Originally Posted by
lili
Originally Posted by bosconet
am astounded whenever I hear a TSA say: I'm sorry you will have to go back and add this (contraband item) to you checked bags or have it confiscated by us if "you want to fly today".
Do the TSOs not understand right after I check my bag it gets put on a belt to be transported through the bowels f the airport to arrive in the baggage compartment of the airplane? How am I supposed to go add my item to the bag?
You can get it back, but it ain't easy. Takes about half an hour and involves airport police and airline officials. Essentially an airline rep locates the bag and the baggage crew offloads it so it appears on the baggage carousels for incoming flights and somebody from the airlines grabs the bag and gives it to you. You do what you have to do (for me it was removing the unprotected laptop I left in the outside pocket) then recheck the bag.
What!? The bags don't even go out to the plane until nearly boarding time. It's not like they get transported out there one at a time the minute they're screened. Inline systems may vary some but the concept is the same. The screened bags are collected on the airline's baggage carts and there they stay until they're all together. That's why you can look out the window of the plane and see a tug with a string of baggage carts pull up. Adding something to your bag is simply a matter of walking up to the ticket counter and politely asking, "I forgot about my pocketknife in my carryon. Would it be possible to have someone place it in my bag?" Granted, that always can't always happen, but tucking something in a bag doesn't involve police and a bunch of officials. Just a counter clerk with a few minutes to spare.