Here is part of a post from a friend in SoCal, which surprised me, as I hadn't heard of this before, even HERE!

"When I flew up to Portland when my friend was dying I had to leave the lock off my luggage! Yes! Either that or I had to buy a lock that they could open up in the luggage area for "security reasons" so I don't carry anything of value in my luggage..."

It was bad enough when the luggage handlers were opening luggage & pilfering stuff. Now they have a license to do it?

Is this insane or am I?

Sue

Yes, it's true. You can't lock luggage. I travel frequently and know this. You can use a TSA approved lock - for which they have a master key.

My stuff has been pilfered in the past, and I know of others who have had their stuff taken.

There are only 2 kinds of luggage: Carry-on and Lost. Make your choice.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. If you want it there where you get there, Fedex it to yourself.

[color:"red"]DO NOT TRUST THE TSA WITH YOUR STUFF. [/color]

Yup. Works great. Lightens the load, and you can skip the baggage claim area.

I still check a small bag, though. Here's why:

I want my knife back as soon as I get off the plane. I've been hiding an
inexpensive folder along with duplicates of my EDC in my checked bag.

Hiding? Yup. For example, the knife goes into the "knee" area of the folded
jeans. Sure, it'll show up on xray, but you likely won't see / feel it if you just
do a quick "unzip and flip" on the bag to see what goodies might be in there.

Can they get my knife? Sure. But I'm betting (hoping) that, if nothing else
causes a genuine red flag on the suit case, it's just easier for them to
look in another bag than spend time trying to find something in mine.

It's no substitute for FedExing your good stuff ahead of you, though. But
I do like walking out of the airport with my EDC in my pockets.

There is an alternative. The rules for checked luggage are different if you have a properly declared handgun in your suitcase. The TSA baggage screeners will check your bag before you leave and it must be locked in transit. The rules relating to firearms in checked baggage require that neither the airline nor TSA have the keys or combination(s) to the locks. The suitcase itself can generally (depends on the specific airline) be softsided as long as the handgun is in a hardcase inside the suitcase.

So if you don't want someone snooping through your bags when you're not there, travel with a (properly declared) firearm in your checked baggage. You can get more info on this topic by checking with your airline, or by going to the TSA web site (TSA Firearms and Ammunition) or by doing some reading on the 'packing.org' web site.

This course of action is not for everyone, but when I travel I always carry a handgun of some sort. I don't go to places where I'm not allowed to protect myself. I may only be able to have it in the Jeep or my hotel room, but that's better than nothing.

Dennis

Gun laws vary waaaay too much for me to try it with a real gun.

I wonder if a replica would work? I mean, the baggage people arent going to make
sure it actually fires before checking it, right? Something that looks and feels real,
but doesn't count as a gun under any law. Then I wouldn't have to worry about
transporting it when I got where I'm going.

Martin is right, working for the TSA is a license to steal ... selectively, of course. It's happened to me, more than once.

But this last trip, out of the country, NOTHING was taken coming or going. The only difference was that in each case was a laminated tag with the words, "All Contents of This Suitcase Were Inventoried and Photographed Prior To Departure."

Of course, it could just be a conincidence ...

I have only traveled with a handgun once. TSA did not go through my bag before I could leave the check in counter. The only other person present when I checked and declared my handgun was the cashier at the ticket counter. The TSA didn't get a chance to look at my bag until after I left.


I don't see how traveling with a handgun keeps the TSA from going through your stuff. They can't get into your pistol case, but they can still go through your bag.


Robert

Maybe I am lucky or just plain wierd, but I have never had anything taken from my checked baggage. I have never heard of any of my friends or family having anything taken either. Both my dad and dad in law are constantly on the go and fly all the time, sometimes wqith tickets at the last minute. They have never had anything taken out of their bags.

I guess we are a lucky family, and I have knocked on my head to luck for my future flying!

Garrett

You can also secure baggage with plastic tie wraps used by electricians. TSA can still snip them and search through bags, but you don't have to go out and purchase approved locks. I use brightly colored wraps which aid in Identifying luggage at baggage claim. It's also a quick indicator if my bag has been searched as they are not likley to have the neon organe or green i use when they replace the tie wraps, which they are required to do.

Same here. Never happened to me or anyone I know either.