Do You Lock Your Suitcase?

[Underwatr]

How does the zip tie protect your suitcase? I use then to stake plants and they're easily removed with a nail clipper ir scissor.

It keeps the bag zippers from sliding apart so the bag doesn't accidentally open due to handling.

 

Some people think that a ziptie makes it evident that someone has been in your suitcase, because the assumption is that a thief wouldn't have another ziptie to put on the bag after cutting yours off. You can even buy zipties with serial numbers. But watch the YouTube videos with a ballpoint pen and a bag zipper...

[Sherlock43031]

we use the built in TSA locks on our luggage.. I know they are worthless as far as thieves but maybe they would keep the zipper from being caught on something and self opening.

[wwcruisers]

We have hard-sided Samsonite bags with built-in TSA locks -- which have an indicator if they have been opened with an over-ride key. Although, TSA usually leaves a note, too. And of course, I have no illusions that those flimsy little locks would keep out a skilled and determined thief. So, I never pack anything of real value in my checked luggage. :cool:

[beachbum53]

As someone who worked as a baggage handler (for Delta) for a period of time a several years ago, I know first-hand what those conveyor belts can do to luggage, and to luggage tags. Whether you use zip ties or TSA approved locks (or nothing) is your choice. I can tell you that the little metal bead chains that luggage tags come with are absolutely worthless, and don't stand a chance against those conveyor belts. Ever since I found that out, I use split ring key rings to attach our tags to our luggage. Haven't lost a tag since. Also keep in mind that cheap luggage usually has cheap zippers, and nothing will keep them from splitting open. So when shopping for luggage, pay close attention to how the bag/suitcase is constructed. The more heavy duty the zipper(s), regardless of brand, the better.

Edited January 24, 2014 by beachbum53

[Athankfulheart]

We use zip ties to keep our stuff in and other peoples stuff out. I tighten them completely and its not easy or quick to remove ( we use a nail clipper). I figure that would encourage a criminal to move on to the next bag. We don't pack valuables in our checked bags, but it matters to me that nobody is rifling through our personal items. Its also important to me to make sure that nothing is planted in our bags. It may not be perfect, but it reduces the risk of troubles.

[Hydrokitty]

Thanks everybody. I checked DH suitcase and he has a built in combination lock and we both have good luggage since we travel a lot. I will continue to use my TSA approved lock and not pack anything valuable in my checked baggage. As for the luggage tags....I don't know how many of them I've lost! Former luggage handler is absolutely right, they have a very short life span once they're checked that's why I always put my name and destination address inside. On the return I change that to my home/destination address, which proved itself a good idea since two bags had airline issued destination tags ripped off and as a result never left JFK until someone (Air Italia baggage claim in Naples) called looking for them and only then were they sent to Italy to be delivered to our hotel in Sorrento.

[realtysandy]

Zip ties are the way to go...tired of tsa cutting my approved locks :(

 

 

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[Happy ks]

Maybe we've been lucky, but we've always locked our cases and have never had them cut off, never had a bag searched.

 

While I don't think locks will completely deter theft, it may just make a thief go to the next bag that isn't locked. Locks also keep your zipper pulls closed. I'd use zip ties, but I have so many TSA locks I just use them.

[Hydrokitty]

Maybe we've been lucky, but we've always locked our cases and have never had them cut off, never had a bag searched.

 

While I don't think locks will completely deter theft, it may just make a thief go to the next bag that isn't locked. Locks also keep your zipper pulls closed. I'd use zip ties, but I have so many TSA locks I just use them.

 

I am convinced TSA searched my bag because I had all my electronic charges stuffed in a shoe!!! Now I put them in a zip lock bag with a note stating what each of them is and either lay them on top of my checked bag or bring them in my bag pack. I haven't been searched since. I will say this for TSA, if they hadn't left a note stating they searched my bag I would never have known but assumed things shifted in transit.

 

You're absolutely right, no lock will stop a thief from breaking into your suitcase......all he needs is time and opportunity.

[janrey1234]

Some tips. If you are traveling by air and it's possible your carry on may not be small enough for some legs of the flight pack a small fold up duffle bag (you can get them at Walmart) in that carry on bag. If you are requested to check the bag then take out that small duffle bag and put all your valuables in it, don't let the flight attendant rattle you, remove that ipad, camera and medication. A small duffle bag easily squeezes under a seat. A small duffle bag also becomes a bag to put your dirty laundry in or to pack those gifts you bought. I use zip ties but blunt nosed scissors are useless to get them off, use nail clippers. I also use straps but zip tie them on because they often can come undone and be lost but if zip tied on they stay attached to the bag even if flapping in the wind.

Edited January 26, 2014 by janrey1234

[ehfl]

It's best not to lock your suitcase. It only takes about 4 seconds to break into a suitcase with a lock. The only thing a lock does is identify which bags have valuables in them.

 

Never put valuables in checked baggage. And don't make your bag a target by advertising that there may be valuables in there.

[FedoraDi]

Okay, this has been proven to be true when it comes to car thieves. You remember the steering wheel locks that are/were popular back in what the early 2000's?

The ones that hooked around most steering wheels & the brake pedal post?

 

It was stated by some car thieves when they saw those they just moved onto another car. Why? Because the time it would take them to disable/remove them they could have taken 2 cars in its place.

 

No lock, ziptie, or any means is 100% fullproof if its comes down to a dedicated thief, but they are going to go for easy prey first.

 

When I was in the military we were told to padlock our dufflebags. Now, anyone with a knife could slit the bags & steal whatever they wanted, mostly it was personal wear (civvies), underwear, & BDUs. Back in the early 90's we didnt have ipods, cellphones or laptops for the most part. The walkman if you were allowed to have it went in a bdu pocket (the pockets were big enough if you didnt sew them down, heck in AIT we stuck our messkits in them & those things were plenty big)

If you had a laptop it was that old suitcase style one so it was handcarried or secured military wise.

 

To this day I still lock or ziptie my stuff, if I cant handcarry my suitcase then I lock it & try to fix the zippers so they cant be moved. I use odd colored zipties that are special ordered so they may not have that color for sure. I even ziptie my ditty bag in a hotel & then place it under my clothes in the drawers so staff doesnt do me a dirty one & mess with my toothbrush. :eek:

All script med goes with me in a small travel bag, laptop bag or camera bag when I'm out during the day so I know its not messed with. Sides, my condition requires I have it with me. Same with what lil valuables I may have, although my valuables tend to be my laptop/ipad/camera since I usually dont wear jewelry beyond a paracord bracelet (which I can always make a new one).

 

Point is, lock it if you want, if it makes you feel better & its not hurting anyone else. Another tip is pack your undies in either ziplock bags or those space bags (you can roll most of the air out of them if you use the medium size) that way if your bag breaks your undies arent all over the place. :p:p

[irishnyc]

When flying we sometimes use TSA locks, sometimes we don't. Depends whether I can find them in the house before we travel. We don't pack valuables in our checked bags anyway, so if some idiot wants to steal my clothes, have a ball. When we cruise I do use locks. I'm not so worried about baggage handlers as I am about fellow cruisers roaming the halls before the bags are picked up.

[PUSSPUSS]

Nope. No locks for me. Simply don't put anything in there worth stealing. Easy peasy Japaneasy.

 

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[Cuizer2]

Our first cruise is coming up in a month! YAY!

 

I have read in different posts about people locking their suitcases or using zip ties for them. We have never locked our suitcases or anything like that when traveling.

 

It is important to do this?

 

We are driving to port, so no need for TSA regulation.... in case that makes a difference.

 

Thanks!:D

 

If there is nothing in your suitcase that you care about, then there is no need to lock it. If you have things in your luggage that you want to increase the chance that it will still be there when you open your luggage, then I would recommend locking your suitcase.

[Hydrokitty]

Okay, this has been proven to be true when it comes to car thieves. You remember the steering wheel locks that are/were popular back in what the early 2000's?

The ones that hooked around most steering wheels & the brake pedal post?

 

It was stated by some car thieves when they saw those they just moved onto another car. Why? Because the time it would take them to disable/remove them they could have taken 2 cars in its place.

 

No lock, ziptie, or any means is 100% fullproof if its comes down to a dedicated thief, but they are going to go for easy prey first.

 

When I was in the military we were told to padlock our dufflebags. Now, anyone with a knife could slit the bags & steal whatever they wanted, mostly it was personal wear (civvies), underwear, & BDUs. Back in the early 90's we didnt have ipods, cellphones or laptops for the most part. The walkman if you were allowed to have it went in a bdu pocket (the pockets were big enough if you didnt sew them down, heck in AIT we stuck our messkits in them & those things were plenty big)

If you had a laptop it was that old suitcase style one so it was handcarried or secured military wise.

 

To this day I still lock or ziptie my stuff, if I cant handcarry my suitcase then I lock it & try to fix the zippers so they cant be moved. I use odd colored zipties that are special ordered so they may not have that color for sure. I even ziptie my ditty bag in a hotel & then place it under my clothes in the drawers so staff doesnt do me a dirty one & mess with my toothbrush. :eek:

All script med goes with me in a small travel bag, laptop bag or camera bag when I'm out during the day so I know its not messed with. Sides, my condition requires I have it with me. Same with what lil valuables I may have, although my valuables tend to be my laptop/ipad/camera since I usually dont wear jewelry beyond a paracord bracelet (which I can always make a new one).

 

Point is, lock it if you want, if it makes you feel better & its not hurting anyone else. Another tip is pack your undies in either ziplock bags or those space bags (you can roll most of the air out of them if you use the medium size) that way if your bag breaks your undies arent all over the place. :p:p

 

Wow does that bring back memories....DH Vietnam and DS Afghanistan ....just goes to prove you can take the soldier out of the military but you can never take the military out of the soldier!!:D

[wassup4565]

Hey Beachbum53, here's a question. Is it a good idea to put some identifying info inside the suitcase? I have always wondered if my baggage and I went separate ways and my luggage tags were also destroyed, would anyone look inside the suitcase to see if there was a way to send it back to its owner?

 

I put a card inside with my contact info. But would anyone ever actually look inside to see it?

[beachbum53]

Hey Beachbum53, here's a question. Is it a good idea to put some identifying info inside the suitcase? I have always wondered if my baggage and I went separate ways and my luggage tags were also destroyed, would anyone look inside the suitcase to see if there was a way to send it back to its owner?

 

I put a card inside with my contact info. But would anyone ever actually look inside to see it?

 

A little extra precaution certainly can't hurt. Take a 5"x8" file card and put your contact information on it, including your name, phone number (both home and cell numbers, if different), e-mail address, and your business address (many prefer not to include their home address). In addition, go to the airline's lost & found office and, along with a description of your luggage, let them know that your contact information is inside. Don't just assume that someone will look for it.

[Hydrokitty]

Hey Beachbum53, here's a question. Is it a good idea to put some identifying info inside the suitcase? I have always wondered if my baggage and I went separate ways and my luggage tags were also destroyed, would anyone look inside the suitcase to see if there was a way to send it back to its owner?

 

I put a card inside with my contact info. But would anyone ever actually look inside to see it?

 

I can tell you from personal experience that someone looked inside, found the card with our hotel name and number on it in Sorrento and forwarded our suitcases within 24 hours. All airline and personal ID tags were destroyed between check-in and airplane and it wasn't until Alitalia in Naples called Alitalia at JFK that they knew where bags were supposed to go. Only thing to be careful of is not to put your home address inside unless you are on your way home....you don't want to tell people you're away and here's where I live!

[blubelle57]

I would never not lock suitcases - not because of valuables in them but in case anyone tried to put something in that shouldn't be there :eek:

[beachbum53]

I would never not lock suitcases - not because of valuables in them but in case anyone tried to put something in that shouldn't be there :eek:

 

It's that kind of thinking that makes it difficult for the airport to get rid of roadkill off of the runway.:rolleyes::D:D

[Jackytar]

Some good points raised here, both pro and con. For myself, I'll pack valuables in carry-on.

 

If it wasn't for the fact we're flying into NY to board the QM2, then flying home O/C trip, I'd think about a steamer trunk with a ginormous brass padlock on it :)

 

More seriously, since I'm flying from my home in Canada to NY, sailing to Southampton, then flying back home from England, would I need TSA-compliant locks for my luggage?

 

Also, thoughts on hard-sided luggage vs. soft-sided? I don't want to go buy luggage I don't really need, and the Navy issued me two perfectly good sea bags, as well as I have two soft-sided hanging bags.

[Underwatr]

You don't need a TSA compliant lock even if you're just flying in the US. Without one they just cut the lock off instead of using their special key if they want to look inside your suitcase. With a TSA lock there's still a chance they'll cut them off if the supervisor with the keys isn't handy.

 

The benefit of a sea bag is that there's no zipper that can be opened with a pen.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Underwatr

[Jackytar]

You don't need a TSA compliant lock even if you're just flying in the US. Without one they just cut the lock off instead of using their special key if they want to look inside your suitcase. With a TSA lock there's still a chance they'll cut them off if the supervisor with the keys isn't handy.

 

The benefit of a sea bag is that there's no zipper that can be opened with a pen.

 

Hmph! Well, I'll see if I can get TSA-compliant locks here in Canada. I'm sure CATSA (the Great White North's answer to TSA) is just as useless, but I might get lucky.

 

I've been trying to find some actual hard data - rather than scare stories in the news - about how much of a problem there is with baggag handlers slashing open soft-sided luggage. Even if there's no valuables in it, it'd be a pain to find Herself's clothing ripped up, or my mess kit slashed to ribbons. OTOH, I don't use hard-shell luggage when I'm going to sea on duty because there's nowhere to store the damned things. A seabag rolls up and hides nicely in the bottom of my locker.

 

Research, research... :)

[Underwatr]

It's not necessary to slash anything with a zipper. There's a YouTube video linked earlier in this thread that's very convincing - all it takes is a ballpoint pen. No slashing, boltcutter or TSA Key required.