Guns Allowed on Amtrak Trains Beginning Dec. 15
The New Rules Mimics Air Travel Requirements
According to Associated Press, rail cars are being retrofitted with gun storage lockers to accommodate the new rules. Gun owners will be required to give Amtrak 24 hours notice of their intention to travel with a gun, unload the gun and pack it in a locked, hard case. During travel, the gun will be stored in a gun locker.
The gun lobby spent millions lobbying for this change in law, $2.1 million in the first half of 2009 alone.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence opposes the change, noting that it will make it easier for terrorists to bring guns on trains with the intent to do harm.
While the new rule runs counter to ever-more-restrictive baggage trends, it is consistent with the rules governing guns in checked airline baggage. With airline baggage, however, it is the individual air carriers that set policy, determining whether any guns are allowed or special fees apply. Guns transported in airline checked baggage must be unloaded and secured in a locked, hard-sided case, just as the new train rules require. For both air and train travel, the traveler checking the gun must remain in sole possession of the key during travel. Ammunition must remain in manufacturer packaging and also must be checked.
Is this policy likely to create risk for fellow travelers? It's hard to say, but one point worthy of noting is that gun owners who fail to comply with all of Amtrak's new policy will be denied boarding. Is boarding denial going to anger some gun owner enough that he uses his gun in the train station to protest? Denied boarding for failure to comply could result from not making advance arrangements or from failing to properly secure the gun and ammunition. Unsecured guns and ammunition in the hands of an angry gun owner in a crowded train station could be unsettling at best and potentially lethal.
But if the experience of the airlines is an indicator, violations of weapons restrictions though frequent is usually harmless. Violations typically result from gun owners with no nefarious intentions forgetting to unload a gun before placing it in checked baggage or to remove a gun from a carry-on bag before boarding.
Published by Carol Bengle Gilbert - Featured Contributor in Travel
2010 Yahoo! Outstanding Contributor of the Year, Carol has consistently been designated a Top 100 Yahoo! Contributor Network writer. She received a 2008 People's Media Award for "Best Article." Carol’s pr... View profile
- Beyond the Line: Gun Owners Groups and Their OpinionsPondering the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, I was drawn into the inevitable gun discussion. The Brady Bill, McCarthy Bill (HR297), and the executive order passed down by Gov. Timothy Kane were on the top lists of...
Amtrak Train Travel: Amtrak Trains for New York and Washington DCAmtrak now has a special low fare for New York and Washington DC train travel. See why you should consider taking Amtrak.
Ammunition Shortage Feared by Gun Owners in Obama PresidencyIs the ammunition shortage feared by gun owners real?- Supreme Court Sides with Gun Advocates in Chicago Gun Ban Ruling; What Does This M...On Monday June 28th, The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that guns could not be banned in Chicago. What does that mean for gun owners in Pennsylvania?
- DOT Changes Train Station ProposalThe Connecticut Department of Transportation, DOT, has decided to consider expanding the scope of the new Westbrook train station.
- Baggage Fees--Are Passengers Getting Ripped-off with the Increase in Baggage Fees?
- Avoid Airline Baggage Fees on Your Next Trip
- Balance of Power by Richard North Patterson: Gun Rights vs Control
- Barak Obama's Gun Control Positions
- Delta Airlines Raises Baggage Handling Fees Amid "Wait and See" Attitude of Airlin...
- Dining Options at the New Haven, Connecticut Train Station
- New BART Train Station Needed ASAP in Pittsburg, CA
14 Comments
Post a CommentMost legal gun owners are not violent people. I'm a little offended that this seems to be implied with the statement, "Is boarding denial going to anger some gun owner enough that he uses his gun in the train station to protest?" Hell, I've been described as a peace loving hippie but I'm also a gun owner. I highly doubt this will make it easier for terrorists to pull off plots on planes or trains. Terrorists will find a way to cause unrest whether or not legal gun owners carry guns or don't carry guns (or have them packed away so you can't even see them). Terrorist are just that, Terrorists. Comparing legal, law abiding citizens who own guns to terrorists is unfair and unjust.
Not sure how I feel about this. The safety precautions *sound* fine, but we took Amtrak to New Orleans in January and every time I passed checked bagged, employees were absent. That's the suitcases stored at the front of the cars and what looked like a separate downstairs car full. Door was open and no one was in there. Hope the gun lockers are more guarded.
No, No, No. This makes absolutely zero sense. Apparently the gun lobby has never watched a Jesse James movie. Guns and trains don't mix.
Unlike airplanes, a group of passengers could easily overcome Amtrack employees, stop the train anywhere along the track in heavily populated areas, grab the guns and load them. Allowing just the gun, without ammunition (which could be purchased upon arrival), makes better sense to me.
All panicky anti-gun zealots please calm down. If you read the article--if not the law--the guns transported must be in a locked, hard case and the owner must be the only one in possession of the key, and most importantly, the encased gun will be locked up by Amtrak's staff. Nobody's going to be able to get to it and start blasting, so unbunch your Fruit of the Looms. All the NRA reversed was the total ban on transporting guns on Amtrak. They supported the security measures of locking it away and storing it in an airline-approved case. Previously, if someone wanted to travel Amtrak to hunt, compete, or relocate, they had to ship their gun separately. Now they can keep in in their (nominal) custody. Calm down, kids. It's okay.
I didn't realize it was common to travel with one's guns. Can I travel in a separate, gun-free car?
No way! horrible :( thank you for the update
Interesting news, and who would have thunk it?
Interesting. Thanks for the info.
I think terrorists will leave Amtrak alone. I would guess they'd want to target more than 3 people at a time.