Just purchased a new golf club carrier bag that has snaps on it that are somewhat complicated. They're not hard to figure out but they are not straightforward.

I'm considering putting arrows on both snaps to make it easier to open but....

If my bags arrive and the snaps have been damaged do I have any recourse?

Thanks

None whatsoever. The TSA will blame the airline, the airline will blame the TSA.

I'd suggest attaching a tag explaining how the snaps work, but they'd just rip that off as well.

TSA would also conveniently "forget" to leave a love note..

As would a baggage handler

...due to TSA policy (which has been explained to you many times).

If it is too complicated, they will use a universal master key.

Comprehension is not an issue for me. You may be interested to learn that baggage handlers have been stealing items from bags in vast numbers for decades. As a result I'd be most intrigued to hear you explain "due to TSA policy" in some more detail

Schedule a few extra minutes and ask for TSA to hand inspect your bag just like they would a firearm. If nothing else an agent will come out and then you can explain the closures to them so it can be taken back run through with hopefully the person you gave the bag to giving it an escort.

Yes, I would be very interested in the statistics of baggage theft before the TSA locks were mandated. Can you provide them?


The strongest Pelican case you can buy is made vulnerable to theft by the weak link of the TSA mandated lock.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? "TSA mandated lock"? Have you ever been told by anyone in the TSA to use a TSA lock? Didn't think so.

In several million miles I've never once used a lock - TSA "mandated" or not. I guess I should be in real trouble by now

Let me turn your ridiculous question around on you - do you believe thefts by baggage handlers are non existent?

TSA.gov:
TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that the locks may not have to be cut. These locks are available at airports and travel stores nationwide. The packaging on the locks indicates whether they can be opened by TSA.

Try using a lock that does not fall under the TSA's mandate/rule/Hint from Heloise or however you want to call it and let us know what happens.


Not at all, which is why I am very interested in the theft statistics prior the the TSA locks.

I believe baggage handlers do steal stuff.

I also believe that's been made much easier since everybody has to use a lock that is easily removed instead of a better lock that is actually secure.

Seriously, does anybody really worry if they forget the combination or loses the key to their TSA lock? A dinner knife and a twist and it pops off.

We can no longer secure out bags if checking them in, even after screening. If bags are not secure, they are more prone to theft.

[QUOTE=N965VJ;14092932]Try using a lock that does not fall under the TSA's mandate/rule/Hint from Heloise or however you want to call it and let us know what happens.

I'm pretty sure nothing would happen. Despite the small number of individuals here who think the TSA is on a bag-searching rampage, my extensive experience, and that of everyone I know says otherwise.

Are you somehow trying to say that the TSA would be more likely to check your bag if you had a non-TSA-"mandated" lock on it than with no lock on it? I'd be very interested in hearing where you get that from.

I'm sure there are plenty on the Internet that you can amuse yourself with

I fundamentally disagree with the conclusion you've arrived at here - I've seen several people here say something similar, but there's a major flaw in the argument - regular locks are not even remotely close to being a solution to baggage security. Is there any data that says that baggage theft has increased since TSA locks? If there is I haven't seen it.

If a thief wants to gain access to a bag then no lock, TSA-"mandated" or otherwise is going to stop them. Having no lock on a bag is a situation that is attractive to opportunistic thieves; any sort of lock on a bag is equally easily bypassed in my opinion.

Bottom line - don't put valuables in checked luggage, don't lock your bag ^

So your "extensive experience only makes you "pretty sure"


I'm sure there are plenty on the Internet that you can amuse yourself with

Couldn't the same be said about terrorists?

So now you are saying the entire TSA is useless!

That's about the silliest argument ever.

There are three identical pelican cases next to each other on the belt.

Dishonest airport employee or dishonest TSA person wants to have a look and steal something.

One has no lock what so ever on it.

One has a TSA approved lock anybody could pop off with a butter knife or screw driver.

One has a non tsa approved hardened master lock you can't get off without using bolt cutters.

Yet you believe all three bags have the exact same chance of that employee opening and having a look see around in it?

Sure they do, the dishonest employee will just pull out the 24" bolt cutters he carries around, and will take the 10 minutes to fight off the lock. They would never just open the unlocked case, or take the 3 seconds to twist off the TSA lock (though they probably have keys for it). Yeah, a bag with something you need a torch to open is just as easy as one without a lock for somebody to get into and out of without being seen. Sure.

Not securing the bags is not an option for many people and it doesn't keep grubby handed people from checking the bags. The answer to prevent rifling and theft is not to take away anything possible people can steal, but to hire people with morals and install the necessary equipment to watch them. And like the hundreds of TSA employees who have been fired for theft, they need to step up the enforcement and prosecution.

In three years the TSA has reported that 42,000 people reported items worth over $31 million was taken from their bags.