Bob Vogel Nearly Arrested in New York City Airport

As if you needed any more reasons never to enter New York with a gun, here is a story posted by multi-time national and world champion shooter Robert “Bob” Vogel. In the post, he describes a run-in at JFK airport where police nearly arrested him for the gun in his luggage.

tsa guns

Flying With a Gun in New York City —

It’s a general rule of thumb that gun owners should avoid New York if possible. Those who travel with guns often know to avoid booking flights that even pass through any New York airport. In addition to his recognition and experience as a top shooter, Bob Vogel is also firearms trainer and not new to the rigmarole of bringing guns on a plane.

But what happened even surprised him. So he said he had to share the story on Facebook, which is where I got the information for this post.

Robert Vogel Nearly Arrested —

Vogel was flying from Columbus, Ohio, to Los Angeles, California, to instruct a firearms class. He followed the rules and checked a couple of firearms at Columbus’s ticket counter. At that time, they advised him that his flight was canceled. The only option they gave him to get him in Los Angeles in time to teach the class would route him through JFK airport in New York City.

Bob said he thought:

It’s just a connection; I’m not getting my bag, so let’s see what happens.

He arrived at JFK airport and found his connecting flight to California. After he and everyone else boarded the plane, he heard his name announced over the intercom. Two TSA agents told him he needed to leave the plane with them. The TSA Agents told Bob firearms were “found” in his luggage.

I put “found” in quotation marks because, per policy, the American Airlines clerk had already tagged the bag as containing firearms in Columbus, Ohio.

TSA Agents Threaten Vogel With Arrest —

According to Bob’s post, the TSA agents told him he would be arrested and fined for violating New York law and TSA regulations.

None of that happened because Vogel is still a sworn reserve law enforcement officer, which allows him to possess a firearm in New York City.

Let this be a lesson to anyone reading and considering a flight that passes through an airport in New York City. Just don’t do it. Even if you’re a law enforcement officer, you’re likely to get hassled and threatened.

I also think it’s worth pointing out the obvious. Not at one point did Bob possess or even have the opportunity to gain possession of the firearm. Would New York City be a safer place if they had arrested Bob Vogel? But, of course, that’s not the point of such a ridiculous law. The purpose is to harass and hinder law-abiding gun owners.

Do you think the world would be a better place if every city enacted laws similar to New York? Let us know in the comments.

4 Comments

  1. Tim oliver on February 9, 2022 at 6:25 am

    If u have ccw u should b allowed to carry anywhere u can drive in there put where all the crime his they don’t Honors ours put they have lots more crime in that area

  2. Jeff82 on February 9, 2022 at 5:33 pm

    When I was a soldier returning from Germany with firearms in my baggage the travel office (SATO) allowed me to reroute myself and my family through Philly for that very reason.

  3. Pat W Chrisman Sr on February 11, 2022 at 12:17 am

    This and has been the most idiotic conversation’s that I have ever heard. In the first place the incident’s that they say are rising at the highest rates of all time in most cases are simply not true. The only reason it appears that way is because that the government is making sure every shooting that takes place is highly publicized due to political influence to make it seem far worse than it is.
    Now anyone that takes a hard look at this will find these scare tactics and false numbers are just another way to take away the rights that we were given by our forefathers. Great men most of which were way ahead of their time. All of us that are law abiding citizens are going to have are guns taken away, they want to take away the police protection that we have, so what does that leave us.
    Let’s just think about that for one second, oh that means 55% of the population in the United States of America the unlawful citizens will still have guns and all of us will be defenseless. Ya simple as that the bad guys are going to have guns. No Police no armed citizens and they have never been able to keep guns out of the bad guys hands. And that is what this is. And if you think I am not spot on I feel bad for you.

  4. Rich Miller on February 12, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    If New York had been enforcing the laws on the books for the last 20 years, New York may have been a safer place.

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