when you get the note from TSA in your checked bag...
 

It happened to me for the first time on my last flight leg - I unpacked my
suitcase (checked) and found the note that it had been "inspected".

I guess I have a few questions:

1. What do they do when they inspect a bag? Do they handle your stuff?
I had some plastic bags inside my suitcase with the clothes in them, and I
couldn't tell if those were opened/closed or never opened.
(All of the clothes went right into the laundry just in case.)

2. Do they select bags randomly? If not, what criteria do they use?

3. Is there some record of what bags are searched in case something turns
up missing from a bag? (This did not happen in my case.)

4. Does anyone know - when does this inspection happen? One would hope
that it is before loading, if they think they might find something bad.

5. Are all passenger-checked bags X-rayed also anyway? If so, what is
the purpose of the opening/searching process on top of that? (Or rather,
if it is necessary, why do it so sporadically?)

Thanks for any answers!!

--LG

Much like the x-ray, they are looking to resolve an alarm. Usually they have an idea what it might be (certain shape, for example). There is a possibility that they go thru your stuff if the alarm is at the bottom. They shouldn't be searching like customs though ... they just don't have the time.

As in answer 1, it's usually to resolve some sort of alarm on the CTX machine, or a screener might think something looks odd about your bag.

Not one that's given to pax, if there is one at all. You're always free to file a claim if something comes up missing or damaged though.

It happens before the bag is sent to the plane. TSA acts as an intermediary to airline counter and the plane. They screen all bags. Sometimes it's behind the scenes. Other times, you'll get the destination tags and then you have to take your bags to the TSA folks manning the CTX. It all depends on how the airport was designed. Some airports just don't have the room behind the scenes so the CTX machines are up front near the check in counters.

Super

5. Are all passenger-checked bags X-rayed also anyway? If so, what is
the purpose of the opening/searching process on top of that? (Or rather,
if it is necessary, why do it so sporadically?)

Thanks for any answers!!

--LG[/QUOTE]

(I wonder what looked "odd")
 

Thanks for the speedy answers! I have no idea what might have set off
an "alarm" though. It was almost entirely clothing; I don't think there were
even any shoes in there. Maybe a deodorant or something that I culled from
my carry-on. But actually, most of my cosmetics/toiletries/electronics were
in my *other* checked bag. How weird.

Of course, it could have looked suspicious because my kids had recently
decorated the suitcase with shiny star stickers all over it. :)

--LG

From what the TSA folks have said, toothpaste has set it off before.

Toothpaste, some bars of soap, chocolate. If it's opaque, the more likely it alarms.

Yeah, they don't like opaque, but once when I few with Christmas lights -- multiple sets -- LOTS of wires... nothing. I was shocked. And this was post- 9/11. Whatever.

I've seen such a love note from TSA only twice.

Once was when I checked a roll-aboard type of bag leaving DCA in 2002. They undid the bolts that held its foot in place, and left the foot, the bolts, the nuts and the washers inside the bag, with one of their notes. I have no clue why a hollow piece of plastic became the object of such curiousity. But to be safe, I replaced it with a solid piece of plastic, using a length of PVC brick mould and screws. Four years and so far so good. So there. It is one tough bag.

The other TSA love-note incident involved the type of heavy flying discs used for "frisbee golf." Returning, I carried them on. Let me tell you, they caused quite a stir at the x-ray station. They showed me the images - opaque discs. Even knowing what they were, they looked downright evil on the xray image.

A friend of mine did a six week assignment in Paris. From the last trip, the things he found he needed and couldn't find in Paris were telephone wire, Mountain Dew, and an alarm clock.

Consider what that looks like in an X-ray machine.

Deleted

Yeah, that was pretty silly having to open every bag that alarmed, but then again you can't do a crash course training on CTX. I pretty much guessed that. It's a good thing that TSA can use on-screen tools now to resolve alarms as a first step. ^ I don't see them open as many bags as before. However, I think it's absolutely absurd that there are rows of CTX machines behind-the-scenes with TSA physically lifting the bags on to the CTX machines and throwing them straight to the conveyor. That's a waste of $$$ and very inefficient. I think it would be a good idea to use airport staff.

I personally hate ETD exterior sampling. :td: Isn't the failure rate like 50%? And ETD full search is extremely painful and long for the TSA screener. I still swear that managing the locations of CTX machines, TSA staff and matching it with demand will do a better job.

Thanks for participating.

I recently got back from Honolulu and did not get a note, in my bag. However, I did not lock my suitcase, I used one of those plastic zip-lock ties, to secure my bag. My plastic tie was cut and my bag unsecured. I assume they inspected my bag.

i usually bring a lot of food from the us back to kosova. i get the love notes from tsa every trip and with every suitcase. i don't really mind except the one time they forgot to close the bottle of shampoo, what a mess! also i have had a couple of items go missing. in fairness i can't be 100 per cent sure it was tsa, but i am 90 %.

Many foods products trigger a search. I assume the machine looks at organic molecules as possible explosives. My daughter likes to travel with chocolate bars as gifts. Generally, the TSA helps themselves to a few bars and leaves their "thank you note" behind. It's seems a bit over the top when they open the bars, take a bite and put them back. (Yes, it has happened.)

The bigger problem though is when they rumage around, they don't bother repacking properly and anything the least bit fragile then gets broken by the airlines. I can't quite get my daughter to see just how expensive those bargain chocolate bars are...

At least according to another thread that was posted here, TSA says that if they didn't put a tag in the suitcase, it wasn't them. :rolleyes:

When I travel Europe-US with my Rimowa aluminum suitcase I always get the love note. So far it hasn't happened with my old Atlantic, so I guess looks is a factor for TSA as well.

Cheers