Armed, dangerous and American

Why is it that Americans think they can behave like they do at home no matter where they are on the planet?

American exceptionalism ranges from minor transgressions like tipping in countries where that practice is seen as rude, to taking loaded guns with them when they travel internationally.

Thankfully that ended badly for one locked and loaded fellow from Tennessee who found himself arrested, then deported from Italy, where they frown on folks with loaded guns in their backpacks. 

The 77-year-old man, travelling with his son, was detained for attempting to board a cruise ship with an automatic pistol. 

The prohibited item, which the man claimed to have forgotten about (a highly unlikely story given he had flown internationally, was found during the security screening process at the Porto Corsini Cruise Terminal in Ravenna, Italy (top image). 

Security team members spotted a 6.35mm Browning semi-automatic pistol when the man’s belongings went through the X-ray machine during the standard security screening at the cruise terminal.

The banned weapon had a full magazine with one round already chambered. 

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Authorities seized the weapon and the man was deported without getting to set sail.

The man said that he had a valid US gun licence and that he had “forgotten” the weapon was in his backpack, news hub Cruise Hive reported.

Gun ownership laws in Italy are very strict, and firearm permits are typically not issued to tourists, even if they have documents to carry at home.

Traveling to Italy with a firearm can be met with extreme consequences, including hefty fines and jail time.

So, in this case, the man got off lightly.