One of the most basic rules of air travel is that you can't bring your gun with you on a commercial flight.
And yet, here we are again to let you know that Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport made the annual list of airports with most attempts to carry guns onto airplanes.
The Transportation Security Administration today released its annual statistics on items intercepted at the nation's airports, and particularly, the number of firearms discovered on people or in carry-on bags. The TSA reported an annual increase in firearms found, and has reported an annual increase every year since 2007.
See also: -2013: Phoenix Fourth in the Nation in Number of People Who Try to Fly With Guns
Why? The TSA isn't too sure.
"It's all speculative as to why so many people are bringing guns to the airport," TSA spokesman Nico Melendez tells New Times.
However, he adds that "99.9 percent" of people tell the TSA agents that they forgot the gun was in their bag.
According to the TSA stats, more than 2,200 guns were found in airports across the country this year, up from about 1,800 the year before, and about 1,500 the year before that.
This year, Phoenix was third in the nation, as TSA agents found 78 guns in passengers' carry-on luggage. The leaders were Dallas-Fort Worth (120) and Atlanta (109).
Phoenix was fourth last year, with 65, but passed Houston this year for third on the list.
Given the annual increases in firearms found, Melendez says the TSA is stressing that everyone take an extra look in their bag before heading to the airport.
The TSA's annual roundup also included some of the weirder stuff they've run into at the nation's airports, although most of the weird stuff wasn't in Phoenix. The desert's contributions to the list include 92 pounds of pot someone tried to check in a suitcase, and a gag "burning book" that resembled an improvised explosive device.
Got a tip? Send it to: Matthew Hendley.
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