NSDR Journal
VOL. XIX, NO. 2
July 2002
BUTTERNUT BITES:
#7 Flying Wise: Security in the Skies. Part 2
(This is the third of five articles on security)
By Steve Ellsworth
External Security:
First class travel may be a luxury for most, but if your inventory warrants it, consider paying the extra fare. The pre-boarding, seat selection, and additional space I feel make the trip slightly safer. You should at least check with the gate agent to see if an upgrade is possible for a few frequent flyer miles or a few dollars. The bad news is that you will need to avoid those free drinks they serve in first class. Avoid it completely. A bandit needs only a tiny edge to gain an advantage. Don’t hand them one in a crystal goblet.
When waiting for flights, do not sit in a waiting are reading coin magazines or discussing coins. Never fall asleep in or at public transportation location. Do not travel with expensive luggage, as the bags themselves, even empty, are targets for thieves as they bring strong money on the black market. It may not be fair, or even politically correct, but the older and more out of shape you are, the more likely you’re being picked as a potential target. Make it a habit to keep either a hand or a foot on your case at all times. That way, you at lease will not simply walk off and leave your case as numerous dealers have told me has happened.
A cell phone may have be a necessity to some; however, I recommend that you keep it turned off while transporting valuables, as they have become an unnecessary detraction from your primary mission: arriving intact, without loss of life or property. An individual, walking, talking, dialing numbers presents an easy target to thieves. Ask yourself, “Is it really necessary that I risk losing my collection so that I can let someone at home that what I had for lunch?” When carrying valuables, it is best to use your cell phone only when it is safe to do so, or in the event of an emergency.
If at all possible, use a restroom prior to boarding the plane and immediately upon your arrival. Choose a larger end wall or handicap stall that will allow a little more room for you and your coin case. Keep the case next to you, away from the door and away from the stall next to you. Many times cases have been stolen from underneath the door. If you do hang your coat on the back of a closed door, be sure that if a thief reaches over and grabs it, you can live without it and its contents.
Internal Security:
At all times, keep your coins with you, and never leave them unattended.
Check what type of aircraft you will be traveling on before your time of departure. Many small commuter aircraft may require you to gate check your carry-on bag or case. Larger aircraft may allow two carry-on bags, but may count your luggage wheels as a carry-on item. I know of numerous dealers who were required to rebook on a different flight and routed through another city because of luggage restrictions.
Plan to arrive at the boarding gate early so you will have ample time for seat selection, giving you a better chance to stow your valuable carry-on in the most secure area available. If your case is heavy, it may seem easier booking a seat towards the front, but one to the rear allows you to board the aircraft first, as most flights board from the rear to the front. However, if you do get a seat toward the rear of the aircraft, do not place your coins in an overhead in the front, far from where you are sitting. When the plane lands, a thief can simply leave with your case, while you are in the rear waiting for the usual herd of passengers who pile into the aisle. If possible, try to book an aisle seat, placing your case either under the seat in front of you, or in the overhead storage compartment across the aisle from your seat, so you can view it. Do not book “bulkhead” seats, as there is no storage under the seat in front of you. If you are saddled with two bags, place the lighter of the two in the overhead across the aisle from your seat and the heavier one beneath the seat to your front. If you are traveling alone, try to remain in your seat for the duration of the flight, with your coins in a locked case beneath the seat in front of you.
Don’t open your case during the flight unless necessary. If you must open your bag, pack it so that any coins are not in view when it is opened. Be aware of your surroundings and your fellow travelers. If you must use the restroom, be sure your case is locked prior to leaving your seat. I travel with a small cable lock when on longer or overseas flights. If I must leave my seat, I discreetly attach my case to the floor seat post in front of me with this lock. I have also modified the handles of my case so they are difficult to remove without a “Snap-on Tool Chest” at the thief’s disposal.
Never assume that once you get on the plane that you have left the bandits behind. One Midwest dealer realized his valuables’ case had been stolen from an out-of-view overhead before the aircraft had ever taken off. Needless to say, the flight crew was adamant that no one had left the plane and that they had no desire to hold up the flight, nor incur the possible liability of searching the plane’s passengers. The case was never recovered.
After the tragedies of September 11th, the former guidelines for dealing with terrorists have changed. Since you are sitting in an aisle seat, with a case loaded with heavy objects under the seat in front of you, you may be in a better position than most to subdue a would-be hijacker. Since everything has been screened and the likelihood of guns or bombs being on board is slim, you will have an excellent chance to prevent a potential catastrophe. If the hijacker is armed with a small wooden or plastic knife, throw anything and everything at him/her and rush them with blankets or pillows for protection. Place the blankets over them and wrestle them down. If your seat cushion can be used as a floatation device with loops to place your arms in, then why not use it as a body shield? If you were lucky enough to have a roll of coins in your case, they would make an ordinary fist feel like a set of brass knuckles. And can you imagine what twenty $20 Saint Gaudens Gold coins in your sock would do when used as a swinging mace? One thing is for sure, the pilots do not plan to open the door in such an occasion, and so if you are not fortunate to have an undercover FAA Sky-Marshall on your flight, your survival is pretty much up to you.
Make every effort to be at the luggage carousel when your bag first arrives. Thieves watch for bags that make three or four circles on the carousel before snatching them.
Taxi Cabs and Airport Shuttles:
Keep your valuables case in the cab or shuttle with you at your seat. Do not put the case in a rear compartment or trunk as I have observed many professional numismatists doing. Most cabs do not have locking trunks, or the cabbies simply leave the trunk key in the lock. This makes the cabby’s life easy but also easy for a bandit as items can be easily removed at stops. While you are traveling in a shuttle, another passenger could remove your coins unintentionally or intentionally. A classic case study is a dealer friend who told me that he had placed a briefcase of valuables in a cab first, and then as he stood on the cub, watched the cab speed off. Fortunately, he was a former college football player and was able to chase the vehicle nine blocks in New York City traffic, catch up to the cab, and discuss the problem physically with the cabby. He later told me that he was afraid of being sued or reported to police by the cabby, so he ended up hiring the hack to take him to his destination…and then tipped him.
Most robberies occur in parking lots, alleys, parks, public transportation centers, financial institutions, and retail stores with jewelry or coins. If you are involved in a robbery, statistics report that two-thirds of the criminals will be armed with some sort of weapon. If the robber only wants your money or coins, by all means, let the robber or mugger have it. Do not resist, do not scream, but cooperate with the robber. Assume the weapon is real and will be used on you if you do not cooperate. Try instead to get as detailed a description of your assailant as possible. It is difficult to focus during a theft, but make a concentrated effort to note the height, weight, complexion, hairstyle and color, distinguishing features, clothes, shoes, number of persons involved, and any weapons that you observe, car color, make model and the big one, license or tag number. The more complete description you can give the investigator, the better. However, as I have previously written, if you are involved in a hijacking, or carjacking, then your best defense may be an aggressive offense.
Always carry a wad of “thrown down” small cash with a $20 bill on top. Have this available to give to a possible robber or mugger. If accosted, you will have something to give up. A twenty and a few other bills may satisfy most robbers, especially if they are supporting a drug habit. Report the incident to police as soon as possible. If there is a chance of apprehension of the perpetrator, it usually is within the first 30 minutes.
Firearms:
If your decision were to carry a weapon of any kind, it should never be taken with you onboard an aircraft. It is a federal offense to carry a weapon aboard an aircraft, or carrying an undeclared weapon inside of checked baggage. The fines and penalties are very stiff. Should you elect to travel with a weapon, it must be declared at check-in, in a hard, locked case as one of your checked bags. Federal law no longer requires you to place an external bright orange tag identifying your luggage as containing a firearm. With the lost luggage and theft problems, most have realized that this was a risky requirement. Now, the required procedure is that the hardened weapon container must be unlocked and the weapon unloaded, clear and safety on. The ticket agent will then have you sign and date a tag that states, “I declare, as required by Federal Air Regulation 108.11, that the firearm(s) being checked as baggage is (are) unloaded.” The tag will then be placed inside the hard container, and then you will be required to lock the container in front of the ticket agent. After this, the locked weapon case will be checked as any other baggage, which you can retrieve at your destination on the luggage carrousel. You are also allowed to place the locked hard container onside another less conspicuous piece of luggage to be checked.
Airlines have conflicting requirements as to travel with ammunition. My advice is to be sure to check thoroughly with the airline to see if it is worth it. If they prohibit you taking ammunition in your checked luggage, it would require you to travel to a gun store and purchase ammunition for your weapon during your stay. Then you would be required to dispose of the ammunition before your return flight home. Knowing that the odds are far more likely of having your bag stolen while hanging your body over an airline ticket counter, oblivious to your valuable case, than of being held up by a robber, it makes traveling with a weapon questionable at best.
In addition, you must be familiar with the local and state firearm laws of the area you will be arriving in. As of this writing, 33 states will issue a “right to carry” firearm permit. In addition, the state of Ohio also has a bill pending for a citizen to have a right to carry a weapon. Some states have reciprocity with other states in recognizing that state’s concealed carry permit. Some states do not. Well meaning politicians have passed over 20,000 gun laws in the United States that have little, if any, effect on the perpetrators of violent crime, but enormous ramifications on the average honest law abiding citizen who wishes to defend themselves. My advice is unless you know and can abide by the laws in your own state, and the laws of the city and state of your destination, do not plan on transporting a weapon in your checked luggage.
Another consideration in transporting a firearm is that some numismatic conventions have written into their contract that dealers are prohibited from taking a firearm on the bourse. However, I am not aware of the public attending a convention from ever being advised that firearms are prohibited. In light of some recent legal cases involving a facility or an organization being held liable for assuming the responsibility for the safety of the attendees by prohibiting a legally licensed person the right to protect themselves, in the future, most organizations will most likely have the clause removed from contracts.
I really think most people honestly believe that crimes will be perpetrated against someone else. The fallacy with that thinking is that statistically the more years and the more coin conventions you attend, the more likely it is that you will eventually become a victim. If you ask airport police how crimes are committed in airports, most will say, “When people travel, it somehow turns completely sane individuals into complete fools. Stupidity is how most crimes are committed at airports.”
Col. Steven Ellsworth is a highly decorated retired Army Colonel with over 32 years of service. Among his many assignments include the Army’s Elite Special Forces or Green Berets, as a Ranger and as a Pathfinder. He has had assignments as a Physical, Intelligence and Communication Security Inspector. He has received specialized training in antiterrorist, physical intelligence and personal protective security. He currently is a full time coin dealer and collector and serves as the American Numismatic Association’s Regional Coordinator for the Mid Atlantic States and is President of the Virginia Numismatic Association.
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