I understand that we don't live in a world where security is going to be perfect, nor is theft ever going to just disappear.

<rant>
That said, I can not even begin to express my disappointment and total shock for the lack of interest in a stolen laptop from the conveyor belt this past week. The laptop was stolen while my friend was being re-run through the metal detector behind another person. When he arrived on the other side of the conveyor belt, the laptop was gone.

Rather then look up the security tapes and try to help figure out who might have snagged the luggage and done something about it (maybe they were still in the airport and could be located?) or even pretend to care in general, the TSA agent claimed that we were inconveniencing them and they were supposed to be on break. He then went on to state that this happens a lot, and that we should fill out a bunch of forms and call the lost and found of the local sheriff's office later to see if it had been taken by accident and turned in. We were further dismayed to find out that the lost and found desk was really an unmanned phone line with a voicemail box, where they only return calls if there is something to report about your item.

It would seem to me that, with all the money and attention put on the TSA in recent years, a better system to pair a customer with their luggage during screening would exist. Considering you are essentially forced to be without your item during the security process, I absolutely believe that the responsibility to keep your items safe lies with the TSA. I realize a lot of people will respond saying "luggage looks alike - what is the TSA supposed to do?" but there are options. For example, scan bags and do the security walk-through separately as phases of security, or ensure that you can walk through immediately upon placing items on the belt, otherwise the conveyor belt is paused (no point in rushing bags through with no customers to pick them up - they'll just stack up on the other side anyway).

And an attitude adjustment is most definitely in order. That is, for sure, the biggest bummer in all this frankly.

</rant>