Originally Posted by
1kBill
This is true, but do you also leave your house/car unlocked? One point of locking things is to discourage casual thievery. If someone really wants to get into your house/car/baggage/whatever, they will.
I lose about 3-4 locks a year and I blame the TSA. I recently complained to them about the the apparent inability of the agents to replace the lock on the bag and the response I got disclaimed all responsibility for luggage locks, further suggesting that the TSA recommends not locking luggage at all. I intend to write a complaint letter to my representatives about the utter disregard for our possessions. It probably won't accomplish anything, but I'll fell better.
Yes, I lock my condo & car. But, nobody has authority to enter those without my permission and I give that permission by providing them a key. The two locks are hardly impenetrable, but they can't be easily drilled out without triggering an alarm and attracting attention.
Not so with luggage locks. They can be clipped with ordinary tools in 5 seconds and generally nobody is the wiser. Bags are, of course, handled by a broad number of people beyond TSA on departure, at connection points and on arrival. Unless you've got a clipped lock and a note from TSA, there's no particular reason why it's TSA.
Given that there's such an incredibly low percentage of luggage that is locked, it's a sign to thieves that there's something valuable in the luggage and therefore a reason to clip the suitcase and rummage.