Lock luggage?

[CC Help Michell]

Well said.

 

 

 

 

67

 

Um, I didn't say that; not sure how the quote got messed up like that. I'm the one who still doesn't "get it." :)

[greatam]

Um, I didn't say that; not sure how the quote got messed up like that. I'm the one who still doesn't "get it." :)

 

I started typing a reply at 4:30MST this morning. Then I had a major crisis at my NYC office, so I cut and pasted to your earlier post. Hope this makes sense.

 

 

If I don't have date/time stamped photos of me loading my souvenirs and geegaws in my suitcase (and if I do I then have to beat the accusation that those are doctored or Photo Shopped), basically I have no proof that I ever HAD said item, much less that it's now missing OR that it's the fault of whatever entity I'm looking at.

 

As I posted, you need proper documentation. And there is generally a $3000.00 liability limit for US domestic flights and much less on international flights (XXX dollars per pound/kilo-generally about $10.00 per pound). So claiming your $10,000 Rolex is NOT going to work. And there are generally exemptions for electronics, jewelry, furs, etc.

 

But airlines KNOW you have shoes, undies, suits and fancy dresses for cruises, jeans, t-shirts, so unless you turn in a list for 25 pairs of jeans in one suitcase, along with 10 pairs of shoes (would make the suitcase overweight), the airlines generally take REASONABLE amounts of lost stuff into consideration. For all those "little things" you bought on vacations, you MAY have receipts. Sending the bill from your "sign and sail" card is very easy-would verify what you purchased on the ship. You may NOT get reimbursed for $200.00 of souvenirs you purchased at a craft market for CASH. Just the breaks of the game. You have to PROVE what is missing whether you use zip ties or locks. Proving is generally pretty easy to do.

 

On your meat packer example... what I (as a consumer) HOPE happens is that if the "seal" is missing, the load of meat is discarded, or sold at discount to a dog/cat food manufacturer. It should be... without the seal there's no evidence that the meat hasn't been contaminated or tampered with.

 

Why would you HOPE or even think this would happen???? Two examples of someone breaking the seal on a meat trailer:

1. a thief-the thief grabs what they can. And thieves want to grab as many boxes INTACT as they possibly can. Meat on the black market brings no more than 60% of the wholesale price and that is only for the good stuff. Hamburger/ribs only bring about 40%.

 

Going into Hunt's Point meat market-until the powers that be REMOVED the cement barricade, the thieves had constructed a large hook and log chain set up on the cement barricade. As trucks were making their way to Hunt's Point, the thieves simply threw the chain on the handle on the back door. Instead of just the seal being cut, you lost your entire back door as the chain pulled the door off. So now the entire load was exposed. You just don't know how many trucks lost meat/produce with that little set up. And it was the corner thieves that taught me the freon trick 25 years ago. Works like a charm if you ever lock anything with a padlock and loose the key.

 

About 95% of meat shipped is boxed, not hanging on the rail anymore. The meat is cut into manageable, specific cuts at the packing house for most supermarkets and retail outlets. The meat is encased in plastic at the packing house and the plastic packages put into boxes. Contaminating the meat would be VERY hard to do.

 

2. What happened this morning at our NYC office-trailer came in LATE from Iowa. Wreck on I-80 in Pennsylvania. The delivery for one of our customers should have been last night before 10:00PM. So we broke the seals on the load early this morning, noted the seal numbers, took out of the trailer the three pallets of PRIME that was destined for the wholesaler, put it in one of our straight trucks and delivered it by 9:00AM, DIRECT to the restaurant that had purchased it. Everyone in NYC will have their prime steaks and ribs this weekend.

 

We break seals about 1 out of every 20 loads-meat, produce, cheese, etc. May need to rearrange the freight due to delivery schedules, may need to adjust the "chute" in the refrigerated trailer, may need to get to the "clixon" in the front of the trailer. The Clixon cycles the refrigeration unit between defrost and cool. Sometimes they get stuck.

 

The only time we ever get anyone involved when we break a seal is when there is actual theft. If we just need to break the seal or find the seal broken through "attempted" theft, we just check the load, count the freight and depending on the situation, let the packing house know what happened.

 

I still stand by my zip ties. Just waaay too much experience using them in all different situations.

[Putterdude]

We haven’t bothered to lock luggage in years but I confess that I like the zap strap idea. To be sure it is only a deterrent, anyone who really wants into your bag is going to go in whether it's locked or zap strapped. However at least with the zap strap you know the bag has been tampered with. However, once aboard ship how do you cut the zap strap when you have checked every thing that is sharp before getting on the plane?

[Philob]

However, once aboard ship how do you cut the zap strap when you have checked every thing that is sharp before getting on the plane?

 

Use a small nail clipper; which are allowed in your airplane carry-on.

 

I put them in my 3-1-1 bag and let them scan it through security.

 

Or if you have a small outside pocket on your suitcase, put it there and don't tell anyone :cool:

[CC Help Michell]

Thanks for the reply, Greatam. Always interesting to learn a bit more about how various industries work! :) I appreciate your taking the time -- I confess I still don't see why zip ties are better than locks in a cruise setting, but it's not because you haven't tried to explain!

[emjsea]

I'm curious about luggage straps... how do they work? I've found some cheap TSA lock luggage straps on Amazon, but I can't figure out how they stay on the bag. It seems to be being a single strap, someone could easily slip it on and off the bag without even unlocking it... am I missing something? I'd like to get a set to give me a little more (feeling) of security when leaving luggage out... especially since we use the luggage valet services now.

[newbiecruiser09]

I definitely locked all my luggage before getting on board and when leaving it out that last night (which is sooo sad to us!). Never had a problem with doing that. Just be sure to unlock it before you drop it off at the airport.

 

Now, however, we can't lock it when we leave because we use the luggage valet service (RCCL w/ American Airlines... and some other airlines) which takes the luggage that night and we don't see it again until we get home (which is a HUGE relief).

 

Slightly unrelated but can you tell me more about this RCCL valet service? Is this like the Disney resort check in where you can check luggage as you deport and not have to deal with it til you get to your home airport? Can you tell me where I can find more info about this and participating airlines? Thanks!

[emjsea]

I just posted this to a discussion on the board on the same subject (Valet Service):

"Used it in the port of Miami on RCCL flying America. I remember there were some other airlines participating, but I don't remember which ones. It is a spectacular service as for the past two years we've been able to not see our checked luggage until we got home, once we set it out the last night of the cruise. We've been able to just get off the ship in the a.m. with backpacks and spend some quality time in Miami before our flight without having to worry about going to the airport first to check out luggage and then go back out to have fun (a waste of time and cab fare). Didn't have a problem with the bags either time as they were there at home waiting when we got off the plane, just as if we check them.

 

There were some other rules such as it being for domestic flights only, but I don't remember them all. Also you have to get off the plane rather early in a large group. They told us if we didn't get off and go through customs with the group our "luggage valet" (as they called it on RCCL) would be cancelled and our bags returned to us, etc. We didn't risk it."

[98Charlie]

I'm curious about luggage straps... how do they work? I've found some cheap TSA lock luggage straps on Amazon, but I can't figure out how they stay on the bag. It seems to be being a single strap, someone could easily slip it on and off the bag without even unlocking it... am I missing something? I'd like to get a set to give me a little more (feeling) of security when leaving luggage out... especially since we use the luggage valet services now.

We use straps. Not the locking kind but to help identify our luggage and help keep them from popping open.

 

When we wrap them around they go through the handle. That would prevent them from being slipped off.

 

Charlie

[bob brown]

Save your money, don't use straps when flying. Twice I have had nice HAL straps removed by TSA at JFK and discarded. As for TSA locks, can't they be opened by use of a simple tool otherwise known as a master key?

As far as pilferage in ship passageways goes...don't most newer ships have video recorder surveillance to discourage this?

On my last three cruises, I simply kept my luggage and rolled them off myself. This way I was among first off ship, was able to put my overnight necessities inside to lighten carried load, and had no worries about pilferage or bags being lost or delayed to pier.

[greatam]

Save your money, don't use straps when flying. Twice I have had nice HAL straps removed by TSA at JFK and discarded. As for TSA locks, can't they be opened by use of a simple tool otherwise known as a master key?

 

The master key is only in the custody of a senior TSA officer. So if the "key person" is "out of the office"/on break/just disappears (happens a lot with TSA), the big red bolt cutters get used on your luggage.

 

Luggage straps, if loose in the least or the "tail" is loose, can get caught on the conveyor belts or luggage carts. One of the big factors in luggage damage is luggage straps. I have watched them load luggage quite a few times when the strap caught on the luggage cart. They just keep yanking on the bag until something gives. Most of the time it is your suitcase.

[98Charlie]

Save your money, don't use straps when flying. Twice I have had nice HAL straps removed by TSA at JFK and discarded.

I gues our experience has been the exact opposite. we've flown round trip at least 4x a year for the past 5 years and never had a problem with the straps. Most of those flights were not direct so the baggage gets handled twice each time.

 

We've had our luggage inspected only a few times. But, the straps (which are butt ugly to help identify the luggage on the carousel) have always been replaced.

 

None of our flights have gone through JFK.

 

Charlie