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

Good to know, I have not been to SFO since 1992 :eek: and she doesn't travel much at all so I could see her getting confused.

I made her explain the whole story again to me to make sure I got it right, I did. She took a shuttle to the airport, had no luggage to check. She had a bottle of water with her so she sat in one of the rocking chairs, took her medication and finished off the water, put her meds in the ziplock then into the bag which she says she closed all the way then went right to security. She has contacted SAN, nothing in lost and found, no one has called the pharmacy to say they found it. She has also contacted the airport authority and Harbor Police.

Funny that the guys not being TSA that he didn't just tell her, not my problem, not TSA instead of going through all the whole thing and saying he called. Would have been easier that way.

How to carry meds
 

I'm going home tonight to pack for just under three weeks. My carryon is already over weight and bulk and my checked luggage has room.

I'm down to five different meds and have several as a 30 day supply even though my health coverage encourages me to get 90 days through their mail order. That means larger bottles.

I'm trying to follow the advice to have my meds in their original bottles.

I will have a some in my carryon in a weekly pillbox. The bottles will be in the checked bag. Yes, I think about which are the critical subset.

Am I missing something? Luggage is often delayed, rarely lost (should I say that out loud?). Pilferage is a serious problem. TSA can buy worthless badges, but not video for there inspection stations??

it appears that since Mongah's GF had her meds stolen from her carry-on, we need to carry our rx's in our pockets!

In this situation, I would seriously consider taking something else out of the carryon and putting the medication in its place.

Also, if you ask your pharmacy (or the mail order company), they should be able to supply you with additional, smaller, labled bottles into which you can put the amount of medication you need for the trip you're taking.

I've never had a US carrier weigh a carryon. I've had third-world carriers weigh my carryon, and sometimes even weigh me, but no one yet, crossed fingers, has cared that my bags are quite overweight.

I never check anything but clothing.

On the other hand, millions of bags travel uneventfully every year.

We're a bit paranoid here in TS/S :D

Still, I would not checks meds. I carry 30 pounds of camera equipment in addition to my personal carryon. I wonder what you can possibly be carrying that weighs more?

TSA aren't the only ones with access to your bags. It's impossible to say for sure that this was their problem.

Already discussed in this very thread general. :rolleyes:

To emphasize birdstrike's point (I think): It is the TSA's problem. This is irrespective of whether or not a TSA/DHS employee was involved in any illegal activity. No matter who stole something from the checked bag, it's nearly impossible to say that it's not the TSA's problem.

The TSA regularly allows criminals* and/or incompetent employees access to bags. Any theft from a checked bag is either due to the TSA failing to protect a checked bag from criminals, or due to TSA negligence (not putting an item back into a bag after a search). Either way I can say that every item taken from a checked bag (before arrival on the conveyor) is an example of the TSA failing to do its job.

*: Not necessarily convicted ones. Anyone who steals from a checked bag is a criminal

People who are victims of theft need to report it EVERY TIME. I know it's a pain, but it makes it easier to develop a pattern. You may not get any results, but the next person might.

The money they wasted on uniforms could have been allocated for cameras. But, I guess a dog and pony show is much more beneficial to Homeland Security than catching criminals. :rolleyes:

In that they are much like other federal agencies. I could mention the case of John Lawmaster and F-Troop (BATF) where they broke his door down, drilled his gun safes and then left all sorts of guns lying around the house with a door that not only didn't lock but couldn't even be closed.

And good luck trying to sue, sovereign immunity protects them.

This isn't going to change until we make this situation a "do something about this or I work for your opponent's political campaign" issue. And unfortunately there have been two documented cases where letters saying exactly that have been turned over to law enforcement as "threatening".

This is not the nation my grandfather served in the Pacific to protect. :mad::mad::mad:

To put you in jail for 20 years he just might. That's the penalty for assaulting a federal employee.

In looking for some information re SSI, I came across a report that said prosecution of a baggage screener for theft had been dropped because information that would have been disclosed was SSI.

Prosecution of Screener dropped due to SSI

Is this why we don't hear too much about prosecution/termination of dishonest screeners?

The link isn't working, darn it!

It's working, maybe just not from the hotlink.