If you've got 'em, pack 'em

 

     Florida often feels like another country. What could be more foreign than 70 degree temperatures in January, when compared to New England’s snow and ice?

    The state has now another claim to fame beyond the beautiful beaches and atmosphere of perpetual vacation. Despite the huge downturn in travel, firearm confiscations at Florida’s airports remained in the top 10 across the country.

     To be fair, this was true of other parts of the country. Yesterday’s newspaper reported that the TSA found guns at their checkpoints at double the rate they did last year, even though air travel had fallen off dramatically.

     Atlanta won the prize, with the most guns found nationwide, but both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando were in the top 10. Packing for Disneyworld apparently has taken on a whole ‘nother meaning. Not to be outdone, Tampa and Miami’s international airports were up there, too, scoring #11 and 13, respectively.

     Along with the fact that the majority of the guns confiscated at checkpoints were loaded, I found it interesting that the number of firearms escalates at the holidays.    TSA was charitable enough to attribute this year’s increase in loaded weapons to pandemic stress and absentmindedness, but I wonder.

And here I thought the solution for dealing with loudmouth uncles at Thanksgiving was to just hide in the kitchen.