10 ms·
Luggage locks are basically only a deterrence against casual crime-of-opportunity thieves or pickpockets. I've found it's much simpler to just use a zip tie on
by lilyball 10y ago
Luggage locks are basically only a deterrence against casual crime-of-opportunity thieves or pickpockets. I've found it's much simpler to just use a zip tie on my zipper. Very easy to put on, easy to take off again once you get to your destination (nail clippers work well), and provides roughly the same security as a TSA lock. And it has the added benefit that you can tell if the TSA opened your suitcase because the zip tie will have been removed (whereas with the lock the TSA can look through your suitcase without leaving any indication).
- arcticfox 10y agoBut TSA won't reziptie it for you, so it seems worse in that respect if you're dealing with shady airports
- dredmorbius 10y agoSome security works by defeating access. Some by evidencing it. Seals and zipties help evidence access, though not perfectly as the many references to ballpoint defeats of zippers on this article show.
- ChuckMcM 10y agoThat's why I always have a highly encrypted flash chip hidden in a false compartment of my checked luggage[1]. Really easy to know if they went through my luggage :-) [1] Not actually true, but I did bring home a set of lock picks from a conference once that had been wrapped as a gift, and they had been unwrapped by "somebody" (and no, there wasn't the TSA leaflet in my bag)
- jlgaddis 10y agoIt serves the purpose of notifying you that TSA went through your luggage, as eridius pointed out.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- slededit 10y agoThey leave a card for you anyways. If it were something more targeted and covert I'm sure they kind find a replacement ziptie. Even if it took extra time they could have temporarily "lost" it.
- cortesoft 10y agoOr they could just use a ballpoint pin to open the zipper, as another commenter on here pointed out.
- riboflava 10y agoSolution: lock + ziptie/other mechanism that lets you know the suitcase was opened.
- arviewer 10y agoThen use both!
- estebank 10y ago> Luggage locks are basically only a deterrence against casual crime-of-opportunity thieves or pickpockets. I've found it's much simpler to just use a zip tie on my zipper. You might want to see this (opening a suitcase with a ball pen): https://youtu.be/9JvmAktLvFg?t=14s https://youtu.be/9JvmAktLvFg?t=14s
- coldtea 10y agoParent doesn't say that zip ties are better than mere "deterrence against casual crime-of-opportunity thieves or pickpockets". In fact he points that a mere nailcutter works fine for removing those too. His main point is just that its not any better to bother with luggage locks and a zip tie can be even simpler.
- chx 10y agoColored zip ties are even better because the TSA won't have those at hand even if they bother. Or use tamper evident stickers to fasten the "tail" of the zip tie to the suitcase (search eBay for numbered, hologram tamper evident seals). This doesn't interfere with TSA but makes any intrusion painfully evident. And the trick where they use a ball pen to open the zippers, if the counterpiece is fastened to the suitcase, it's harder / impossible to close it back.
- hueving 10y agoWhat's the point? Now you know someone opened your bag. What does that help with?
- themartorana 10y agoWhat's the point in knowing the NSA is monitoring everything you say and do? I'd rather know. Ignorance is bliss and all that, but I'd rather know.
- derefr 10y agoI think the question is more—if you start by assuming they've seen in your bag, then what does gaining evidence to become more sure of that hypothesis get you? And, in contrast, what can you do with the information that at least this time, they didn't look?
- themartorana 10y agoBecause, in the end, it's still an invasion. I always assume it will happen, but there's some small comfort in knowing this time it didn't. Especially, as it is, that I find the security theater of the TSA both absurd and to be a gross and unnecessary invasion of privacy. But I am faced with the alternative of simply not traveling, and being forced to choose between the two... well, like I said - to me, anyway, there's some small comfort in knowing this time, at least, some dignity remains. I realize it may be illogical, but emotions often are.
- mannykannot 10y agoThe TSA notified me when they opened my bag a few years ago, with a polite leaflet placed in the bag. I would not have noticed otherwise - the contents appeared undisturbed. I don't know if this is standard or current practice.
- rtpg 10y agoStandard. I've gotten one on basically every int'l flight to/from US I've been on for the past couple of years.
- cmdrfred 10y agoYears ago when I was on a school trip to the Virgin Islands, me and this other kid wrote rather inappropriate but humorous signs on cardboard (we got snowed in at the airport), I later stored them in my checked bag. When I arrived at my destination not only had the TSA guys left a sticker that said they were in there to the outside, but they had stuck stickers to the funniest couple of the signs as well. I understand peoples ire toward them but that single gesture makes it hard for me to hate them.
- grahamburger 10y agoI used to get these all the time when traveling inside the US. Seemed like once or twice a month at least, all domestic flights. I'm guessing it was because I was traveling with some equipment (cameras, binoculars, a drone) but I don't know for sure.
- pyromine 10y agoSimilar to your experience of traveling with specialized equipment, whenever I fly with my skis I find them to have been searched with the handy pamphlet included inside. It's at least pretty good proof that these checks aren't random (which is truly a good thing).
- mannykannot 10y agoI am pretty sure what prompted my search: tire chains.
- kevin_thibedeau 10y agoThe last time my bag was searched they left a note.
- jacalata 10y agoThey definitely leave notes at least some of the time. Can you prove that they leave a note every time?
- labster 10y agoThat would be a waste of time to prove, if it's even possible.
- philovivero 10y agoThat's the point. A lack of a note doesn't mean lack of having had your bags searched, mussed, lightened.
- roel_v 10y agoWhy do you even care? Say you know they searched your luggage. What is it exactly that you will do with that information?
- vocatus_gate 10y agoAnd if they just "forgot" to leave a note?
- egypturnash 10y agoThey leave a leaflet when they look through it. I regularly travel to conventions with a checked suitcase full of merch. I, and most of my vendor friends, have an ever-growing collection of these things. We all seem to just leave them in our bags for next time. I mean, yeah, they don't have to be leaving it, but experience shows that they do.
- NoNotTheDuo 10y agoIf you don't get a pamphlet, that doesn't imply that they didn't look through your bag.
- joshdickson 10y agoThe only way to really be sure is to only travel with carry on luggage and never let it out of your sight. Obviously this is not always feasible, but, I think people do a poor job of packing carry-on luggage and assume they need something huge. You can definitely make due with surprisingly little, and it's easier to get around the airport, etc. If you have something big to bring home, just have it mailed to you.
- ranger207 10y agoAnother way to be sure is to carry a gun: http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/232/how-can-i-protect-camera-equipment-in-checked-baggage http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/232/how-can-i-prot...
- tamana 10y agoThat doesn't prevent tampering, it just prevents official tampering.
- szemet 10y agoZip tie? Only a ballpoint pen is needed, and you will never know someone messed with your luggage. Definitely easier than any lock... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wpIJVWXsBBI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wpIJVWXsBBI
- andyjohnson0 10y agoThanks for posting that. If the case had a simple anchored fabric loop that the lock could be fed through, then this would keep the sliders in a fixed position. It obviously wouldn't stop the case from being opened, but it would stop the zipper from being re-meshed afterwards. I've seen this on a few cases and bags, but it doesn't seem common.
- maccard 10y agoThat's how you end up with all your belongings strewn across the carraige in an airplane
- stephenr 10y ago> I've found it's much simpler to just use a zip tie on my zipper. Personally I find it even simpler to just not live in a country with a bunch of under-educated over-baring dicks at border control. My bags require both keys and a combination to open, if you want to see whats inside you're going to need to tell me about it.
- mbillie1 10y agoYou must be superior to the rest of us in so many other ways as well, it's a shame you won't enlighten us.
- kozak 10y agoOne of the reasons why we use the locks is to prevent the zipper from unzipping accidentally under vibration or rough handling. If they cut the zip tie open, and don't put a new one, the zipper won't have such protection for the second part of the trip. So a simple unsecure TSA lock and a tamper-evident sticker is probably an optimal combination.
- Reason077 10y agoI don't think the TSA are going around opening bags in secret. There's a note that they leave conspicuously inside your bag explaining it was opened for security reasons. When I travel with a large snowboard bag I used to get one of these every single time. Presumably it was too big to fit in the security scanners so they were required to open it.
- Ma8ee 10y agoSomeone has definitely been through my bag when I have been travelling in the US without anyone leaving a note. I can of course not tell if it was TSA or not.
- secfirstmd 10y agoQuite a few people in the internet activist space have confirmed for sure that their bags were covertly checked.
- secfirstmd 10y agoQuite a few people in the internet activist space have confirmed for sure that their bags were covertly checked.
- pavel_lishin 10y ago> I don't think the TSA are going around opening bags in secret. TSA employees looking to steal the contents of the bags might.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- beefsack 10y agoIt's trivial to open luggage with zippers without disturbing the lock, just by jamming a pen directly into the zipper and opening it from there. Your bag could likely be opened without even touching the zip tie.
- drzaiusapelord 10y agoSure but the bags next to his bag have none of that. Why waste time/energy on his?
- hiharryhere 10y agoBut your nail clippers will be inside the suitcase, not your hand luggage. Foiled!
- stronglikedan 10y agoMost (that I've seen) have a hole or ring on the back, so that they can be fastened to a key ring. Some even have a little rubber or plastic cover, so that you don't unintentionally cut yourself. I personally have them in my car, bed, desk, by the couch, etc., because I'm a serial nail clipper (who likes a minimal key ring).