On my first trip to Africa I went through JFK. No problem going out, but when trying to check into Delta's domestic terminal coming back the young woman on the X-ray machine went "EEK!" when she saw a rifle inside my case, despite me already telling her there was a firearm inside. Two Port Authority cops showed up with their hands on their handguns, and proceeded to quiz me about my gun license, which I didn't have of course, since we don't need one in Montana. So we had to fill out a 2-page form, which took quite a while.
My plan was to check my luggage, then go into Manhattan where my sister was living and have punch with her, since it was 8 hours until the flight home. They informed me I couldn't do that. I said, "What? Not have lunch with my sister?"
They said, no you can't check your luggage and then leave the terminal, even though this was a long time before 9/11. I could either leave the case with them for something like $15 an hour, or take it with me. So we agreed that I would go into Manhattan with my .375, but a skycap had to carry it out to the cab stand.
So I ended up walking down a sidewalk in Manhattan with a gun case holding a .375, which apparently most people thought was a trombone. My sister said, "You're probably glad to be back in America!" I said, "I'm not there yet!"
When I went back another young woman went EEK!, and two other Port authority cops showed up with their hands on their handguns, then helped me fill out the same form. When I landed in Montana that night I was very glad to be back in America.
