YOU'RE WATCHING LOCAL NEWS NETWORK DURANGO.
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. YOU MAY KNOW THAT HANDGUNS ARE PROHIBITED
ON BOARD AN AIRPLANE OR THAT KNIVES, SCISSORS, AND LIGHTERS ALSO ARE BANNED. BUT DID YOU
KNOW THAT A CAN OF CHEESE WHIZ OR A CARTON OF HUMMUS ALSO ARE BIG NO-NOs ON BOARD? THE
DURANGO-LA PLATA COUNTY AIRPORT HAS EXPERIENCED AN 8 PERCENT INCREASE IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC
IN JUNE COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR. AND THE JUMP IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC ALSO
MEANS LONGER LINES AND WAIT TIMES AT THE SECURITY CHECK POINT. LOCAL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION OFFICERS RECENTLY PROVIDED A DEMONSTRATION AND REMINDER OF THE TYPES
OF ITEMS THAT ARE PROHIBITED ON BOARD IN HOPES OF SPEEDING UP SCREENING LINES AND AVOIDING
DELAYS. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ITEMS THAT COMES THROUGH
CHECKPOINT IS GOING TO BE WATER, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. YOU CANNOT BRING WATER THROUGH CHECKPOINT
UNLESS IT'S SMALLER THAN 3.4 OUNCES, EVEN IF IT'S A SEALED CONTAINER. WE DO HAVE REFILLING
STATIONS THAT ARE ON THE INSIDE OF THE SECURED AREA THAT IF YOU BRING AN EMPTY BOTTLE, EMPTY
FIVE BOTTLES, OR EVEN ONE OF THESE BOTTLES, EMPTY, YOU CAN REFILL IT ONCE YOU'RE DONE
WITH THE SCREENING PROCESS. AS A RULE OF THUMB, YOU MAY NOT CARRY ITEMS
WITH MORE THAN THREE POINT FOUR OUNCES OF LIQUID ON BOARD. PACK THEM IN YOUR BAGS. THAT
INCLUDES SUNSCREEN, HAIR SPRAY, SHAMPOOS, BUG SPRAY, OR THAT RARE BOTTLE OF WINE YOU
PURCHASED ON YOUR WINE COUNTRY TOUR IN McELMO CANYON. IF YOU DO WANT TO CARRY PERSONAL HYGIENE
ITEMS, PACK SMALL BOTTLES IN A CLEAR PLASTIC BAG. EACH PERSON WHO'S TRAVELING, THAT PERSON IS
ALLOWED TO HAVE ONE QUART-SIZED BAG PER PERSON, AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY L-G-A UNIT
THAT'S 3.4 OUNCES OR LESS. ALTHOUGH GUNS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED AS CARRY-ON
ITEMS, T S A OFFICER DARREN KOCHEN SAID THAT OFFICERS HAVE STOPPED SIX PASSENGERS SO FAR
THIS YEAR WHO ATTEMPTED TO CARRY THEIR GUNS ON BOARD. ATTEMPTING TO BOARD A PLANE WITH
A GUN, WHETHER YOU HAVE A CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT OR NOT, MAY RESULT IN FINES OR CRIMINAL
CHARGES. OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, YOU COULD LOSE YOUR SEAT ON YOUR FLIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO TRANSPORT YOUR FIREARM, WHAT
YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN CHECK IT IN YOUR CHECKED BAG. AND WHAT YOU WILL DO FOR THAT IS LET
THE AIRLINES KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A FIREARM THAT YOU WANT TO DECLARE, AND THEY WILL AND
YOU WILL FILL OUT SOME PAPERWORK, YET IT NEEDS TO BE IN A LOCKED HARD CASE SO THAT IT CANNOT
BE GET BY ANYBODY ELSE, AND THEN YOU'LL BE FINE. T S A OFFICERS RECOMMEND THAT YOU ARRIVE AT
THE AIRPORT AT LEAST 90 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR FLIGHT SO THAT IF OFFICERS FIND A PROHIBITED
ITEM THAT YOU ACCIDENTALLY INLUDED IN YOUR CARRY-ON LUGGAGE, YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO TAKE
IT BACK TO YOUR CAR OR PACK IT IN BAGS THAT WILL BE TRANSPORTED IN THE CARGO AREA. IT
MAY SEEM LIKE A PAIN TO GO THROUGH SUCH THOROUGH SCREENING IN A SMALL AIRPORT LIKE DURANGO,
BUT KOCHEN SAID THAT ANY COMMUNITY COULD BE A TERRORIST TARGET. WE HAVE TO TREAT EVERY AIRPORT AS IF THAT
IS A POTENTIAL TARGET, BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO THEIR MISSION
OR WHERE THEY'RE GONNA COME FROM, SO WE JUST, WE JUST HAVE TO BE READY, NO MATTER THE SIZE
OF THE AIRPORT. OUR WHOLE MISSION IS NOT TO INCONVENIENCE PEOPLE, BUT TO KEEP THEM SAFE
AND GET THEM TO THEIR DESTINATION SAFELY. AND WE TRY TO DO IT IN A TIMELY MATTER. AND,
HOWEVER, SOMETIMES, BECAUSE OF PROHIBITED ITEMS, WHAT WE HAVE YOU DO SOMETIMES, IT DOES
CAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF DELAY. SO WE DO ASK THAT PEOPLE BE PATIENT WITH US AND JUST KNOW
THAT EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING, THERE'S A REASON BEHIND IT. SO BE PATIENT, FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, AND CHECK
YOUR CARRY-ON BAGS FOR PROHIBITED ITEMS BEFORE YOU BOARD. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE A COMPREHENSIVE
LIST OF PROHIBITED CARRY-ON ITEMS, VISIT T S A DOT GOV. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF LOCAL
NEWS NETWORK DURANGO. IF YOU LIKED THIS STORY AND WANT TO WATCH IT AGAIN, VISIT OUR WEB
SITE AT DURANGO TV DOT COM, WHERE YOU'LL ALSO FIND AN ARCHIVE OF OUR PAST STORIES. YOU MAY
ALSO CATCH US ON DURANGO CABLE CHANNEL 15 OR ON ONE OF THE MANY DIGITAL SIGNS LOCATED
AROUND TOWN. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE FOR LOCAL NEWS NETWORK DURANGO.
