Security help and tips

[kalos]

Looking at the board this weekend has been a bit sad , Firsttimer has had her I'Pad nicked :mad: and then Biffybear had the perfume stolen .:mad:

I know we can not stop thieves but we can deter them . Ekco on another post has put Prey Tracking so people can protect their phones etc which she uses herself and with a bit of luck will help us as well .:)

 

I would like to show you a

that shows how easy a case can be got at in less than 2 mins .:eek:

 

Scary innit ?? But as I said if we can deter them , what they cannot close they may leave alone ,got me looking on the internet .

 

I found this but only for sale in the USA , not the Uk as far as I know .

 

It stops them moving the zipper as it is around the case handle, which they need to do to close it .

 

My idea would be to get an old belt and make one for the case or at the vey least take a bit of strong string on holiday and on

the way home tie a good knot through the handle and zipper tabs , not perfect but if it stops them .:)

 

Anyway over to you lot, any ideas or hints on how to stop them ?

 

and before anyone says it ... no you cannot shoot them !

[ekco]

Good grief!! has anyone tried to replicate that? I'll give it a go next time our cases come out, which won't be for a while though.:eek:

 

It's probably best not to put anything in cases that are of value though, just stick to clothes and toiletries. My OH packs everything onto his person, every pocket bulging with wallets, cameras, etc. All very well until we go through security when he has to tip it all out. He's so paranoid about pickpockets he's twitching all the time and checking his pockets constantly. He looks like he's been infested with something, lol.:D:D

 

Jan

[Little Nell]

Thanks for that, Kalos, it is scary how easy that is to do. We take all of our valuables in our hand luggage for fear of the case going missing.

[Wightryder]

I quite agree, all our valuables are stowed in our hand luggage. Anyone breaking into our hold luggage is welcome to the dirty washing. That's all they will get.

[Jakanne1]

I quite agree, all our valuables are stowed in our hand luggage. Anyone breaking into our hold luggage is welcome to the dirty washing. That's all they will get.

 

Ha, ha. That's what my daughter said! But I said, hand luggage now has to be no more than 5kg. Going to need plenty of big pockets then :D

[kruzseeka]

Ha, ha. That's what my daughter said! But I said, hand luggage now has to be no more than 5kg. Going to need plenty of big pockets then :D

 

 

Is that right? When does that become operative? Thought is was 7Kg and hadn't heard it was changing. That really will affect us as we try to put everything of value into our hand luggage too (as well as essentials) - I feel like a pack-horse by the time we've finished!

 

Of course you still have to pack your duty free - drinks or perfume - in your cases because of the liquids issue s that doesn't help with those items.

 

But it is very worrying to learn of these thefts -even more so if they are happening on board prior to getting to the airport. It's horrid that it happens at all but somehow I'd feel even ore upset if it were happening on board (rather than the airport) thinking we were subject to such a risk in a place where we want to relax and feel secure. (Of course you can't legislate for fellow passengers who have no morals or sense of right and wrong but it would be so bad for the passengers, Thomson and honest crew members if this is happening on board - it leaves such a nasty taste.)

[Jakanne1]

Is that right? When does that become operative? Thought is was 7Kg and hadn't heard it was changing. That really will affect us as we try to put everything of value into our hand luggage too (as well as essentials) - I feel like a pack-horse by the time we've finished!

 

Of course you still have to pack your duty free - drinks or perfume - in your cases because of the liquids issue s that doesn't help with those items.

 

Sorry Kruzseeka. I was referring to the hand luggage allowance we are allowed to take this Friday when daughter and I go with Thomson to stay in self catering accommodation in Corfu. We will be on the same flight as any going on the Majesty from Leeds/Bradford.

 

I have just doubled checked our booking confirmation which states,

"total hold baggage weight 20kg"

"In addition to the above hold luggage allowance, the normal hand luggage allowance for holidays is 5kg"

 

For our Majesty cruise in September, our total hold baggage weight is 20kg but no mention is made about hand luggage on our confirmation. However, in the ticket booklet for our holiday this week, it does state that if you are on a cruise (and various other categories) your hand luggage allowance is boosted to 7kg.

 

So - 5kg for some land based holidays, 7kg for cruises. Sorry for any confusion/panic caused!

 

Oh, and grandson and I have that dreaded head cold. Must look back and check out those suggestions to cope with it on a recent thread by Victoria :(

[Jakanne1]

But it is very worrying to learn of these thefts -even more so if they are happening on board prior to getting to the airport. It's horrid that it happens at all but somehow I'd feel even ore upset if it were happening on board (rather than the airport) thinking we were subject to such a risk in a place where we want to relax and feel secure. (Of course you can't legislate for fellow passengers who have no morals or sense of right and wrong but it would be so bad for the passengers, Thomson and honest crew members if this is happening on board - it leaves such a nasty taste.)

 

I had my clutch bag stolen from my seat (a tub shaped enclosed chair) in the lounge area of a 4/5 star hotel in Portugal on our 1st night. I lost my new varifocals, camera, phone and a small amount of euros. It was AI and so only hotel guests should have been there but some greedy scumbag deliberately took my bag. We spent 4 hours walking to the local police station and waiting for the paperwork and more time with the Thomson rep filling out their forms but I did get some compensation (less than 50% of the value) from the insurance. My lesson from that was to go out and buy 2 crossover bags so if anyone wanted my bag they would have to take me as well.:D

 

Maybe a roll of duct tape wrapped round the cases would deter thieves:eek:

[driverman]

It is getting rediculous trying to outdo the thieves , on 1 of our cruises the bus which departs from palma to take you to the ship there was a family who was trying to see to their elderly parents seemed to be struggling so a nice lady who was also boarding the bus offered to help them with their bags , well she was going on the cruise , when they were settled on the bus the woman checked her bag and found all money gone,she searched the bus but the woman had left by the back door . Very sad indeed when you can trust no one :(

What about those kibble tags you get they can then be cut of when you are home

 

Mrs.C

[Flopsy]

Last time we were at East Midlands airport I was talking to a lady who had put her watch etc in one of the plastic trays to go through the security camera.When passing through the scanner, as she had recently had a new knee,its metal content set the alarm off and she was pulled to one side for a quick body search.When she went to to retrieve her belongings from the plastic tray her watch had been stolen.

 

What a disappointing start to a holiday.

 

Flopsy

[barnowl1950]

Kalos thanks so much for the short film - never thought anyone would or could do this to suitcases....called hubby over to have a look and will show this to our daughter when she visits tomorrow.

[kruzseeka]

Kalos thanks so much for the short film - never thought anyone would or could do this to suitcases....called hubby over to have a look and will show this to our daughter when she visits tomorrow.

 

 

Likewise - am showing everyone who may be interested! but hopefully we'll find somethung out there which might crcumvent this weakness. I've seen Kalos' link and the American firm selling security tags - but not been able to track anything like that from uk firms. Mrs C's idea sounds a good one in the absence of a purpose made item.

[Tiggertastic]

Last time we were at East Midlands airport I was talking to a lady who had put her watch etc in one of the plastic trays to go through the security camera.When passing through the scanner, as she had recently had a new knee,its metal content set the alarm off and she was pulled to one side for a quick body search.When she went to to retrieve her belongings from the plastic tray her watch had been stolen.

 

What a disappointing start to a holiday.

 

Flopsy

 

They should have been onto the security footage and checked who went into the tray and arrested them

 

We have had 3 times that one of us has been pulled into the body scanner and we can't see our stuff or trays anymore - my husbands bag was moved by someone else.

 

We have learnt to drop everything into a bag and not the tray as its out of your sight for too long

[Wightryder]

We have learnt to drop everything into a bag and not the tray as its out of your sight for too long

 

I always try and put everything in my zipped casual jacket pockets or hand luggage when going through security - nothing loose in the tray.

[kalos]

Thanks :) I hope it helps to make everyones bags safer and being aware is half the battle, so if we can stop the suitcase zipper moving they should leave the suitcase alone.

Thinking about it if you are unable to anchor the zipper tabs onto the case handles and you are using the Thomson suitcase seal then the zipper needs to be as far as the zip can go otherwise if the zip is in the middle of the case the seal is useless as one side could still be opened .

If you can anchor the zip tabs then great as you can then use Mrs C's idea or go to your local Diy and get a pack of small cable tie wraps

(pack of 100 are only £1.36 should you have a SCREW to FIX ;) )

[deepsix]

wouldn't go to any lengths to secure a case as stanley knife will open it in anycase ( unless samsonite, in which case it will already have been dropped from a huge height)

if you secure this case then you are drawing attention to the fact that there are valuables in there, my advice...take costume jewelery and dont leave money on your gadgets in suitcase itself. at the end of the day if someone rifles through your bag they get away with clothes...it that a real problem?...and unsecured suitcase tells them that nothing worth having...a well secured one tells them hmmm maybe worth taking a risk on?

I learnt this advice from a guy I thought was a nutter, it was on a busy Friday night down the niteclub strip all pubs and clubs ...usually did a type of pubcrawl outside first pub my mate threw his coat in the gutter and said no one will pick it up or 'nick it' there, as quite often jackets or coats went missing if no cloakroom available.......sure enough when we moved onto the next one he just picked up his coat outside.....always thought he was barking mad......:D

[kalos]

wouldn't go to any lengths to secure a case as stanley knife will open it in anycase ( unless samsonite, in which case it will already have been dropped from a huge height)

if you secure this case then you are drawing attention to the fact that there are valuables in there, my advice...take costume jewelery and dont leave money on your gadgets in suitcase itself. at the end of the day if someone rifles through your bag they get away with clothes...it that a real problem?...and unsecured suitcase tells them that nothing worth having...a well secured one tells them hmmm maybe worth taking a risk on?

 

I agree, if you go to great lengths then you are going to attract unwanted attention to your suitcase . I think you have to get a balance with your security and if its reasonable, not covered in padlocks and a sticker saying this bag is alarmed etc then you will only do what I put in an earlier post ,that is to deter them ,not stop them . Mr/Mrs crime will go for the easy pickings as shown in the film I put on this site , for them its got to be fast and easy with little risk of being spotted . Someone walking past the luggage with a biro vs a knife on their person stands more chance of getting away with it and they will go for the easy target of bags with no lock or nothing to deter them as shown in the film .

 

Biffy Bear had got 2 perfumes which just like anyone buying liquids have to go with the hold luggage , no choice unless you buy them at Airside shops or on the plane and Mr Crime knows this and with hundreds of bags to choose from he is going to choose quick and easy pickings everytime , leaving him free to nick another day .

Who are they ?? Could be a rogue dock worker/ airport baggage loader , could be anyone !

Thomson give us security seals for the cases after the cruise and they must deter Mr Crime or they would not dish them out and if your security is reasonable which to me includes a small tie wrap, would deter him from your case . He /she knows walking among your bags with a biro will not get him nicked ,however a knife and cut marks to cases or the tie wraps possibly would.

Baggage thats OTT with yards of duct tape wrapped around it would stand out from the crowd and get him thinking

should I have a go ? As you said ..why go to great lengths ? I think keep it reasonable and do not make it easy and with a little luck they move onto easy pickings ;)

I would never put anything of value like money into a case either as most insurance companys would not cover you , nor would I expect them to really as that is hand luggage .:)

[kalos]

Luton Airport

A cleaner is filmed helping himself to a carton of cigs which he just boots under a worktop to collect later.

 

This was two years ago and he got sent to jail for six months. see this

[Jakanne1]

Is this the thread you were thinking of, Kruzseeka?

[kruzseeka]

Is this the thread you were thinking of, Kruzseeka?

 

 

Yes, thanks Jakanne - that is the one. :) I've just re-read it and think we'll try to find some way of at least making it more difficult for any light-fingered folk! If nothing else it might give them pause for thought and perhaps not bother! At least if they were unable to run the zip around the case to re-zip it you would be aware of the problem at the airport and could report it and that might help with an insurance claim. Isn't it awful that you have to go to such lengths?