Originally Posted by TSORon

You didn’t mention that.

I have had to cut TSA locks in the past. Our standing order at my airport is to secure the lock with tape to the "love note" we put in your bag and include a reason if able. Usually it’s because the key we have won’t open the lock (broken lock, bad key, and other reasons), and sometimes it’s because it’s not really a TSA approved lock (there are a few counterfeits out there). I had one that had the TSA key port stuffed with year old chewing gum once, hard as a rock. I don’t have the time to deal with that kind of childishness so I got permission to cut it and did so.

We don’t cut locks just to be cutting locks, it’s a waste of our time.