Air Travel with tanks post TSA

[Dectek]

Or is Genesis a Karl also?

True about the fact that you can strap a tank to your back and jump into a lake. Right after you drove your own vehicle that did not have to be searched before you drove it.

When you get to your Island paradise vacation and want to dive. Tell the Captain of the dive boat that there is no policy stating that you must be certified to dive.

He will tell you the same thing the airlines told you.

If you want to go with me you will.

Damn it.....go on vacation just to let everyone push us around.
You are in theory 100% correct but we still have to sometimes do what other people tell us to do. I do beat my head against the wall sometimes but this one is not worth getting dizzy over.

 

[jbm]

Dectek once bubbled...
Or is Genesis a Karl also?

Yes


jbm

 

[dmdalton]

C_C once bubbled...
After 39...now 40 posts in this thread, we still do not know for sure what constitutes compressed gas cylinders to the TSA.

I have reviewed all documentation I can find and have yet determined if an unvalved, empty cylinder is prohibited.

Anyone else able to confirm specific determinations?

Thanks,

C_C

Not sure what the specific rule IS but when my son (USN) packed out for Puerto Rico in August 02, packed in his checked trunk was an AL 80, valve removed. He experienced no problem. My daughter is headed to visit him in 2 weeks and will be taking another of the same. I'll post how it goes. Both flights leaving from the Washington DC area so security is high profile.

As far as violation of constituional rights, that is overcome by passage of law as has been done in this case. You can challenge the law and if found to be unconstitutional then you will no longer be subjected to these OH SO terrible annoyances intended to keep YOU safe and secure.

Dave D

 

[jbm]

Ask em.......



Phone toll-free (866) 289-9673
Email: TellTSA@tsa.dot.gov





jbm

 

[dmdalton]

dmdalton once bubbled...


Not sure what the specific rule IS but when my son (USN) packed out for Puerto Rico in August 02, packed in his checked trunk was an AL 80, valve removed. He experienced no problem. My daughter is headed to visit him in 2 weeks and will be taking another of the same. I'll post how it goes. Both flights leaving from the Washington DC area so security is high profile.

Dave D

OK folks. As promised here is what happened.

Took my daughter to Dulles this morning at 5 am for a 7 am flight to Puerto Rico. She had a backpack carry-on with her reg in it.

She had a small suitcase that she checked with a SS backplate and wings, with small knife on the harness, in it in addition to clothes. This was run through the new checked-baggage x-ray machine by the TSA folks and not given a second look.

She also had a plastic trunk we picked up at Lowes that is large enough to hold an AL 80. Inside was an AL 80 with valve removed and plastic taped over the opening. Valve was in a zip lock bag and also in the trunk were mask, fins and crossover whip and clothes. I taped a note to the inside of the lid of the trunk in large bold type that read:

"Dear Ms./Mr. Inspector,

Please feel free to remove the plastic seal from the opening of my scuba tank so that you can inspect the insides. I would appreciate it if you would tape the plastic back over the opening when you are finished to keep out dirt and/or bugs.

Thank you very much,


name
street address
city, state, zip"



When she gave it to the ticket agent she told him that she would like to duct tape it shut after it was inspected to insure that it did not come open. He told us to go around to where they were inspecting the trunk as it was sent to secondary (open and hand inspect) after it went through the X-ray.

TSA gave it a quick once over confirming that it was a scuba tank and closed it back up and put a new zip tie on. We asked if we could duct tape it and they took the tape from us and did it, explaing that after it was inspected we could not touch it.

No muss, no fuss, very pleasant. Now my sone will have 2 scuba tanks in his household effects for the USN to ship around and I'll have something to use when I visit!

Moral of the story, take the valve off the tank be it a spare air, pony or whatever and write a note to the TSA Inspectors so they understand what it is at which they are looking.

Dave D

 

[DrySuitDave]

While I support giving our veterans preference in hiring due to their service to our Country, the whole notion that giving up my liberty for protection is a joke.

The Government via TSA is a bunch of crap window dressing designed to lull ignorant idiots into thinking that if they give up liberty they will get safety. Of course we know the Benjamin Franklin quote about anyone willing tp give up liberty for temporary peace and security is worthy of neither.

Richard Reid the shoe bomber said he watched screeners to see what they didn't search which was shoes. When they search me, which they always do because I am as far away from the profile as possible, they never check my package, something I am sure does not go unnoticed by badguys.

Until such time that they start doing body cavity searches, all the nonsense they are doing is an utter joke and total waste of time as some Arabic fag is going to put Semtex up his ass or wrapped around his tiny gear.

So far, the most harm to me has come at the hands of not Al Qaeda, but from the stupid government via TSA taking away my liberties-something Al Qaeda has never done-they got the knee-jerk puppet US government to do it for them.

Lastly, TSA needs to stop pandering to the PC crowd and stop searching little 7 year old white girls in the name of political correctness while ignoring alleged women with their chadors completely covering their faces and bodies.

 

[otobmark]

oh yeah, a cylinder w/out a valve/plug is NOT TECHNICALLY a compressed gas cylinder is it? It is, for the moment, just an empty metal container.

Ever think that maybe a "foolproof" world would only be fit for Fools?

I have to stop now or write a small book.......dang, bye--;-0

 

[eandiver]

I'm just curious...........after all the posts who has actually had a real honest to god problem/incident while going thru airport security?

I'm not talking about the feeling you get after visiting your proctologist for a check up but an actual problem.

 

[pescador775]

Genesis, as usual, you make some very good points. For my part, I am confident that guards will continue to straddle and pat down 22 year old, white, American, college students like my daughter while waving through weirdo terrorist types with oversized shoes. What's a terrorist type? I know it when I see it, and guards do too but can't do much except 'random' inspections. Problem was that that crazy Japanese American, Manetta was head of DOT including airline security. The bureaucracy has since changed. Just the bureaucracy, nothing else from the sound of it.

As a freediver I'm wondering how to get my UDT lifejacket through. There are two CO2 cartridges and one can't just go to a dive shop and buy them. Geez, I never had a problem sneaking the jacket through in the past but now....I'm a typical looking American so I guess I'll be searched, too.

 

[blibecap]

OK folks. As promised here is what happened.
"Dear Ms./Mr. Inspector,

Please feel free to remove the plastic seal from the opening of my scuba tank so that you can inspect the insides. I would appreciate it if you would tape the plastic back over the opening when you are finished to keep out dirt and/or bugs.

Thank you very much,


name
street address
city, state, zip"

Dave D

I used this same plan the last time I flew in May and it worked. I also placed several calls to TSA and received the following answers. The first time it was No way could I take a scuba tank it would be confiscated. The second call I was told it was a HAZMAT restriction I should call HAZMAT, Well I made that call and HAZMAT said they had no problem as long as it is less than 40 PSI. So that prompted my research into hazmat documents. I also found a letter on yes the Spare Air Site that said it was ok so that prompted the third call. This Time I was told it was ok as long as they were empty. By Now I was collecting people’s names and times. I also inquired as to how I might get the information on the web site corrected. I was given a web site address to send the information to. When I returned home with my pony tank in toe, I found an email waiting for me to call a different number at TSA. Well by now it was the middle of June. I placed a call and didn't get anywhere. So the second call a supervisor was going to call me back in a few days. Well after a week and no calls I placed a third call. While waiting on hold I discovered that the change on the web site was made YAHOO!.

YOU CAN NOW TAKE YOUR EMPTY SCUBA TANK (nothing more than a round hunk of steal) ON THE AIRPLANE LEGALY!!!!!!!! HERE IS THE LINK TO THE PAGE

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1190.xml

Well I certainly feel better now.
Bill Libecap
Cincinnati, Ohio