TSA breaking things
 

When TSA brakes something in your checked baggage, what do you do when you discover it?

What if it is something that can't be replaced?

First rule, of course, is to avoid checking valuables (particularly those which are irreplaceable), if at all possible. What was the item?

TSA actually has a claim form, although no experience with it.
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/claim-forms

Depending on the item, you could file a claim with your airline.
Another option would be to file a claim with your homeowners insurance, if it's covered.

Basically, tough to prove that TSA was the reason your item was damaged. Did you have a little TSA paper in your bag? Even then, it's possible it was repacked intact, but broke due to less-than-gentle baggage handling, or just because it was repacked improperly, or packed improperly in the first place.

1. What was the item and what is the damage? In other words, is this something which could have just happened from the suitcase being tossed around in transit?

2. How do you know that any damage was caused by TSA as opposed to the/a carrier, as opposed to some ground handler?
l

Ask American Eagle after the TSA broke one of their planes.
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?d...2-944325cea23d

TSA has never left a note in my bag, despite it being obvious they have been inside.
The item in question is a plastic toy/prop which is kept in bubblewrap. It isn't replaceable as it hasn't been made for 12 years. Some friends are suggesting that its repairable.

TSA has plausible deniability and will point their finger at airline handers. The airline will point right back at TSA, and both are trying to escape 100% responsibility, when you know darn sure that between the two of them, they ADD UP TO being 100% responsible, but the proportion is under dispute.

Of course, the ultimate root cause is that TSA insists on us using lame locks that everybody has a master key set for. But because the airlines may lose luggage, nothing valuable or irreplaceable should be checked anyway.

If this was a prop weapon, for instance, and you couldn't carry it in the cabin, then you had two alternatives.

1) Ship it (UPS, Fedex, USPS)

2) Include it in a hard-sided case, along with a flare gun or a true unloaded weapon, and declare it as an unloaded firearm, and follow the easy process to check it in. That way, you can use REAL locks (actually, you MUST use real locks to which only you have the key or combination) and the airlines seem to treat it with real care. TSA doesn't go poking about inside, and you get to pick up the case at the baggage office typically because they aren't going to put such a case out on the conveyor. I and many other folks use this process regularly.

Just don't use this procedure to or from LGA or JFK.

It won't help this time, but I have carried a rider on my business insurance (may be available for home owners insurance) that cover items with which I travel. It is really inexpensive at just over $100 a year. I have had one claim, $7000+, when all of my tools were stolen from my rental car.

There is a down side. It only covers listed items. I have to make an inventory of those items I want to insure, provide values, model numbers, serial numbers and such as may available. I also now keep a folder of photos.

For items that you regularly have when you travel that are difficult to replace or expensive, the insurance is cheap.

The item is kept in bubble wrap in a padded part of the bag. If baggage handling had anything to do with it, other items kept in the same part of the bag would have been damaged in some way as well.
This item has been pulled out of the bag, pulled out of the bubble wrap, then snapped while trying to open the battery cover.

Sounds as though wiring in the item looked suspicious. No idea what the item is worth, but best and easiest is to file a claim on your baggage insurance. They will sort with TSA. You can direct file a claim with TSA, but don't hold your breath waiting.

It cost about 6000 Yen 6-7 years ago. They haven't been made for 12 odd years.

This tells us the thought processes behind the TSA:

"Wow. That looks suspicious. I should immediately open it up and look at it."

Unless, of course, the "bomb guys" are also so inept as to break a battery cover... which does not bode well if they ever find a real one.

Is there even any point to this?

We had a TSA agent help themselves to lunch from our suitcase. (Love note, one bag of nuts is gone. An identical bag remained so they obviously didn't look suspicious.)

Are you sure this covers value items in luggage checked into a commercial aircraft? The extra insurance the airlines sell exclude valuables. Third party travel insurance has limited liability; haven't seen any that would support a $7K claim.

I believe the consensus is that a starter pistol or flare gun is immune from NJ/NY/NYC extreme firearm laws.

Yes. I specifically requested insurance that would cover checked baggage, things in hotel rooms, and other travel risks. It is a commercial policy that is part of my business insurance in which the items are already covered. It simply extends coverage to travel for the listed items.

An orange plastic flare gun is ok, but a starter pistol gave a friend of mine trouble at JFK... he ended up with no charges, but lost 4 hours and the starter pistol in the process. YMMV

That's kind of weird since a flare gun can emit a lethal projectile and a starter pistol cannot.

Maybe not, but it can't hurt.

TSA has procedures in place that rule out the event that you are describing as being caused by them. There are cameras that record every bag that is searched, there are computer logs that show who opened that bag and there is no reason to open any device for further inspection to the degree that your photos show. Not to mention that the notice of inspection has to be inserted. I am sorry.

TSA has procedures in place to inform the screeners that filming is generally allowed at the checkpoint, TSA has procedures in place that forbid stealing from passengers, etc.

Saying that something is ruled out based on the existence of TSA procedures carries very little weight.

And TSA screeners never violate the rules.:rolleyes:

1) Except when the cameras are "inoperable," "too blurry," or "missing," as usually happens when they might show something more embarrassing than usual about the TSA.

2) Computer logs? Riiiiight. This is an agency that still hasn't managed to get "photography is not prohibited" propagated to all of their employees. But not for lack of trying, apparently. Computer logs? Laughable. Purely laughable.

3) TSA employees might be required to insert a "notice of inspection," but that really shouldn't carry as much weight as "don't steal things from the passengers" - which, again, is violated on a pretty regular basis.

Given the circumstances and the history of the TSA, I find it wholly believable that some blue-shirted "screener" opened the bag to poke around, broke something, and "forgot" to insert anything like a "notice of inspection" on the off chance the incident could be blamed on the passenger, a ramp rat, or any other non-TSA personnel.

But a starter pistol LOOKS like a mean, nasty gun and a flare gun looks like a toy.

eyecue, aside from pax experiences, we have had TSOs post on this forum in the past that keys are regularly lost (in one instance, the supervisor kept the TSA lock keys) and when the keys are lost or not readily available, the locks are cut. TSOs have posted that y'all run out of forms sometimes, but baggage inspection has to continue.

There have also been 'bad apple' TSOs caught raiding bags or writing notes on the inspection slips or working in conjunction with baggage handlers to facilitate theft. They may be a small percentage of the workforce, but since they have access to hundreds of bags a day, they can impact a lot of pax. You point out the cameras, but the cameras don't mean anything if no one is reviewing them regularly, particularly when thefts or damage is reported.

After all, it surprises me when an LE is caught behaving inappropriately or even illegally on his own dashcam and subsequent investigation reveals multiple instances of the same behavior (like the cops in Texas doing cavity searches in broad daylight or the cop who was making women raise their shirts and bras for him). Checkpoint cameras didn't stop the (now former) Florida TSO from stealing an Ipad. These guys know exactly where the cameras are, but they don't worry because they know how unlikely it is that anyone will review the footage.

Personally, if the bandwidth were available, I wouldn't mind seeing all footage available to the public live at all times. At the very least, I see no reason not to allow the public access to all footage (that doesn't display anything SSI). After all, if the TSOs aren't doing anything wrong, there's nothing to hide. If they are, we're all better off knowing about it and addressing the issue.

I know of at least one instance that my suitcase was searched even though there was no notice of inspection.

Mine was, too. I have a suitcase with a buckle closure over the zipper opening. It was unbuckled when I picked it up at my destination, and there was no form or "TSA Love Note" in the suitcase. Just glad they zipped the darn thing back up, and I had no valuables in there. :rolleyes:

Never trust your valuables to TSA. THEIVES BE THERE!

Except video that shows a problem is always missing.

The Truth about the TSA
 

The truth about the TSA(and the other border patrol people) is that they are arrogant government scum who have no respect for people's property or privacy. I can't remember number of times that they have messed up our luggage or actually destroyed our property.

Nothing every happens to our luggage unless there is the inspection paper in bag. They open creams or shampoos and don't put the lid back on properly. Then the suitcase is full of shampoo(or whatever) by the time you arrive. They unwrap bubble wrapped stuff and just put it back without the wrap allowing it to be later damaged.

They interrogate my girlfriend when she enters the US asking her why she has lingerie in her suitcase or asking her if she plans to get married. Then they try to give her their phone number. She hates coming to the US because of the people at those people.

My recommendation is to not put anything into your luggage which has any value. There is a good chance it will be destroyed. This only seems to happen when flying to/from/in the US. Other countries seem to have much more respect.

Or stolen.