[Titan Tom]

Over the Christmas holidays, my wife & I travelled to Europe. While in Prague, we went into the Czech equivalent of an Army/Navy store, where I bought a CZ52 mag for a ridiculously low price (about $5 American). I threw it in my bag and forgot all about it.

Fast forward about a week & a half. Early as hell in the morning, at the Munich airport, catching a flight to Heathrow. Now my wife & I had decided that were going to make this trip with carry-ons only, as we had a transfer in London, both ways, where we had only a smidgeon of time to transfer between Heathrow & Gatwick. We decided that our chances of making the connection would be better if we didn't have to bother with checked bags. This was a prudent decision, as on BOTH legs of the trip in & out of London, our driver broke down on the M25, and we barley made our connections, but that's another story...

Anyway (and y'all know exactly where I'm going with this), it took the German 'TSA' folks about .0001 seconds to see the mag in my bag (which I had forgotten all about). Lights! Camera! Action!

The first thing that happened, was although we could all see it plain as day on the x-ray monitor, we couldn't find the friggen' thing in the bag, either myself or the Germans, so now it looks like I hid it with the intention to smuggle it out. Ok, wait a minute, here it is, it found its way under part of the bag lining. Now the questions start (please excuse my lousy German):

Them: "Was is das?"
Me: "A magazine for a CZ52"
Them: "Sind sie eine Polizei?"
Me: "Nope"
Them: "Sind sie eine Jager?"
Me: "Nope"
Them: "Haben sie etwas Papiren?"
Me: "Nope"
Them: "Wo ist die Pistole?"
Me: "At my home in Florida"

Thankfully, at this point, they started speaking English, as they had effectively reached the end of my German abilities.

Them: "This is not permitted" And I was lead to believe 'it was not permitted' meant 'not permitted in Germany', forget about in your luggage. It was right about now that visions of handcuffs were dancing in my head.

Them: "Have you been to the Czech Repulic?"
Me: "Yep, bought this mag in Prague!"

Now keep in mind I was being open & honest with them, with a little "good-'ole-boy-goofy-American" attitude thrown in, which I figured was as far away from acting like an international terrorists as I could get. Basically, for me, it was all "What, THIS little old thing? Shucks!"

Now the 'TSA' guys call over the cops. Well, cop. So the Polizei Man goes through the same questions, gets the same responses from me, and the whole shebang of them huddle up to decide how to proceed.

So far I've been very nice & open with them (hell the whole thing WAS my fault), and they have been very courteous to me, didn't get too excited, didn't throw me to the ground and call SWAT like they probably would here.

Decision made, they broke up the huddle and turned back to me...

"This is not permitted, we are sorry, but you cannot take it on the plane."

Then 'Fritz' handed it BACK to me, and said if I cared to try and take it back to the check-in area and put in my checked luggage (which I of course didn't have) I was welcome to do so and be on my way, no harm, no foul, no arrest for possessing the mag in Germany. And with all of this an APOLOGY for holding me up!

I thanked him for their offer, apologized for the trouble I'd caused, and told them no, it had only cost me a couple of bucks and it wasn't worth the effort. We all shook hands, wished each other a Happy New Year (it was New Year's Eve), and I was on my way, under the Hairy Eye of my slightly agitated wife.

We walked to our gate, sat down....and saw the Polizei Man walking toward us. Crap.

He sat down, and asked if I was SURE that it was a CZ52 mag. I said, yep, it was, I know my mags, this was definately a CZ52 mag. He was hoping that since I was leaving it, he might of had some use for it. We then shot the poop a bit, one 'gun guy' to another. After again offering ME an apology, he was on his way, and I on mine.

Now I KNOW that y'all are each and every one smarter than me, and would never find yourself in this situation, but, just in case, please take a hint from my experience. And thanks for trudging through my boring story.


TT

 

[mike radford]

My big mistake with German airport security was coming back from Egypt nearly dead due to Egyptian Montezma revenge, which makes the Mexican version seem like swating a nat. I had an Imodium in its foil lined package in my watch pocket. It set off their metal dectector, talk about set sensative. They searched me and found the dangerous contraband and muttered something I did not understand but I wanted to tell them if they wanted what they might have gotten without those pills, I could have given them a pile of it.

My big mistake coming out of Moscow to ATL. The tour have given me a box breakfast which had an orange so I stuck it in my carry on. One could starve on an airplane these days. Upon arrival in ATL they discovered the dangerous orange and sent me to Dept of AG screening as this smuggling of dangerous fruit is serious so they searched everything I had AND my gal had. They disected that poor orange down to the last seed and it was found to be in good health until they fixed that. Of course they explained how they had done a great service to save us from this orange, which was much more dangerous than a bomb in an African's underwear. They also explained how I could got to jail forever due to this serious offense but they would just lecture me and give me a warning. Got to love our simple and common sense gov..

Glad your forgetful spell did not end up as a big problem. Sounds like they did exercise a little common sense.

 

[Lovesz]

My experience in the last few years with German, Hungarian and Dutch airline security has been much more cordial and professional than with US TSA, especially in New York and Philadelphia.

 

[Clyde]

Well, my time in Yurop dates to before anybody had "Transportation Security", but there was customs at the airport for in-coming folks, and you can't spend two years running around Deutschland without some interaction with the polizei. I found the German police agencies and personnel to be honest, correct and professional, and generally cordial. i suspect their TSA folks are the same even now. And - all very by the book, by the rules. But - you could pay your speeding fine on the spot and not be concerned it wasn't going to be turned in and the ticket cleared. Can you think of anyplace here you'd feel comfortable doing that?

 

[Tombstone]

Just out of curiosity, is it legal to bring “ammunition feeding devices” into the U.S. without prior approval from ATF / State Dept / Customs?????

 

[The Expert]

Well, my time in Yurop dates to before anybody had "Transportation Security", but there was customs at the airport for in-coming folks, and you can't spend two years running around Deutschland without some interaction with the polizei. I found the German police agencies and personnel to be honest, correct and professional, and generally cordial. i suspect their TSA folks are the same even now. And - all very by the book, by the rules. But - you could pay your speeding fine on the spot and not be concerned it wasn't going to be turned in and the ticket cleared. Can you think of anyplace here you'd feel comfortable doing that?

Before any of you scoff at Clyde for telling a whopper of a tall tale, I can verify that this is absolutely true for the German police. They are the most professional police by far that I have ever seen. Everything is legitimate and by the book.

Having said that, the rules are different. Fines are generally significantly lower than in the US for minor offences...example: $40 for 10mph over, paid on the spot. Also, traffic tickets are often taken by automatic radar cameras and can arrive weeks later, even in the US. Failure to pay, even for minor fines, could cause you trouble during your next trip to Germany, including imprisonment(!).

The traffic laws are sufficiently different to warrant a careful study if you are considering renting a car. For example, right of way laws are much different, and you'd best understand them to avoid an accident. Also: A flashing yellow light means STOP [no kidding], then proceed if safe to do so.

One suggestion for anyone traveling outside the US, especially if you are driving: consider obtaining a duplicate passport from the State Department. Foreign countries often will seize your passport, even for things that we consider trivial, such as a fender bender. Having an extra could be the difference between making your flight and handling the matter from back home, or renting an apartment (and putting your job on hold) for a few weeks while the authorities get things sorted out.

 

[raul]

Some thirty yrs ago my mother was in Paris, in France silencers were sold without any prior license, so I asked my mother to buy one silencer for me>What I did not realize was that she was returning to Argentina thru the USA, entering JFK she was admitted
and no one noticed that forbidden device in her luggage-

 

[Paddyofurniture]

When going home from Berlin in 1978 on leave I pass through the German airport security with a East German helmet and a handful of WWII bayonets. The German airport security people all tried on the East German helmet. The helmet and my bag of bayonets where held in the pilot's compartment during the flight.

Paddy

 

[Clyde]

Coming home from Germany on the way to Vietnam in 1968, I had a number of guns I had bought while i was there 9had to get a State Department Munitions Control Office license to bring them back, had too many to just carry them on PCS orders). Had to be hand-carried as baggage, and when i got to the states, had to carry them as cabin baggage. The cases with four handguns (Ruger Standard Model 22; Ruger .357 Magnum Blackhawk; M1911A1 .45; and FN Hi Power 9mm) and two long guns (Remington Model 700 ADL in .308; Browning T-bolt .22) rode from DC to Dayton and then Dayton to Dallas behind the cockpit with crew baggage, and at Dayton, the pilot asked what I had and asked me to open the cases so he could have a look before we loaded. That got me n up-grade from Toutrist to 1st class, on TWA. Wouldn't be that way now, would it?

 

[cpw]

Coming home from Germany on the way to Vietnam in 1968, I had a number of guns I had bought while i was there 9had to get a State Department Munitions Control Office license to bring them back, had too many to just carry them on PCS orders). Had to be hand-carried as baggage, and when i got to the states, had to carry them as cabin baggage. The cases with four handguns (Ruger Standard Model 22; Ruger .357 Magnum Blackhawk; M1911A1 .45; and FN Hi Power 9mm) and two long guns (Remington Model 700 ADL in .308; Browning T-bolt .22) rode from DC to Dayton and then Dayton to Dallas behind the cockpit with crew baggage, and at Dayton, the pilot asked what I had and asked me to open the cases so he could have a look before we loaded. That got me n up-grade from Toutrist to 1st class, on TWA. Wouldn't be that way now, would it?

Today, you would end up in jail

 

[Clyde]

Today, you would end up in jail

Yes, I know. Just a comment on how much things have changed, eh?

 

[Guard Guy]

I had a similar problem in Romania, only my magazine was loaded. I was an armed currier on a flight that RONed (Remained Over Night) in Bucharest. Since my orders only covered me while on the plane the weapon was secured in the gunbox when we went to the hotel. The only problem was I threw my shoulder rig with my second magazine in my carry-on bag. The next day for some reason they brought us through the terminal instead of directly to the aircraft. The x-ray operator got quite excited and the pilot had to vouch for me.

 

[Michael Jon Littman]

My experiences with German Zoll are also nothing but positive. On the contrary the two bottles of Pappy Van Winkle 15 year old bourbon that I carried to Germany to give to friends were confiscated from checked luggage by the US TSA for reasons still not explained to me. TSA always opens my luggage, turns on and leaves on my electronic devices and leaves their little calling card inside my luggage. I have close family friends who retired from the German Zoll who refuse to enter the USA now due to treatment they received by the US Customs Border Patrol.