Planes, Trains, and Automatic Weapons

I’m guessing we all saw the same news report, right? 2023 on track to be a record-breaking year for guns found at airport checkpoints, 6,542 found in 2022, 88 percent of which were loaded. Oops, all bullets, that’s a lot of bad decisions!

I mean if I had to rank the top three places you shouldn’t bring a loaded firearm I would probably list:

1. A child’s birthday party
2. Applebee's
3. An airport

Maybe not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea, right? First off a round of applause for the security staff and hardware providers that managed to stop all that getting on a plane last year. I know Allied Universal just secured a contract with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) earlier this month, so keep an eye out for that, guys. I mean really, I’ll probably be flying into that airport later this year, so I’d appreciate a keen eye on security! This will also be my first year flying, ever. Crazy in this day and age I know, but there was always something preventing it. I’ve been to both coasts, in a car (don’t recommend), but ISC West will make for my first opportunity to fly the friendly skies. I hope we can manage to keep them friendly.

I also considered taking a train to reach my destination, looking at the (very) limited options available for passenger rail in this country, especially out west, and I determined it might be possible. But it’s not a short skip like in an airplane, and what’s more, costs that seem very affordable balloon quickly. Would you want to make a multi-day trip confined in a seat? Probably not, those rustic spacious train carriages from all the British murder mysteries cost fat stacks so you’re riding coach. Also, gun shows at the airport notwithstanding, trains don’t seem ideal for travel at the moment, at least not in Ohio, guess maybe we shouldn’t have quashed the rail strike to protect profits for the very people responsible for that debacle.

But how many guns are train security intercepting? I’m kind of curious to know, maybe next time I will take a train after all.

Did I mention I’m afraid of heights?