New HP tank on commercial airplane guidelines?/rant

[rabidchihauhau]

I don't even know why this subject is being debated: the TSA has said NO to pressure tanks that have a permanently attached valve/regulator/whatever, period.

Get a screw-on reg/tank and be prepared to open it up at checkin or ship your stuff. End of story.

[shartley]

If those people had half a brain they'd be working real jobs.

When my little brother came back from Iraq some dufus "confiscated" an empty cigarette lighter with Saddam's picture on it because it was a "torch". This was on the last leg of the trip back from fighting a war for a year. Exactly how many brain cells do you need to have before you realize if an American soldier wanted to commit an act of terrorism he might have done it while he was in Iraq surrounded by machine guns and explosives rather than wait until he was almost home and try to do something with an empty cigarette lighter. The incredible lack of common sense boggles the mind.

[BigEvil]

Im not sure if anyone mentioned this already cus im too lazy to read every post, but I believe most players who need to travel ship their equipment seperately, say via Fed Ex or something.

I know most hotels will accomodate accepting packages for their guests. (for a small fee)

There is still certain PB items that you can put in your checked luggage at the airport. Your clothes, harness, mask ext shouldnt be problem.

Even though we call them "Markers" the rest of the world still sees them as "guns" so always check with the airline first.'

[Raven001]

Unless their names are Boris & Natashia

[rabidchihauhau]

Unless their names are Boris & Natashia

yeah, but then the people working the counter would be "Moose und Squirrel"...

[jetgirl]

And what were the requirements per usps to ship it?

The tank just has to be empty. I know because I shipped a tank a few months ago.

[warpspyder]

Is the lugage cabin pressurized?

No. Not for your regular luggage. Obviously for animals it would be.

[Jaan]

I personally think there are more important things to complain about than a cigarette lighter being confiscated. And common sense goes for everyone, to include those typing on internet forums.

All I was pointing out was how ridiculous it was to expect someone who had ample opportunity to commit acts of violence against Americans with some serious ordinance would wait until he got home and do it with an empty cigarette lighter.

Perhaps I should point out that he had THREE lighters, and they only took / found one. So, I don't know what's worse ... either the guy was stealing the lighter for himself because it was cool, or that he was actually trying to keep people safe and missed the other two lighters. Either was it's a cause for concern.

I'm sorry, but from what I've seen, I DON'T feel safer at all, and I have a right to say so. There may ... may .... be a slight reason for the new regulations concerning pressurized tanks, but how many have blown up before? Has this really been a problem in the past? I have a sneaking suspicion that it was just the brain child of some pencil pusher looking out for his own job. Hummmmm ... what can we go after next ... high pressure tanks, oh, that sounds scary.

Yes, they have new regulations and yes, if we want to fly we have to put up with it or State Troupers with sub machine guns will open up on us (seriously, what the hell are they actually there for?) but that doesn't mean it will accomplish anything and it doesn't mean we have to blindly accept their word that it does either.

/RANT

[Target Practice]

Paging Army to thread #177884.

Anyway, this is why you ship your equipment. You don't have to lug it with you, it's insured, and you know nobody is going to give you crap about it.

[barberjohn]

lol, FDA was just something i knew off the top of my head, but he did quote some acronym. as for shipping, usps took it, no problems with them . w/e, i hate this terrorism scare stuff, but im glad its there, for all our sakes .

[Rick-USA]

The accronym he probably quoted was TSA (Transportation Security Administration). The rules passed out this year require the inspector to be able to visually see inside your tank. Some airlines have taken that a step farther and don't allow tanks of any type on the plane even with the regs removed. This is also the same group that doesn't let you carry any tools in your carry on bags and makes you remove your shoes when going through the metal dectector.

The requirements for shipping them UPS, USPS, etc simply state they have to be depressurized. If you are questioned there you can usually just show the person asking the guage or remove the rupture disk so as to prove it's vented to the outside air.

My best advice short of shipping your equipment ahead of time to a friend or the hotel is to call your airline well before your flight time and ask them what the requirements are. I don't fault the security people at all for enforcing the rules they have. Just because a person getting there doesn't always know the rules makes it a lot harder for the people trying to enforce them to seem like they know what they are doing.