Practical Travel Safety Issues - To everyone who locks their carryon through security...

...what do you do with the key?

I bought a couple of very non-TSA-compliant luggage locks today for use on my rollaboard and my computer case, and it occurs to me that I'm not quite sure what to do with the key. Keeping it on me would alert the WTMD, putting it inside of my locked luggage would be, well, problematic, and leaving it in an exterior pocket defeats the purpose.

...what do you do with the key?

I bought a couple of very non-TSA-compliant luggage locks today for use on my rollaboard and my computer case, and it occurs to me that I'm not quite sure what to do with the key. Keeping it on me would alert the WTMD, putting it inside of my locked luggage would be, well, problematic, and leaving it in an exterior pocket defeats the purpose.

1) Combination lock :)

2) Lock-shaped objects from dollar stores have equally cheesy keys with as much metal as a Levi's rivet, but frustrate unauthorized entry. If they want to get in badly enough, they'll just slash the bag anyway.

3) Computer cables lock your laptop to something larger. Technique has risks of its own, but makes it far more difficult to slip your notebook unobtrusively into the hidden pocket.

All of these are 80% solutions. Only whole-system reform/elimination can address the rest.

Wishing you good results.

Slip key under your foot, inside your sock. Undetectable by WTMD or WBI, and by normal pat down (unless they ask to pat feet, in which case finding a key is no big deal, I hope).

During my last two pat downs, they frisked the bottoms of my feet :rolleyes:

A small brass key, make sure it is non-magnetic, will not set off the WTMD. My belt has a basic brass buckle and never sets them off in the airports where I am allowed to keep it on.

I use a small non TSA combination lock on my carry on and my attaché case has a built in combination lock and they are both locked before I go through the checkpoint, this prevents the screeners from opening any of my carry on’s before I am able to get to the inspection table.

Everything on me goes into my attaché case including my wallet and watch so I have absolutely nothing on me except my boarding pass if needed, so the screeners don’t have access to my wallet with the pretext of needing re-screening so they can count my money or look at my credit cards.

I always ask the screeners to change their gloves and now pre test their gloves for ETD before I give them the combination. I feel by doing this primarily prevents any false positives that would require more invasive screening and also prevents any chance of a screener stealing anything out of my carry on, I am not saying all screeners are thieves, but there have been way to many thefts at the checkpoint lately so I just do not trust any screener opening my carry on without me standing there watching them very closely.

Mr. Elliott

I use a small non TSA combination lock on my carry on and my attaché case has a built in combination lock and they are both locked before I go through the checkpoint, this prevents the screeners from opening any of my carry on’s before I am able to get to the inspection table.

Everything on me goes into my attaché case including my wallet and watch so I have absolutely nothing on me except my boarding pass if needed, so the screeners don’t have access to my wallet with the pretext of needing re-screening so they can count my money or look at my credit cards.

I always ask the screeners to change their gloves and now pre test their gloves for ETD before I give them the combination. I feel by doing this primarily prevents any false positives that would require more invasive screening and also prevents any chance of a screener stealing anything out of my carry on, I am not saying all screeners are thieves, but there have been way to many thefts at the checkpoint lately so I just do not trust any screener opening my carry on without me standing there watching them very closely.

Mr. Elliott

If you can't hide the key, you can always complicate the problem by putting two or three other padlock keys on the ring. It is a bit of a hassle, but not a huge one. If there isn't only one obvious key to the lock you'll slow them down enough for your issue. You can also file the shoulder of the key just a tad so that you need to pull the key out a smidgen (a term of art) for it to work. With a little practice you'll be able to open and close the lock as fast as normal, but it will slow a stranger down.

I use a small non TSA combination lock on my carry on

Where does one get these tiny combination locks?

Just put it in a pocket on the bag. There's not much of a chance they would find the key and open it before you got there.

You could also put it in your shoes as you send those through, tie it to a shoelace or whatever.

I don't think they will spend the time looking for a key and open the bag, they will just yell whose bag is this, where's the key if they need to open it.

Where does one get these tiny combination locks?

Any luggage store will have them. If you live near to an REI store (the outdoors store), they will have them in their travel section. Walmart, Brookstone - I've seen them there, too.

Not a lock, but I do use a split-ring key ring on my checked luggage. Discourage casual browsing. The same could be used on your carryon.

I found a "backpack" combination lock at my local grocery store on their rack that had otherwise only TSA locks. I think Coleman makes it. It's shaped like a carabiner and loops through zipper holes. I think it would work well on any bag with zippers, and it feels quite sturdy (though I've never tried to jack it open). I happened to have a bag check, too, and the clerk was so perplexed by it he had me open it. Unfortunately, that didn't keep him from spreading all of my valuables out in a bin (in what couldn't possibly be proper procedure) and walking off with everything to re-xray it. I would have objected but my attention was strung thin -- my 5 year old had tripped the random alarm on the WTMD and I had my guard up about that, plus I was carrying my spaz 1.5 year old, plus my husband was off getting groped for no apparent reason. But I made a point of checking to see if he stole anything right when I got my stuff back, and everything was safe.

But I digress, it's a good lock.

...what do you do with the key?



Taped to the underside of my watch.

Where does one get these tiny combination locks?

We use our old luggage locks from the pre-TSA days.

A small brass key, make sure it is non-magnetic, will not set off the WTMD. My belt has a basic brass buckle and never sets them off in the airports where I am allowed to keep it on.

All conductive metals will setoff the machine in theory. The machine produces an AC field which produces eddy currents in any conductive material. These can then be detected.

Brass is a little more difficult to detect than iron but it will produce eddy current. The amount of material is important.

External pocket of my carry-on. Make sure it's there then lock right before security

All conductive metals will setoff the machine in theory. The machine produces an AC field which produces eddy currents in any conductive material. These can then be detected.

Brass is a little more difficult to detect than iron but it will produce eddy current. The amount of material is important.

My belt does not alarm. It has a small brass buckle. As to why, let's just say it is a mystery.

All conductive metals will setoff the machine in theory. The machine produces an AC field which produces eddy currents in any conductive material. These can then be detected.

Brass is a little more difficult to detect than iron but it will produce eddy current. The amount of material is important.

Good luck finding an airport allowing you to use the metal detector.