eyecue

We were told in briefing today that a pax had his TSA approved locks cut off by baggage inspectors at DEN. He contacted TSA to complain. The interesting thing is that TSA baggage screeners left a piece of equipment in his bag that we use alot. He is holding it ransom till TSA gets him new locks.

Spiff

Nice.

Too bad the dimbulb who chopped the locks can't get fired.

KosraeTV

eyecue, I enjoy your posts, I wish more screeners were like you. I happened to talk to a few screeners on my recent trip and surprisingly I found out many TSA screeners in various airports are lurkers on this site ! It'd be fun to hear other stories like this.

AArlington

That's hilarious. Do you think TSA will pay up? Or prosecute him for theft of government equipment?

Peetah

What? A rubber glove? He can keep it!

Xyzzy

If the bag had been properly locked the TSA couldn't have accidentally left its valuable equipment inside it.

eyecue

But the equipment is a 250 dollar item.

FWAAA

There's no way to prove that the TSA left that item in there - anyone with access to the bag could have left it there. Gate agent, bag monkey, any ramper, etc.

Sound familiar?

Peetah

$250 for the glove? Or $250 for the plastic wand thingy for the explosion detection machine?

I doubt the hand held metal detector costs $250. I just picked some up for my personnel at $160 each. If the gov't paid $250 each (or paid $250 for the gloves), I'm in the wrong business.

eyecue

"Or $250 for the plastic wand thingy for the explosion detection machine?"
That wasnt your bag was it??

Psychocadet

Actually, he can be charges with Larceny just as if he purposley stole it. According to most states penal laws, "finders keepers" is not a valid theory. It is larceny to "with the intent to deprive another of property... he wrongfully takes, obtains, or withols such property from the owner thereof".

NY Penal Law, § 155.05 (2b) specifically mentions that aquirnig lost property without making a reasonable attempt to find the owner and return it to him. Since the item is worth one thousad dollars or less it is defined as Peitit Larceny by § 155.25. That is an A Misdameanor.

So eyecue, feel free to press charges (but paying for his lock is more statesmenlike)

studentff

Sounds like the guy has told the TSA he has the property, which would seem like a reasonable attempt to me. It shouldn't be the pax responsibility to deliver the device to TSA. If TSA sends someone to pick it up or sends a pre-paid mailer, and the guy refused to send it back, then I could see pressing charges. But assuming TSA doesn't send a courier and either sends a prepaid mailer or expects the guy to mail it himself (postage due maybe?), I would think he could reasonably claim it would take him 30-60 days to do so due to his "hectic travel schedule." Of course, if TSA would replace his locks, then maybe the hectic schedule would become a little less so.

If it were me and TSA were not going to replace my locks, I'd take the thing on an international trip and then mail it back to TSA from some extremely remote location via the most expensive express mail with an insured/estimated value of a couple thousand dollars (for customs purposes, and since I could claim ignorance as to the value of the device), postage due.

PatrickHenry1775

Didn't TSA consent to the possibility of leaving its equipment behind by cutting off the lock?

Peetah

I wish! I'd take it to China to be copied, assembled in America, and grab a TSA bid for $175 each.

The idiot who approved to buy those things at $250 each should be fired. That money could be used for something else, like raises.

LessO2

Or to buy more sophisticated equipment that would not require TSA screenings that make one feel violated.