TSA lugage Lock

wondercollie

I live in Canada and have experienced the joys of the TSA first hand.

Each lock that is TSA approved has a number on it. The number corresponds to the key size they use.

The last time my case was opened was when I had canned jam in it. It's the can that upsets them. That time I found the "calling card" tucked into my bra cup in the middle of my case. Most violating feeling ever.

An American friend that is a lawiyer travelled with me on the return trip and made a point of finding a TSA supervisor and submitting a complaint about my search. Scared the hell out of the TSA guy, my case hasn't been searched since but I never did hear back about the complaint.

shinhead

wow know we are going to Thailand and was concerned about bods putting drugs in our cases after we give them to thai air and was considering getting tsa locks but after reading this thread i not so sure

jeanniebeanie_2

Out of more than a dozen trips to Florida, my case has been checked and the calling card left twice. No food, nothing missing from case just a yellow slip on top of contents. No one else's case from our party has been searched. I don't bother with locks.

claire16c

I tend to use cables ties.

When you leave the US they often ask are your bags locked. If they are they will ask you to unlock them - unless you have a tsa lock on them. So dont put a normal lock on them. Sometimes depending on the airport you can wait and watch them get scanned and them ask to put a cable tie or tsa on them after, Ive done that before.

I dont put anything valuable in my bags, but Ive heard of all kinds of things being nicked before, so I figure a cable tie is better than nothing if someone is looking for a quick opportunity.

claire16c

shinhead wrote: »

wow know we are going to Thailand and was concerned about bods putting drugs in our cases after we give them to thai air and was considering getting tsa locks but after reading this thread i not so sure

Since Thailand is not in the USA why would you use TSA locks?

photome

Logic tells me not to bother locking them at all but I do and I use cable ties

anotherginger

ferf1223 wrote: »

the only bag TSA ever opens with us is the case of American food...I suppose the Kraft mac and cheese rattles around suspiciously, or the Coffeemate French Vanilla Creamer is supected cocaine or something? Every time we get home there's a TSA notice inside it, never the others...we find it amusing, that the bag with the food always arouses suspicion.

It's because there are restrictions on the types of food you can transport between countries and they need to check whether the food that you have is approved or not. If you had any banned foods they would be seized.

jackieblack

claire16c wrote: »

When you leave the US they often ask are your bags locked. If they are they will ask you to unlock them

We've never been asked this :huh:

jeanniebeanie_2

Neither have we.

littlereddevil

You don't have to leave your bags unlocked if you have the appropriate lock.
Before the days of TSA my oh was called on the tannoy to come and unlock his case.
He was told to wait in the business class lounge while they searched his case.
He enjoyed that.
There was nothing untoward in his case so he had no worries. Everything was intact.