TSA Thievery
 

The last few times I've flown internationally, I've arrived to things missing from my luggage - but a paper saying my bag had been 'inspected.' Three days ago, I arrived to find that EIGHT things were missing (I now list EVERYTHING) in my bag, most of which were gifts. I am incensed that the current security situation is making it so easy to steal. Has anyone else experienced this?

Pam

In fairness, you don't know for sure if it's the TSA at fault. Did you report the loss to your carrier?

Were they the underwire bras that have been giving you so much trouble? :p

I do wonder how often this happen. The tempation has too be high for things like medications

There is theft by TSA employees. In any organization, you're going to have a certain percentage of theft by employees. Retailers often have to deal with employee theft more than they do theft by customers. TSA is no different.

This doesn't mean that TSA tolerates, condones or is doing nothing about it.

In many circumstances, it's pretty difficult for a TSA employee to steal. Contrary to anti-TSA whines, the checkpoint is perhaps the most difficult place because of all the other fellow employees as well as passengers who are in close proximity. This doesn't necessarily stop a determined thief, but a determined thief will be caught more easily at the checkpoint. Supervisors and leads are busy watching the checkpoint; looking to make sure proper screening procedures are followed, making sure to know which screener is available to take care of the next person waiting to be screened, etc. Point here is that there are always a set of eyes scanning the checkpoint for one reason or another, and this alone makes it very difficult for someone to steal.

At checked baggage, it's a different set of circumstances. However, even then, it's not necessarily easier to steal; it's just that there are less eyes watching. Still, in the public screening areas, there are leads and supervisors as well as fellow screeners, and there are airline employees, passengers as well. At our airport, we have 100% CCTV coverage of the main lobby where all but one of our baggage screening pods are located. Someone is always watching.

At the baggage screening pods located behind the counter, it's perhaps the ideal place for someone to attempt to steal something out of a passenger's bag. At most airports, these areas are covered by CCTV. And even so, to steal something would essentially require a co-conspirator. My point here is that even under the most tempting circumstances, there's always someone else nearby who is watching or who will turn that person in.

At our airport, whenever there's an allegation of theft, the first thing that happens is that everyone who was assigned to that specific baggage pod is questioned. This results in an incredible amount of peer pressure because nobody likes being falsely accused. Furthermore, our AFSD compares assignment sheets to determine if there's a pattern with TSO Schmedlapp, for instance, consistently being at the pod in question. This results in TSO Schmedlapp being placed under pretty intense scrutiny.

There was one incident that I know of at our airport. A lead screener too lazy to turn in lost property simply split it up among the screeners working at his pod. Each and every single one of those screeners returned the property and turned him in to the supervisor.

We now have one vacancy for a lead screener.

In virtually every other case, as far as I know, items accidentally fell out of a bag unnoticed by the screener as he or she was conducting a bag search. In most areas, it's pretty difficult to miss an item that fell out of a bag. However, from time to time, whenever I'm conducting daily maintenance on the ETD machines and have to roll one out to inspect it, I'll notice a sock, book or some other item that most likely fell out of a passenger's bag and landed somewhere the screener couldn't see. These things happen. Don't like them to happen; I stress the importance of double-checking before releasing the bag for transport; but they still happen.

We turn these lost items in whenever we find them.

On the other hand, there have been a couple of incidents of airline baggage handlers caught stealing out of passenger bags.

They were caught and turned in by TSA screeners.

Put your valuables in your carry-on and your clothes in your checked baggage. Your medication should be carried on as well

ttt

It is the TSA's policy that bags be unlocked or be broken into.

It is therefore the TSA's stupid policy that bags are so easily pilfered.

Those who have made this idiotic policy should be severely punished and terminated.

My opinion is that such theft was made easier due to the TSA rule to have the bags unlocked. A rule that is unheard of in other countries. The thieves in the cases you mention were caught, but how many go unnoticed? And whose fault is it really when the passenger no longer can lock his bags? If someone who wants to steal has two bags to pick from: one locked and one unlocked, which is he going to take?

I'm sorry you experienced this. You're definitely not the only one.

But let me say, never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever, EVER put anything of value in your checked bag. I know you might feel clothes are of value, but I'm talking about not putting in anything shiny, with an on/off switch, money, toothpaste or medications in your checked bag. Toothpaste sets off the bomb detection machine, giving the TSA license to rifle through your stuff.

Find out what your carrier's maximum allowable size for a carry-on bag is and fly only carry-on as much as possible.

If you MUST check-in stuff, only put clothes in there. TSA is less likely to steal clothes, and clothes alone won't set off the CTX machine.

This is not so easy doine if you are flying BA (at least until early July when they remove the weight restriction) since their carry-on limit is 6kg (what's that? about 14-15 pounds). With such a restriction there has to be more than just clothes in the checked bags with all the problems that this bring.

Completely agree. Tis one of the reasons I do not fly BA anymore.

On occasion, I've encountered LH folks being picky about carry-on weight, but that is sporadic at best.

I've decided now that being manhandled at the Istanbul airport is only second to stuff being stolen, Mizzles. :-)

I travel for 3-4 months at a time so it's impossible to only use carryons. The total cost of the 8 items is actually less than $60 - but I was on my way to Tajikistan to visit development workers so the missing Starbuck's coffee, Reese's pieces and used paperback English novels were not valuable in money but their loss is a huge disappointment to me and to them.

It's a good point that it could be the baggage handlers - except that I've been travelling internationally for 25 years and never once had anything go missing until post 9/11 - and it's now almost every trip.

But misery loves company so I appreciate the empathy!

Pam

Let's stick to the facts first. It is NOT TSA policy that you unlock your bags. You are permitted to lock your bags. If you have a combination-type lock, TSA asks that you have the combination set, and TSA will spin the tumblers if the bag clears the CTX. If you have a padlock, the airline ticket agent is supposed to attach the padlock to the bag so that the TSOs may resecure the lock if the bag clears the CTX.

If your bag is being screened in a public lobby screening area, you may lock your bag but are requested to wait until the bag clears.

Here's my experience: many passengers, a great majority of them, don't want to be bothered with this in any manner. They'd rather NOT place a lock on their bags even though TSA is willing to accomodate them.

Once again, TSA policy allows passengers to have their bags locked.

One other thing, for those whose locked bags are sent to baggage screening, many of these passengers do not respond to repeated pages over the public address system to return to the ticket counter. We are often forced to cut the locks off.

I can't account for all the airports; however, what I have shared with you is TSA policy.

This does not work well with hard-sided bags, Samsonite, e.g. It's perfectly well for the rollers and other zipped bags, but the old Samsonites are SOL. I have yet to see the combination rollers spun after an inspection. I got tired of it and have now switched to rollers; and expense that I blame TSA for.

Final questions:
1. Does TSA policy guarantee that pax will be paged in the event TSA needs to open a locked (using a non-TSA lock) bag?
2. In DTW and BOS where bags are screened behind the scenes, airline personnel tell you to unlock your bags because of TSA policy and that no one can relock them before the bags reach the belly of the aircraft. I asked them if TSA could page me, and they said TSA doesn't page. So,
3. Can I demand to talk to a GSC (ground security coordinator) at DTW and BOS to straighten this out with the airline personnel and have confirmation from a TSA rep that I can send my bags through locked and that TSA will page me for the combination or the key? Note that in BOS, the screening system is in-line so if your bag doesn't need a manual search, TSA doesn't have a chance to touch it.
4. Why do TSA signs tell you to either use a TSA lock or leave you bags unlocked and not tell you about paging?

If you can answer all these questions, then the whole locked bag issue is over with and a dead horse. I'd like to be sure before I start wreaking havoc in DTW. Thanks. Much appreciated.