Oakshadow

Was on JFK-LAX trip with a friend of mine. For various reasons I was on DL while she was on VX. Upon arrival in LAX she found that her iPad and notebook computer were gone from her checked luggage.

There was no TSA note. Reports were made to VX, the Port Authority Police, LAXPD and TSA.

After the predictable "Why did she put valuable electronics in her checked luggage?" blame-the-victim responses are done, is there speculation as to who might might've lifted these items? TSA agents? VX personnel? Some other type of airport workers who had access to the bag?

It's all very unsettling.

Yoshi212

Too many hands in too many locations. But what was said is true. You don't put valuables where they can be blindly taken. Pretty common sense.

dhuey

I had a DVD player stolen from my checked bag a few years ago. It wasn't worth that much, but it's pretty annoying. Oddly, they didn't steal the charger, so unless they can find a charger of the same voltage, they stole something from me that will be useless to them.

Tizzette

Come on...putting an Ipad in checked luggage and expecting it to still be there at baggage claim?

TBD

Yea - heaven forbid we should expect people not to steal...

PHLyer82

Yes it's a shame that we live in a world that you can't trust people. Yes your friend is the victim, but she needs to use some common sense and/or read the warnings that say not pack any valuables in your checked luggage.

Even if it made it through, I would have been worried the ipad would have been damaged during transport.

redheadtempe33

Could have been any of them. I would have to say in VX's case though, since I don't believe they do their own baggage, it probably wasn't a VX employee.

I hate to say it, but TSA agents are there when the bags go through the x-ray machines, so only they really know if there is something worth stealing.

Jaimito Cartero

Would you tape $1000 to your checked luggage and expect it to still be there when you arrived? Pretty much the same thing putting expensive electronics inside checked luggage.

Oakshadow

Taping $1000 to the outside luggage is different than stowing items in a closed private bag. I would expect all transportation professionals, whether they be Virgin baggage handlers or TSA, that are entrusted with the luggage to not commit robbery.

Yes, had I known she was planning on putting an iPad in her checked luggage I would've strongly advised against it, but an expensive electronic item being relatively easily available to steal to a small group of transportation professionals IS NO EXCUSE TO STEAL IT. Period.

LovetoTravel83

I was travelling international and had an XBOX and a Wii in one of the baggage.

I always lock my luggage using the approved locks by the TSA and thankfully I never had a problem.

mikew99

What's unsettling to me is why people continue to put valuable electronics in checked luggage, given the numerous reports of theft and damage, and then complain on FT when there stuff is stolen and/or broken. I just don't get it.

It's one thing to know the risks and accept them, but is your friend really surprised that her valuables were stolen? The bags go through so many hands out of the sight of others, it's nearly impossible to point the finger at the thief.

MR_MAMA

Hopefully she has the Find my iPad app loaded on it, it will show her where it is.

Oakshadow

This warrants a cut and paste from a similar the-victim-deserved-it response above:

Yes, had I known she was planning on putting an iPad in her checked luggage I would've strongly advised against it, but an expensive electronic item being relatively easily available to steal to a small group of transportation professionals IS NO EXCUSE TO STEAL IT. Period.

mikew99

I agree with you 100%.

What I don't understand (and so far hasn't been explained) is why your friend did checked here iPad in the first place. You and I both know that the chain of baggage handling is rife with theft. Did she really not know this? Did she willingly ignore the airlines' persistent advice against it? Or did she know and decided to just take her chances and accept the risk?

I would truly like to understand why so many people trust the TSA, baggage handlers, and the airlines with their expensive items when there have been so many problems in the past!

nicnac16

I don't think anyone here is excusing the behavior, of course it is not ok to steal from someone's luggage. But a little bit of common sense is to be expected. I did once put a portable DVD player in my checked bag, but I did so knowing full well there was a good chance it wasn't going to be there on the other end. It's a couple years old and probably wasn't worth anyone's time to steal so it was still in the bag, but I would never put anything I considered valuable in there.