TSA Approved Locks Being Cut Off?!

[Perki]

I read a review today that someone had purchased those new TSA approved locks and they were still cut off their luggage! Anyone else, that has traveled recently, have you tried these new locks or did you just go without locks? I just hate to have my stuff open for anyone to access, not to mention that with my luck the zipper would catch on something coming up the conveyor and all my stuff would pour out all over! YIKES! Just wondering if anyone else has had any real recent experience with this, I was going to purchase some of these new TSA locks at Target but now I'm not so sure. Thanks!

[c-to-sea]

Seems like the concept of master keys has not caught on everywhere yet. We don't

use locks but have used those electrical nylon straps. They are supposed to be

replaced if they do cut them for bag inspection. Using different colors allows

us to tell if they have been changed. Most hardware stores carry them and they

are not expensive. Yes, anyone could snip them and open the bag but the same goes

for locks. Also, most baggage locks can be opened with almost any key and relocked

so you would never know if the bag had been opened.

 

Just goes to emphasize that anything valuable should be in hand baggage, especially

medications.

 

Cliff

 

Perki

 

You might want to have this thread moved to a more general forum so

more people can view and respond.

[alcpa1]

I am batting a 1000! The last ten flights I have taken TSA has gone through my luggage. I pack in ziplocks and hopefully they will stuff everything back in. Believe me I am no subversive - I am a very middle age woman of a mix of East European heritages, unless you consider my family has been in the South since the 1820's. I think the clincher is my green pompom, it gets em every time. I do carry locks but only put them on if I have to check my luggage at a hotel. I have no intention of letting TSA do more damage to my luggage than the airlines! Good luck!

[MSBYRDY]

We use nothing but the cable ties now. We carry extra's and most airports allow you to wait and see if your bags go thru or not. If they open one, I hand them another tie to replace it. I also do alot of baggies for underwear and personal things. We've had at least one bag opened on every flight, as recent as Monday.

 

The inspectors told us that it is usually shoes causing the problems. Pack your shoes on the very top of everything else and they'll dig no further.

Marilyn

[wtevrfltsurbt]

I love some info too! I just purchase 6 locks on line and the company I got them from said that they should not be cut, but if they were that I could send them back to them for a free replacement.....................

 

 

 

 

I read a review today that someone had purchased those new TSA approved locks and they were still cut off their luggage! Anyone else, that has traveled recently, have you tried these new locks or did you just go without locks? I just hate to have my stuff open for anyone to access, not to mention that with my luck the zipper would catch on something coming up the conveyor and all my stuff would pour out all over! YIKES! Just wondering if anyone else has had any real recent experience with this, I was going to purchase some of these new TSA locks at Target but now I'm not so sure. Thanks!

[phillipahain]

Dont even mention TSA to me

 

Bags with self same contents that had sailed through security at Heathrow and Houston Int and Los Vegas and LAX without problems

 

Had approved locks cut off out of Hobby Airport Houston on 26th Feb

 

They opened all my bags and did not bother to relock with cable ties and one outfit went missing and the sleeve of another was torn having been caught in the zip when they closed the bag

 

Feel safe .........like heck i do

 

Out of LAX on return to the UK they opened one cable tied bag and then came out and asked if i had another cable tie to relock it with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It seems TSA now do not relock any bags at all , they dont give a damm how they repack and some of the staff they employ at screening arches etc are downright rude .

 

The standards vary hugely between one airport and another and all in all i feel extremely unsafe and violated now flying anywhere in the USA

 

All this show of OTT security yet they still allow glass bottles of duty free onboard oblivious to the appalling danger that a broken glass bottle poses in the hands of terrorists

 

GET REAL TSA

[Perki]

Thanks for the heads up about the cable ties, I might look into those as they are much cheaper and if cut it can be replaced with a new one easily. Love this board!

[duke052]

I always leave a pair of dirty underwear on top. Why make it easy on them.

[ashleysmm]

When we travel I put all our shoes in one duffel bag and all our personal hygene, makeup, shaving cream, etc in another duffel bag and use the ties to secure them. Our clothes are packed in a garment bag and large suitcase also secured with ties. On every flight both the duffel bags are opened but we've never had our luggage opened.

 

Carol

[teegeezfun]

boston to sju...

 

note that i forgot to remove the luggage strap that you use to attach garment bag to full sized case and they took that off. i am upset about that because i don't think i can replace it.

[Randyk47]

I guess nobody can avoid the possibility that they'll catch a TSA agent in a hurry and get their TSA approved locks cut off. A friend of mine is the Regional TSA deputy here in San Antonio and he absolutely assures me that they have instructed their agents to use the master keys. According to him there is no lack or shortage of master keys and while they are controlled they are readily available to the baggage inspectors. My wife and I travel frequently on business and use TSA locks. Have never lost one or had it cut off the bag and bags with TSA locks have been inspected and the lock replaced. Might add that he told me TSA management is extremely upset about recent cases where TSA agents have been found stealing from luggage. Agents who get caught are being charged and will be tried under Federal laws. They are also moving to putting inspection station out in the open where at all possible so agents are not behind closed doors out of sight. As Federal employees my wife and I do think about public trust. May not be shared by all Feds but we take it very seriously so reports of TSA agents stealing from travelers is very disturbing.

[Hilary]

We also use TSA locks and have been fortunate to have them not only unlocked for search, but also relocked after the search by the TSA folks. We bought the ones that the company will replace if they are cut off. On luggage that we can't use the locks, we use zip ties as well. We buy the brightly colored ones so it's easy to see if they've been cut off and replaced with the regular clear ones.

 

Realistically, all this stuff is only to keep the casual opportunistic thief out of your stuff. Just like having an alarm on your house, if someone REALLY wants to get in and steal, they will.

[Wolfpup]

My husband and I are frequent travelers and have had both positive and negative experiences with TSA security. We use the plastic "locks" that come in bulk packages to secure the luggage zippers and alert us to possible search of our baggage. To further secure contents and to prevent accidental opening of locks and zippers, we use the web bands around each piece of checked luggage. I don't like the thought of someone going through my clothes and pack everything in clear zip bags.

When we flew from Boston to London, my husband's travel alarm clock disappeared from his suit case.

In Toronto, a TSA agent went through my carry-on bag and opened a small leather jewelry case, examining each piece and commenting how much she liked some my taste in jewelry.

Anyone who has had baggage marked for an extra security check may want to think twice about what has been in the trunk of their car recently. A close friend was taken aside by TSA and almost didn't make his flight. Nitrates were detected on his luggage. A few weeks prior, he had purchased lawn fertilizer and some of it spilled in the trunk of his car. The luggage came in contact with the fertilizer dust and this was detected by the TSA.

 

Darcy

[Catnip]

The TSA is a joke and another useless governmental agency. I know the majority of people "feel safer" (another joke) and think they are keeping the airports and air travel safe. My husband is a pilot, and you would be very surprised to know that most if it's "window dressing" and there are many other ways terrorists can get access to planes these days.

Some (not all) TSA employes are on a power trip and love to show the rest of us unlucky travelers how much power they have over us. We have lost our 1st admenemts rights in the airports these days, and Big Brother is indeed watching and listening to us.

I HATE that I cannot lock and protect my suitcases and have to leave them open for all TSA employees to look at, paw through and steal. So, if I am traveling domestically, I always ship my luggage FEDEX. It may cost $25 or so, but I would much rather pay a little extra and not go thru the hassles at the airports these days.

[gann]

We went through SCL (Santiago Airport) and they went through every bag we had. We had 4 bags. You have to stand by as they search the bags and then they close them and another man takes them to the ticket counter for you. The way they handle the searching there is no way that something can be stolen right in front of you. Took a lot of time, but still thing they have a good system.

[phillipahain]

Everyone on this board and TSA themselves is forgetting one vital fact

 

MANY GENUINE TOURISTS from other countries visit the USA

 

They may well not have access to the Internet , much less TSA locks and believe it or not packets of cable ties are by no means as readily available outside the USA

So they are being deeply upset by the way TSA and their employees behave

 

TSA ignore e Mails

 

TSA treat phone calls with disdain

 

TSA ignore claims

 

Roll on the day when ALL SEARCHING is indeed done in front of the traveller

and when their screeners can recognise a simple pair of shoes in a case on an XRay

 

Funny how the screeners at Heathrow do not have any trouble and we have had to endure years and years of the hell of Bombings from the Ireland problem all of which has been funded by Noraid !!!!!!!!!!!

[Pincus]

I read a review today that someone had purchased those new TSA approved locks and they were still cut off their luggage! Anyone else, that has traveled recently, have you tried these new locks or did you just go without locks? I just hate to have my stuff open for anyone to access, not to mention that with my luck the zipper would catch on something coming up the conveyor and all my stuff would pour out all over! YIKES! Just wondering if anyone else has had any real recent experience with this, I was going to purchase some of these new TSA locks at Target but now I'm not so sure. Thanks!

 

Perki, we've used the TSA locks successfully for about ten trips -- domestic and international. Only once has a bag been opened, and a note was left inside.

 

We have been told that it is important to be diligent about what we pack, and how we pack it...and it seems to have worked for us. We read the TSA site each time we pack to see if there are changes in recommendations.

 

Good luck!

[wtevrfltsurbt]

Would you be kind enough to post their webb addy for us?

 

Thanks!

 

Perki, we've used the TSA locks successfully for about ten trips -- domestic and international. Only once has a bag been opened, and a note was left inside.

 

We have been told that it is important to be diligent about what we pack, and how we pack it...and it seems to have worked for us. We read the TSA site each time we pack to see if there are changes in recommendations.

 

Good luck!

[Pincus]

Would you be kind enough to post their webb addy for us?

 

Thanks!

 

 

There are several links from the tsa.gov site...here's the specific one:

 

http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=176

 

hope it helps.

 

Pincus