TSA Pilferage
 

Every time I fly out of FLL I don't think it can get worse with the TSA goons and my checked bags, but somehow they rise to the occasion. This time I arrive in NYC and open my bag to find my things in a fairly orderly condition, unlike previous trips when it appeared they dumped my contents and stuffed them back in. But then I realized the strangest things were missing. My pill cutter. It is a small plastic thing that encloses a base and has a built in little metal blade. It is 2" x2" x 3" and the blade barely cuts the pills. GONE. I also made the mistake of putting some of my Rx's in the checked bag. Of 7 Lunesta, only 4 made it to NYC. Certainly will not make that mistake again or if I do I will put something different in the Lunesta bottle, maybe a laxative. :D A blank note pad, little spiral thing, gone. Too weird.

And no, I am not bothering to send off yet another complaint email to the TSA. I could paper my living room with the form letters explaining how whatever my complaint was could not possibly have been caused by one of their "professionals". Instead I am just going to send an email to my congressman, and Senators pleading with them to please rein in this nightmare.
Sam

As you are able to so clearly state that it IS the TSA that was responsible.. why don't you just provide the evidence that leads to such a conclusion to the appropriate Law Enforcement authority??:confused:

The TSA is the one organization that claims the right to open bags without the owners being present. While they are not the only point of pilferage, they are exposed as the most likely candidates. Thy have the equipment to select luggage of interest to them and the impunity to open it.

We all know that baggage handlers can open zipper undetectably with a ball point pen, but they can only search randomly. The TSA is capable of a much more focused approach.

Evidence: The TSA requires that bags be unlocked (or its equivalent: "protected" by a TSA lock). They're ethically just as responsible for theft as a police department that leaves a home with open windows & doors after conducting a search when the owner is away. They may not have taken any items, but they sure as hell bare a good part of the blame for any resultant theft.

Unfortunately the TSA reacts much like such a police department would react: "tough luck".

File a police report, especially if you will be back in FLL soon and state that Class IV controlled medication was stolen from your belongings. Ok, while not a class II or III, I would hope it would get someones attention.

I was gonna start a thread on this but here is a good place to put it and not waste space.

As I just said in another thread, my lady friend flew UA SAN-SFO Tuesday night.. Things backed up at the TSA checkpoint after she belted her bag and she lost sight of it for about 1 min. When she got airborne, she went into her bag and noticed her Vicodin and Ativan were gone, obviously stolen at the TSA check point.

Not only are they missing, Ativan is an anti seizure drug and without it she may seize. Her insurance won't cover it because it is not in the scope of time for a refill. That is almost moot because her doc is now insisting that he won't write a new script until she goes and sees him, which would be 3 days until she is back in SAN. He's afraid she may be abusing/selling the drug. :rolleyes: She has only been on these for a year and actually uses less then prescribed.

Upon arrival in SFO she went to the nearest TSA point, got a supervisor and told him what happened. He basically tried to blow her off, said TSA agents don't steal. Finally after her persisting, she says he said he would call SAN because obviously they just fell out of her bag and were probably found on the floor. She says he went into a back room, was gone maybe 20 seconds then came out and said he called SAN and they didn't find it. Yeah right, like he actually called anybody.

I told her that in the morning she should call the San Diego Harbor Police, who oversee the airport, and report it as a theft and demand they follow up on it. I feel so good know the TSA is protecting us.

To report that some TSA goon stole a $4 pill cutter, a spiral note book and a few Lunesta? Thanks Trooper, I will get right on that and I am sure "the appropriate Law Enforcement" will get right on it, make an arrest call me in to reclaim my stolen items and view the thief being hauled away in shackles. But I must have made a mistake, surely it was the DL baggage handler putting my bag on the plane who unzipped it and took the items from my bag. They have so much time to look through bags to count out a few pills and make their additional selections, repack my clothes, zip up the bag and continuing loading the plane. Can't imagine how I overlooked the obvious. :rolleyes:

Sam

SAMFTLA - Be very careful what you substitute in the pill bottle. If the alleged pilferer has a bad reaction to the substitute resulting in damage or pain and suffering, you may be subject to a law suit. After all the alleged pilferer, has your name, the drug store that filled the order, and the RX number. It would be a simple matter to check with the drug store, or with the doctor as to your additional particulars, or just check the local telephone directory based on the drug store information on the label.

It is my understanding that you have an obligation to keep control of perscription drugs issued to you, just as you are instructed to keep your carry on personal belongings under your control/in sight when at the airport, including the security process.

Stay the curse!

Yeah, I can see it now, a TSA agent admitting that the medications he or she STOLE made them sick :rolleyes:

At least in your case they took the pills out. In my friends case, they took the bottles. Now they have her name, her doctors name, the pharmacy. The meds both had refills on them so she had to call and cancel the prescription entirely in case someone tried to fill them. At least her pharmacy has it on file that they were taken so if someone tries to refill them they will get caught. I hope I see a headline in the paper, "TSA agent arrested trying to refill passengers stolen medication."

I do not see the postulated scenario as much different than the trespasser with intent to steal and/or commit a physical crime, who is harmed by a trap or by the owner of the property. There have been numerous legal rulings in favor of the trespasser.

I suppose one has to weigh the cost/benefit of a potentially a few years in jail and monetary fine vurses a large monetary gain.

Stay the curse!

I was pretty much being sarcastic but I dont see the Govt wanting it to get out and made public that a TSA agent got sick committing a crime. If I had prescription drugs stolen from me and the thief got sick from them and tried to pursue some action against me, I would contact every media outlet I could to run the story and post it everywhere I could. Although I could see them paying me off to keep quiet ;)

Security at SFO is run by a private company, not TSA. They wear very similar looking uniforms, so it is very easy get confused. I only mention this as it may be a reason as to why he was so unhelpful and tried to blow her off.
I would have her call SAN and ask for the TSA lost and found to see if the meds were turned in as well as the Harbor Police, who can possibly look at the camera footage and see if it was in fact stolen. I very much hope that she does not have any adverse medical issues as a result of this issue.

there is a simple (but the tsa will say "it's too costly and we don't have the resources" <yet, they can spend money on other godforsaken things which don't or will never work :rolleyes:>)....

surveillance cameras with no blind spots covering each aspect of checked luggage once it "begins it's hidden journey".

casinos do it so why can't the federal gub'ment?
most banks videotape safe deposit boxes when they are forced open but even if not, they are done in dual custody and there is an inventory sheet which must be signed by the employees present. put the onus on those who are responsible-what a concept......

if something is missing from a pax luggage, all one has to do is ask to see the tape (and yes, there must be a time period for the pax to file a complaint and a retention schedule by the tsa so no one can say, we destroyed or can't find the tape the tape ;)) but in addition to to playing the "national security card" so one cannot view the luggage screening process :rolleyes:, this is the tsa we're talking about and tsa corporate can screw up a free lunch :rolleyes: :mad:

I cannot believe that someone would put their medications in checked luggage.... especially with how much luggage gets lost.

I take medications for my diabetes and would NEVER think of putting them in checked luggage.... that is just asking for trouble....

William