It was time to come home from IML.
As we prepared to get taxis to the airport storm clouds began raining on us.
Three of us were traveling with four large bags. soundsFun was traveling on Southwest with an allowance of two free checked bags. So he offered to take two of the bags. I suggested that it would be easier if he took my bag since it had rollers. This also would allow for the automatic travel insurance offered free by my credit card to cover the more expensive gear bag.
Since we were on different airlines we were forced to part. seaDawg99 and I went through security. To accommodate the full body scanner I put my phone and wallet into my carry-on bag. So I missed the first set of text messages.
soundsFun had gotten to the scales to weigh the bags. And my bag was overweight. soundsFun pulled a bag of stuff from the top of the bag, and added a pair of my boots and some dirty clothes to get the bag under the 50lbs weight limit. He sent me a text message letting me know that I should have been better about weight management.
Then soundsFun went through security and the full body scanner. And was met by armed gaurds at the other side.
It turns out that the TSA frowns on having a Russian gas mask and a cattle prod in carry-on luggage.
The TSA agents led soundsFun to a holding area where he waited as they acquired his checked luggage back from the airline. And hand searched every inch of all of soundsFun and all of his (my) luggage.
This included several ox-ball spacers, an Eros-Tec e-stim box, insertable toys, a stun gun, a peripheral nerve stimulator, a little devil, a padded jennings gag, a spider gag, a riding crop, a flogger, high voltage cable for a violet wand, and at least a cow's worth of leather. All of which had to be explained to the patient TSA agents.
At some point they realized that soundsFun was mostly harmless and completed the search after giving soundsFun a Pepsi and his cell phone.
The TSA agent commented "A sock is not proper storage for a cattle prod." And suggested that the stun gun and cattle prod should be transported in a hard-sided plastic gun case.
The TSA agents confirmed his participation in the IML event and looked at pictures of soundsFun being hit with a stun gun.
They sorted all of the questionable items into checked luggage and let him fly.
It could have gone differently. I will have to perform penance for this.
