another "Only in America" story that smites of irresponsible firearms behaviour.

In her next job she should be asking "Do you want fries with that?"

[HotDog]

The marshal remained on the job after Thursday's incident when she visited an airport restroom and inadvertently left her gun behind, said Dave Adams, spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service in Washington.

I guess that means the marshal is female.:rolleyes:

[FlexibleResponse]

...or perhaps a female impersonator?

Man, these guys are good!

[Kaptin M]

"While washing her hands, she placed her gun on a shelf.."
One suspects that she was doing something OTHER than washing her hands! So why can't they print that??....Whilst in the restroom, Trixie (to use itchybum's nameology) placed her gun on a shelf.

Thank *##k the dim wit didn't wait to go, until she was onboard the aircraft.

Meanwhile.............a thousand security guards are feeling chuffed, and an overwhelming sense of job satisfaction, for having confiscated countless numbers of nail clippers and Swiss Army knives from pax, and several pairs of uniform wings, with a 2 cm stick pin, worn by crew on duty that day! :ok: :mad:

[International Trader]

Could be that they have a certain quota of female positions that have to be filled and this is the result.
Like in all industires there are those who are able to jump through the hoops ( perhaps only just) and are licensed to operate even though they will always be bouncing off the bottom line. I have seen it in pilots, heard about in in the medical field and this might be the case in the security industry.
Probably more important to be politically correct that to get the best person for the job. I do accept that a few hundred "Arnie" clones might be easy to spot in a crowd.
As an "aside " about iresponsible gun behaviour; I note that after the bid gun buyback that John Howard said will make everything safe, the Melbourne criminals appear to have little difficulty in obtaining, carrying and using handguns even when they are under police surveilance. Wonder how many hoods handed in their guns.
Someone once said that when you remove guns from the community then only the criminals will have guns. Not excatly so but try to get some quick response from the police these days.

[itchybum]

One suspects that she was doing something OTHER than washing her hands! So why can't they print that??....Whilst in the restroom, Trixie (to use itchybum's nameology) placed her gun on a shelf. ...next to her lippy, blush, eye-liner and Chanel.

You know girls, they're always leaving things behind... hairpins, scrunchies, hairclips, guns....

Yes maybe she was doing something else... cleaning all that nasty dirty gun oil off her "hand-cannon".

I wonder if she throws it with her right hand or left??

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

Jeez hang on a minute while I step over those huge drag marks on the floor from all your hairy knuckles. Okay I can see you are all tongue in cheek about the whole sexist thing, but guys!

I would be questioning the whole air marshall idea, I mean what a stroke of genius. We have a few hijackings, what will we do? We'll give someone a gun on board. Dunno, I'd say thats a knee jerk reaction but thats just my humble opinion.

Anyway poor little trixie was probably having that time of the month and didn't want to get her tampon applicator confused with her pistol. Oops I think my knuckles just scraped the gravel.

[The Enema Bandit]

NEVER LET A WOMAN DO A MAN'S JOB! ANOTHER BLOODY EMPTY KITCHEN. I'M SICK OF IT!

[QNIM]

Gday
What's this washroom crapp isn't this an ozzy forum its a bloody dunny.
Cheers Q :O

[itchybum]

Are you sure that's how you got those scratches on your knuckles....?!?! ;)

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

Ok itchybum I'll come clean, it's carpet burn on my knuckles. I got it last night doing the horizontal tango with your mum on the lounge room floor :E

[Sheep Guts]

International Trader,
I dont know if your a gun lobyist by your post or not. I myself arent I suggest you watch a movie documentary called
"Bowling for Columbine" by Michael Moore. It will open your eyes on the Biggest gun Culture Nation of them all. Very insighting indeed. I live in Jamaica at the moment, all be it sounds nice, but to the uninformed it would. Here arte the statistics of Jamaica:

Population: 2.5 million
Gun Homicides per anum: 1200
Average per day :3 Gunrealted Deaths

as comparison to Syndey
Population: 3.5 million
That would be 5 gun related deaths a day in Sydney with the same precentage applied hypotheically of course .

Outside South Africa , Jamaica has the worst rate in the World closesly followed by the US of A. Gun Control is Factor in Nations that have smaller rates of Gun Homicide, but its not the only Factor. In Jamaica for example, they are uncovering a Gun Scam organised by High Ranking Cops, yep recycling is the chief arbitraitor of these gruseome statistics, plus the Drug Industry.

Ok back to the issue here. Gun on Planes I think is pure example of US idiocy, it will backfire on them soon, this little mistake was nipped in the bud, but what next?


Sheep

[itchybum]

If only I had the energy to launch into a tirade on gun control and the buy-back scam. And don't jump to conclusions on where that places me in the argument, please Sheepguts. You might actually be surprised.

But more importantly, AirNoServicesAustralia, I'm surprised to hear that. I had heard you were on the floor at one stage but not with my mother!! :E

Hey that's pretty rude, mate. Not in your nature, surely... :hmm::suspect:

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

Yeh I was pretty rude. Sorry, bit of tongue in cheek banter thats all :ok:

Anything the yanks do will never surprise me, and I guess they will continue to do whatever they want cos they can always point to September 11, and anyone who questions their actions, is accused of being unpatriotic and pro-terrorism. Just think putting guns into the whole equation as being crazy.

[LooseConnection]

this little mistake was nipped in the bud

That's it Sheep, little Trixie was tickling the nip and touching up the bud, and left the sordid instrument on the shelf afterwards. :p

Now where do I get these scratched knuckles dressed :E

[itchybum]

Aw that's okay AirNoServicesAustralia, I wasn't really miffed... and you were reported to be a dud anyway ! ! (but not by me muvva, dammit... let's be clear on that)

But seriously, are the knuckles still sore? :ok: :ouch:

[FlexibleResponse]

At least we should be thankful that the agent had the presence of mind to leave her gun on the shelf in the airport terminal toilet, rather than the shelf in an aircraft toilet. This would have made a complete mockery of all the security inspections that innocent pax are subjected to.

Perhaps the Homeland Security guys should review the body position on which the gun is carried to ensure that merely responding to a call of nature doesn't require downloading the weapon.