Re: I'm not..

Quote
sstrams
I doubt I could get either of the shotguns onboard.. Man, that benefit would make being in law enforcement totally worthwhile.. I'm happy just to keep my shoes on and not hafta pull my junk out.. I mean, the stuff in my carry on..

Yeah, well, like I said...there are pros and cons for this. For example:

1) The pre-airport arrival checklist is pretty specific. So, it can be a real pain in arse if your flight gets cancelled or switched (which I've heard happens with airlines...from time to time).

2) A lot of the cops I know feel uncomfortable taking their gun off just to take a shower. They're hyper-vigilant and take their firearm with them EVERYWHERE. So, when you hear yearly reports of how many firearms/weapons are confiscated by TSA...guess who a significant majority of them are being taken from? Yep...cops on vacation or who forgot about the protocol for work. This will likely get you days off on suspension.

3) Like you, EVERYONE notices the one or two plainclothes passengers who breeze past the mass of humanity jammed up in the security lines. And when they see you pre-boarding at the same gate along with the wheelchair-bound and mothers with infants...they think two things: A) you're a celebrity; or B ) you're a cop/air marshall. And since you're flying Southwest, they know you're not a celebrity.

So the guy that wants to take over the flight at 40,000 feet for reasons A, B, or C KNOWS whose neck they need to plunge the plastic knife into first before dealing with the flight attendants.

4) Oh, and forget about snagging the emergency exit row for extra legroom while pre-boarding. Last time I checked, FAA rules prevented anyone who has pre-boarded from occupying those seats. The flight attendants I've dealt with are pretty militant about this. I'm 6'3", so depending on the length of the flight, this is the primary reason I might decide against flying armed.