Originally Posted by
scoow
The TSA policy which requires unlocked luggage (or a TSA approved lock, which is for all practical purposes is the same thing), makes it easier for people to access the interior of bags - to steal valuables or insert most anything. So whether the thief is a TSA, airline, or airport employee, TSA policy seems to be "enabling" the theft.
Originally Posted by
TSORon
Unless one is willing to invest in hard sided, high security luggage, then there is no such thing as a secure bag. Nothing prevents a thief from using a small and sharp knife to cut open the normal soft/cloth sided bags and taking whatever they like. TSA keys are not needed. I don’t even need a knife to get into most bags with locks on them, I can do it with a screwdriver and never leave a mark.
Ron ... the question isn't "secure vs. unsecure". We all know that security is not measured in "yes/no" terms, but in relative terms. Scoow's point is that TSA policy makes it
easier for people to access the interior of bags.
In many cases, it's about crimes of opportunity. If a thief (working either for TSA or for the airlines) wants to look through a bag to find something interesting to steal, does it make more sense to look at an unlocked bag, or a locked bag that can be forced open? The unlocked bag will be quicker to open, and therefore presents less risk of detection for the thief.
The plain fact is that incidents of theft from passenger luggage have increased since TSA imposed its policy --- first, requiring all bags to be unlocked, and later allowing TSA-approved locks.