Mr. Elliott

When I was using the TSA approved locks, on more than one occasion the lock was opened by the TSA using their master key, I can tell because of the red band that pops up when the lock is opened using the master key and I did not find any TSA love note in inside my luggage as required by TSA policy.

So don’t go by what the TSA says is policy, we all know the TSA does not follow their own policy.

Because of this and the knowledge that some of these master keys are missing and probably in the hands of baggage handlers I have gone back to using tie wraps, I feel that a thief will skip a piece of luggage that is locked with a tie wrap because it would be oblivious when the luggage come off the carousel that the luggage had been tampered with and any theft can be reported before leaving the airport.

Of course if the TSA removes the tie wrap and does not replace it, than all bets are off about thefts from tie wrapped luggage, both from the baggage handlers and the TSA baggage screeners.

Mr. Elliott

emidano

That's what I thought but for some reason I was thinking it was in a checked bag. I have to stop reading FT when I'm half asleep. Thanks!

DIFIN

lets call it what it really is. call it the "GESTAPO BAG"

Often1

All pointing to the fact that locking or otherwise securing checked luggage does nothing other than point would-be thieves to pax who are carrying what they perceive to be valuables. And, if there's a theft, having a lock/tie "proves" zippo.

flitcraft

Having the tie missing or cut won't help one whit if things turn up missing--the airlines will deny responsibility and so will TSA (or other national security) and both will argue that they didn't have exclusive control. So using zip ties doesn't help in that regard.

The hope is, I assume, that the visible zip ties will deter casual theft attempts. Which it might. Or it might simply highlight your luggage as having something worth protecting. It's impossible to say which, I think.

I do use zip ties or split key rings on my backpack luggage to deter quick little fingers while I'm getting between the airport and my final destination. But I don't think they do much for security while at the airport. Just my opinion.

DEQ11

I like that these can be ripped open by hand. Does anyone know where to buy these or what they are called?

Letitride3c

Materials Distributions & Supplies (Purchasing) used them along with other products, some tampered proof and others for chains-of-custody purposes to bar code & inventorize items received, shipped, released, transferrred & disposed of - here's a link

http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/pull-tight-ties.php - a number of vendors specialized in these, but not in your local Staple stores

For daily checklists, designated employees do record & log them in and out ...

bradpitt

Thats a vague issue that you could not carry a scissors or a small Swiss knife on a foreign soil,these stuffs are allowed.

gobluetwo

Swiss army knives and the like are allowed NOW, but not at the time this thread was created.

stifle

And not in Europe.

SeriouslyLost

Cable ties aren't there to secure against the interested thief. They're there to stop the casual thief and force the interested thief to carry a knife.

They also serve to function to stop bags opening accidentally under pressure while being moved around: pressure a zip in just the right way and it will do exactly what it's designed to do: open. Catch a zip toggle in a belt somewhere and it's happily open itself. Sure, the handlers might pick all your stuff up now that it's strewn all over the place. Or they might not.

Why make it easy to have stuff stolen or lost?! For the less than 1 cent it costs to put a tie on, it removes the chance of the bag opening accidentally for whatever reason.

davef139

google semi trailer seals. I have tons of seals at work when we ship product and such. you can get simple plastic ones to things that are tough for bolt cutters to take down even. They will come serialized and possibly customized text too.

I have never tried to use them but have debated it if I ever have to gate check or something.

slidergirl

I still have a few old zip ties that I bought from, I think, Magellan's travel website. The company name on it is PrivaSeal. the zip tie is a beaded line, instead of the flat one with teeth. It zips like a normal zip tie. but, you can break them with a pen (just put the pen in and twist). If you search the Web, I bet you could still find them someplace.

For me, I now use a split-ring keyring on my zippered bags. But, if you want to use the conventional zip ties, put a pair of nail clippers in an accessible pocket or in your carryon...

chollie

The split-ring keyrings are a good idea, and possibly more secure because in order to get in quickly, you need more than a nail-clipper and a quick snip. If someone has a bolt-cutter or lots of time, you're screwed anyway.

But I admit, I despise the keyrings because every time I use one for something, I break at least one nail down to the quick - even when transferring/removing a key from a ring.

dutara

Another vote for cable ties. Sometimes I'll wrap the tie and zipper-pull with a piece of duct tape. Yes, of course it can be cut off, the zipper can be busted, the bag itself could be slashed etc, but it at least will be obvious the bag was tampered with, and from that point I can raise hell with the airline. A corrupt baggage handler looking for a quick grab will pass on it, knowing it's going to take some effort just to get it open.

I used to use small Master locks. I do a lot of surface travel in Asia and still use them on buses and trains.

I had a lock clipped by TSA once when I was late to the gate and my bag was already in the hold, that's the kind of situation that sets off the alarms big time so I understood the concern. Yes, I got the 'love note.' I've heard stories of the TSA locks being clipped; in light of the fact that TSA people are not well-paid and that they don't seem particularly bright (I don't mean to sound smug, but from what I see their job is to follow orders, not be mindful of what they are doing) it would make sense to me that there will be the occasional master key gone missing and ending up in the wrong hands. Another aspect of this wrong-hands concern is something can be hidden in a piece of checked baggage, creating a sort of situation that TSA was put in place to prevent.