cutting plastic cable ties?
 

What am I allowed to carry with me that will but the plastic cable ties that will now lock my suitcases?

My hands are hugely strong? Will small nail clippers do the job?

I will have to purchase something, don't want it confiscated.

In general, might there be someone/something at various baggage claims?

Suggestions?

Sylvia

I find that twisting a car key in the tie can break it as long as it's not too thick. Failing that, nail clippers will do fine for all but the biggest ties.

Scissors with rounded points are allowed in carry ons. Nail clippers are allowed in carry ons. I have yet to meet a cable tie you can't break by twisting a pen in it (at least not one you would use on luggage).

If it can wait until you get to your hotel, I'm sure the staff will have something to remove the ties. This has happened to me a couple of times with products that came in blister packs that I could not open otherwise.

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Michael Steinberg
Editor
BizTrip
www.biztrip.com

Carefully use a lit match. Works 100% of the time.

MisterNice

I think a nail clipper or scissors would work 100% of the time.

If you don't have the above a lighted match would work, although it may smell awful.

Good Luck!

Cigar cutter?

If you have softsided luggage and don't want to buy rounded scissors just for carry-on, put sharp scissors in the outside pocket of your softside luggage.

Anything long and cylindrical like car keys, pen, pencil, etc. Just stick it through the loop and start twisting around until snaps. Just make sure you leave a little gap in the loop when you attach the plastic. Cinching it too tight will force you to use cutting implement like scissors.

I just put my little Swiss Army knife in an outside pocket on the suitcase, that is not closed with a cable tie.