I feel so violated!!!!

[ReneeT]

I know this is only tangentially cd related, but i have to shout this from the highest rooftop! I flew back from Melbourne, Fla last night, en femme of course. When i got home and unpacked, my jewelry case was open and everything tossed about. My watch, a simple ring, and one diamond stud were missing. I absolutely packed them all together in my jewelry case. Inam sooooo pissed off. I wonder what happened to them! They were there when i lef them with TSA and not there at the other end-hmmmmmm. This is the SECOND time this year - i had $200 pair of Beats headphones lifted on the way back from Seattle.

What does TSA stand for -"To Steal All"? They tell us that we have to be patient and suck up all this random Bs that now goes along with flying and then they rob us blind??? I am so f@&$ing mad! I know it is he said she said, but dammit, i am not stupid!

I do feel a bit better- thanks for letti g me rant. Now to start the complaint process

Someone on the forum says "put on some makeup -you'll feel better". I'm going to try that now!

[Raychel]

I feel your pain. I have had similar issues with TSA. Are they protecting or violating.

Well if it were up to me they will all be out of jobs, No more flying for me, I will drive. Pack what I want, Dress how I want and and they can all just harrass someone else.

[Staci G]

It is a license to steal or so they think. I think it is rediculous, if they start getting enough complaints and a law suit is files they will change but that wont get your diamond back.

[Cynthia Anne]

That is so sad Renee! I once had a radio lifted from my pickup! So when I got a new one I lined it with razor blades! About six months later my pickup was broken into again! But the radio was still there! Along with blood all over my carpet! Hugs!

[Noceedee]

I am curious why everyone thinks it is the TSA that did this. My guess is it was the airline baggage handlers that took the bags after the TSA. I wish I could still put locks on my bags.

[TxKimberly]

I fly a LOT for a living and always get those slips inside my luggage saying that The TSA has inspected it. It used ti irritate me a lot just on principles but these days I dont even notice. I had thought that maybe I could save the TSA some money by giving them back their stupid little slips so that they can reuse them, I often arrive with my tools and repair parts scattered and damaged instead of carefully stowed away where I put them, but I dont recall ever having anything stolen. I think that historically baggage handlers have been responsible for a great deal of theft, but I dont know that the TSA has ever been caught stealing anything.

[Starr]

A washington post article from May 20, 2011 says there have been 23 TSA agents fired since 2007 for stealing. That is not a very large number considering how many TSA agents there are working, but also you have to think some have gotten away with stealing from passenagers.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/23-tsa-agents-039removed-or-fired039-stealing-passengers-2007

[ReneeT]

It is certainly possible that it was baggage handlers, but TSA knows what is in the bags based on the xrays. I read not long ago about an organized tsa ring where the xray screener flagged the bags based on what he or she saw and then someone else pilferred the bag

[Sara Jessica]

I'm with the others who say it is more likely to be the baggage handlers but still, TSA increased involvement in our stuff only adds another layer of opportunity.

I would start carrying jewelry in your carry-on bag. I'd think clothes & shoes are less likely to be stolen. Brighton makes a neat travel jewelry box that I can fit a weeks worth of jewelry options into. Just a thought.

[suchacutie]

Just to make sure everyone knows, you CAN still lock your bags. There are TSA approved combination locks that the TSA agents can open. I have been flying with these locks for a few years now and have never had a thing missing from my bags. In fact, since I've been using the TSA approved locks, they almost never open my bags. I haven't seen one of those TSA notices in my luggage in 3 years.

tina

P.S. or maybe they don't open my bags when they detect my breast forms! I'm sitting here chuckling to myself :)

[ReneeT]

Sara, i agree with you. I actually have a really nice Coach jewelry case that will fit in my carry on. I was trying to save weight in it this trip - big mistake!

I guess the hipocrassy of it ticks me off. They want to be viewed and treated as law enforcement professionals but a small minority with a high impact are simple thieves. A critical differentiator of a profession from a job is self-policing of its members. The majority of TSA workers ought to come down hard on their wayward bretheren. I can only imagine what thi gs will be like when they unionize (i suspect this will be an incendiary comment!)

[Michelle.M]

You make a good case for not checking luggage, or when you need more than a carry on to ship the bags ahead. Thanks for the reminder!

[MAJESTYK]

Funny how I have to have to go through a background check to get a TSA badge to work on the ramp here and it sometimes seems as if THEY are the ones who should be more thoroughly checked.

[Nicole Erin]

you can't really have anything without some son of a bitch trying to steal it.

[Stephanie47]

Flying out of JFK my entire coin collection was stolen by United Airlines baggage handlers. That was an era when I thought nobody stole anything from anybody. Since then I will carry on anything that is not clothing.

[Loveday]

It could be worse. There was a small story on the news here how someones luggage was lost but found after two weeks. Not only were items stolen, but then someone relieved themselves in the luggage case. This is getting way out of hand.

[StarrOfDelite]

That means they've caught twenty-three TSA agents stealing. Probably ten who are still in the pilfering business for every one that was dismissed.

[Leslie Langford]

I know this is only tangentially cd related, but i have to shout this from the highest rooftop! I flew back from Melbourne, Fla last night, en femme of course. When i got home and unpacked, my jewelry case was open and everything tossed about. My watch, a simple ring, and one diamond stud were missing. I absolutely packed them all together in my jewelry case. Inam sooooo pissed off. I wonder what happened to them! They were there when i lef them with TSA and not there at the other end-hmmmmmm. This is the SECOND time this year - i had $200 pair of Beats headphones lifted on the way back from Seattle.

What does TSA stand for -"To Steal All"? They tell us that we have to be patient and suck up all this random Bs that now goes along with flying and then they rob us blind??? I am so f@&$ing mad! I know it is he said she said, but dammit, i am not stupid!

I do feel a bit better- thanks for letti g me rant. Now to start the complaint process

Someone on the forum says "put on some makeup -you'll feel better". I'm going to try that now!

I feel for you, Renee, but maybe one solution would be to bundle your valuables among your dirty clothes and soiled underwear and socks when putting them back in your luggage to at least keep the more squeamish pilferers at bay. ;) :heehee::eek:

Yes, I know it might sound a bit gross, but a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do...

[PretzelGirl]

Unfortunately, there will be people in any area (TSA, baggage handlers) that give a bad name to the rest. I am with Tina. Get the TSA approved locks. At the very least you will minimize the access to your belongings. Subjective memory possibly, but it seems that once I started traveling with the locks on my suitcases, I had less TSA slips in them. And I always had a small toolbag in my suitcase, so I would think that would be a flag. I would also look into filing a claim or complaint. There has to be some level of accountability. Of course they probably would want your baggage tag number that most people probably rip off the luggage and throw away.

[Eryn]

Hmm, Locks that only the TSA can open? Right. I wonder how many hours it took before "TSA keys" became available for any enterprising crook to buy? Luggage handlers have always been tempted to pilfer items from bags, but simply being found with an open bag cast suspicion on a handler. Now we have inspectors, paid $13.00 per hour, whose are authorized to root through our luggage in private where there is little chance of detection. Is it any surprise that the TSA has created a smörgåsbord for thieves?

A lot of people are simply shipping their luggage ahead via UPS or FedEx. Much less chance of loss or theft via that route.

[divamissz]

I use TSA-approved locks on my bags. I know that all they will so is slow a thief down; I imagine those keys are not that hard to get. Never pack anything valuable in your bags-put it in your carry on. The best way to avoid the issue is to ship your bags, but that's got its own risks.

[Princess29]

I work for the equivalent of the TSA in australia and deal with passenger screening for international flights, not with checked baggage. If you put your valuable items in your carry on bag, that's fine but keep in mind that if you have a lot of jewellery, people such as myself may have to search your bag if its too dense for our xrays to see through.
When I've travelled in america, I've used the TSA approved locks to lock my checked baggage while flying with no issues.

[eluuzion]

Hey, being a thief is a thankless job with no health benefits (aside from stolen drugs) and no security.

Wasn't that the whole idea behind Georgie Porgie's little dittie...

"Give up a little jewel-ree,
So thieves gain a little financial security"

I may not have his words quite right,
But the meaning is still the same, none-the-less.

I always do a Fed-EX pack to the front desk of my hotel or to the address of my destination.It is not that I do not trust TSA and baggage handlers...I just do not happen to trust them. :D

Ground Control to Major Tom...
"Every woman for herself"
You are now responsible for all of your own security and privacy issues. Please make sure your seat belt is locked securely around your waste...and all tray tables and seatbacks are locked in their fully upright positions. Thank you for flying Naive' Airlines...This is your Captain speaking. Your flight attendants today are Twiddle and Dee. The handlers stealing your valuables on this flight will be Hal and Bubba...


:love:

[kellycan27]

And that is exactly what happens. i was an airlines revervation agent, and those TSA guys were constantly getting busted for stealing from passenger luggage. ALL and I mean ALL checked baggage gets screened now, and anything that looks half way suspisious i checked out. They can open any bag, and they steal a lot of stuff. Baggage handlers are watched via video. TSA has way more easy access than the handlers. I saw way more TSA people get busted than the guys who load the bags.

[Mary Morgan]

It is amazing to me the things we all put up with in the name of so-called security and safety. I suggest that the baggage and TSA folks be put under the same bright light as the passengers, like maybe requiring them to empty their pockets at the end of the day, or having cameras monitoring their behavior. It only take a few bad ones, but no one should accept this behavior as reasonable.

[Kate Simmons]

As the old axion states: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[Kendra Sue]

I feel for ya honey. I understand the need for security but there has got to be restictions

[Schatten Lupus]

I think it's time for a movement in which we the people, have decided that TSA stands for "Those Shit-eating Assholes."

[TxKimberly]

It is amazing to me the things we all put up with in the name of so-called security and safety. . . .

I couldn't agree more! I make my living flying all over the country, so I doubt that very many people are at greater risk than I am, but I've had it. Things have gone too far and I would prefer a little more risk to my flights than to give up all of my freedoms and privacy.
I understand that once again the Texas legislature is considering a bill that would make the TSA frisking against the law in Texas. The TSA has threatened to stop all flights out of Texas if it passes. I think it will take something like this to put the brakes on this horse shit though. It will take something like the great State of Texas standing up to the feds and saying "This is enough damn it!" I have my fingers crossed that the bill will pass but I doubt it . . .

[Babette]

Yes, I know how your feel Renee. My wife had it happen to her a few years ago. We were a little pinched for time once while preparing to fly back into the US. A the last minute, she stuffed a small bag of cosmetic jewelry into her checked bag. It had a couple of more valuable rings buried in with the other things. When we arrived home, the suitcase had clearly been searched and with the contents of the bag dumped into the bottom. The only things missing were the rings. The thief knew how to pick out the more valuable things.

This would have never happened if we had followed the airline's instructions for packing checked baggage. They clearly advised to put valuables like jewelry, money, cameras and such into carry-on bags. I cannot hold the TSA, Customs, the airline company, or any other organization responsible. This was the act of a thief or thieves that were acting outside the policies of their employer.

I still fly and often take very expensive photographic equipment. These things are always inside my carry-on bags. When the airlines crack down on carry-on weight, I may fore go flying and just drive.

Maybe it is time to bring back Hammurabi's Code for handling people with sticky fingers.

Babette

[Randy]

I think that it was Ben Franklin who said that: "Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

[Eryn]

The topic of TSA incompetence and malfeasance is even addressed in Tom Clancy's latest technothriller, Against All Enemies:

...The Department of Homeland Security, despite all the budget increases and measurable improvements, had failed the nation. TSA screeners were more adept at discovering transvestites and breast implants than would-be terrorists...

Funny how Clancy mentions us specifically. D'ya think.... :)

[Schatten Lupus]

I think that it was Ben Franklin who said that: "Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."
Yup. And it's a shame his words were not heeded.

[Leslie Langford]

I couldn't agree more! I make my living flying all over the country, so I doubt that very many people are at greater risk than I am, but I've had it. Things have gone too far and I would prefer a little more risk to my flights than to give up all of my freedoms and privacy.
I understand that once again the Texas legislature is considering a bill that would make the TSA frisking against the law in Texas. The TSA has threatened to stop all flights out of Texas if it passes. I think it will take something like this to put the brakes on this horse shit though. It will take something like the great State of Texas standing up to the feds and saying "This is enough damn it!" I have my fingers crossed that the bill will pass but I doubt it . . .

Yep, you Texans do have your independent streak, and if any U.S. state were to stare down the Feds on an issue to see who is going to blink first, my money would be on them, too. That's a tradition that goes all the way back to that heroic fight to the last man at the Alamo.

Too bad that some of that zeal and mistrust of Federal government policies not considered to be in Texas' best interests also led to the assassination of a very popular and highly regarded U.S. President in Dallas back in the turbulent '60's...:sad:

[suit]

here is a nutty right wing rant;


I do not see why archie bunker was not right ...hand out guns to every able bodied person on the plain..every one should be required to fly with a gun, the fully loaded clip can be removed but not stored in a different pocket
if you dont like it ..dont fly

then no security people at all, sort of like texas every one is armed and polite.
just power washers and patches for the holes
you luggage should get a sticker with the handlers name and address and pictuer on it if they touched it.

[docrobbysherry]

Your thread SCARED me before I read it all, Renee! I thot u were going to say someone pilfered your BREAST FORMS or something like that!

I'm with Sara! I ALWAYS put my valuables in my carry on! Except my Femskin! But, so far so good! Knock on wood!

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Renee, Been there and had it happen to me a $300.00 camera flash attachment
didn't make it from Las Vegas to Baltimore two years ago.
It sucks but what can you do??

Orchid

[TxKimberly]

. . . Too bad that some of that zeal and mistrust of Federal government policies not considered to be in Texas' best interests also led to the assassination of a very popular and highly regarded U.S. President in Dallas back in the turbulent '60's...:sad:

Yeah, not one of the proudest moments for Texas. Of course in defense of Texas, the fact that he was shot here had nothing to do with the governments policies as regards Texas and everything to do with a lunatic (and quite possibly a spy) that just chose to assassinate the president here.

[Annaliese2010]

I wonder if theres secure luggage available anywhere...you know...locks that are tamper proof - where maybe the only way to steal something is to cut through the suitcase? Idk... Sorry for your loss Renee...sure dont blame you for being angry!

[TxKimberly]

I wonder if theres secure luggage available anywhere...you know...locks that are tamper proof - where maybe the only way to steal something is to cut through the suitcase? Idk... Sorry for your loss Renee...sure dont blame you for being angry!

Wanna make a fortune? Invent a bag that can take video of it's contents and anyone getting in to it, and send that video over the WWW. If the bag is clearly marked making it very clear that it has this ability, no would try to steal out of it.
Hold on, I'll be right back - gotta make a trip to the patent office . . .

[t-girlxsophie]

And did putting Make-Up on make you feel any better?

Sophie

[Loni]

the tsa is way too busy molesting kids and old lady's but they have been known to keep things for future investigations.

best way to keep your things safe and know they will arrive and not get on the "wrong plane" is to ups them to your self. including dirty clothing back home. and now that the airlines are charging per bag it is cheaper to ups then have on the plane with you.
plus no need to lug all that around with you to the airport and out again. just make sure the hotel will accept the ups for you.

.

[Annaliese2010]

Wanna make a fortune? Invent a bag that can take video of it's contents and anyone getting in to it, and send that video over the WWW. If the bag is clearly marked making it very clear that it has this ability, no would try to steal out of it.
Hold on, I'll be right back - gotta make a trip to the patent office . . .Brilliant idea Kimberly...very creative use of available technology. I'd love to partner with you. We could have a central monitoring offices with a bank of computers to intercept the wireless signals when your device is tripped to then notify local authorities. I presume the our theft intervention offices would be humming, so prevalent is this annoying and not so petty crime when you consider the entire country. And of course start a new line of luggage, various options from basic to designer. Hmm...I think we're on out way to becoming millionaires girl! ;)

[suit]

how about a electric horn that screeshes when the bag is opened with you not around? I mean really really screaches!

[Becca13]

Sorry girls but I have to say, This is why I only fly, MAC Air, aka AMC, aka military Space A. It's the best kept secret in the military, There are probably more people that know what is or isn't at area 51 then use Space A.

Pros, NO TSA, I have an entire fleet of jets available to me, they fly world wide, my checked baggage is with in eye sight, at least one if not all the flight crew are armed (no hijackers), Lots of leg room, almost always non-stop (in flight refueling is an option), It's free! Unless you want an in-flight meal ($2-$4)

Cons, Its Space Available (hurry up and wait), No in flight movie. There's a reason the in-flight meals are called Boxed Nasties.

Yes I've been bumped, but on my last flight, non-stop from SC to AK, I was the only passanger, I had the whole jet to my self except the flight crew.

I'm not bragging, I earned it, if there are other sister vets on here, and you're not using it, why not? BTW did I mention its free?

Cheers

Becca

[ReneeT]

Well, i clearly tapped into a common angst! I have enjoyed reading the responses to this thread than most others!

Becca, can you fly en femme AMC? If so, sign me up!

Sophie, yes ,putting on my makeup DEFINATELY helped!

Doc, to have stolen my forms they would havehad to pluck them off my chest!

I think Kimberly really hit onsomething. It will take the states to stand up to the feds to put anendto this, and all the other crap that Washington crams down our throats. No, i am not a radical conspiracy theorist, but rather someone who knows that we are not a democracy but a republic and what the tenth ammendment to the Constitution says

[DonnaT]

Put a note on top of the clothing, "Smile, you're on hidden camera!"

[Loni]

I couldn't agree more! I make my living flying all over the country, so I doubt that very many people are at greater risk than I am, but I've had it. Things have gone too far and I would prefer a little more risk to my flights than to give up all of my freedoms and privacy.
I understand that once again the Texas legislature is considering a bill that would make the TSA frisking against the law in Texas. The TSA has threatened to stop all flights out of Texas if it passes. I think it will take something like this to put the brakes on this horse shit though. It will take something like the great State of Texas standing up to the feds and saying "This is enough damn it!" I have my fingers crossed that the bill will pass but I doubt it . . .

montana has beat down the batf&e and had them removed and keeps them out of there state. so there is a good fight going on to return the feds to the use of the right law.

[Becca13]

Renee

That's a good question, I'm not out so it's not an issue for me. With the change from DADT to open service, combined with the fear of offending anyone, I'll ask. I'm scheduled to fly out tomorrow, AK to WA, and the return trip might include a detour through CA, when I get back I'll give you a "post mission briefing".

Cheers

[SometimesDiana]

I've had two unpleasant experiences with TSA, which is a lot when you consider how rarely I fly. I wouldn't mind if I felt they were doing an effective job. However, TSA failed to find and remove a pocket knife from my carry-on... a GIANT Leatherman to be exact. If they can't find a weopon that is accidentally brought aboard, what are the chances of finding one that is carefully hidden? I believe the detection failure rate is on the order of 50% and I imagine it's much higher for intentionally hidden objects. If TSA cannot effectively screen passengers and luggage, then what is the justification for the cost ($8 Billion), hassles and delays?

Obviously, it's important to take some security measures, but I think it's important to weigh the costs and benefits. I'm not convinced we're at an optimal mix.

[UNDERDRESSER]

That is so sad Renee! I once had a radio lifted from my pickup! So when I got a new one I lined it with razor blades! About six months later my pickup was broken into again! But the radio was still there! Along with blood all over my carpet! Hugs!This is nasty, and evil, and i love it! I once had some knock off the cat door, reaching in to see if there was a key left in the lock. I took to hanging a rat trap off the inside handle, one of those BIG suckers that can break a finger.
Just to make sure everyone knows, you CAN still lock your bags. There are TSA approved combination locks that the TSA agents can open. I have been flying with these locks for a few years now and have never had a thing missing from my bags. In fact, since I've been using the TSA approved locks, they almost never open my bags. I haven't seen one of those TSA notices in my luggage in 3 years.

tina
Good point, but of course that reduces your security margin against other would be theives. I heard a funny story about TSA cutting off an approved lock, so the people involved made the return trip with their stuff in an ammo case, with a SERIOUS padlock. When they eventually got it back, it was gouged to hell and gone, but still sealed!

Most of what goes on under the auspices of the TSA is pure security theater. If they were serious about it, they would follow the Israeli method. ( The Israelis think the US system is insane. ) Osama is dead now, but you better believe he went happy, he succeeded in his aim of sending the USA into it's own home made hell. And I'm not just talking about the TSA, they used 9/11 to ram through a bunch of laws that have stripped away most of what made America great.

I've visited the States, and enjoyed it. but I'm not crossing the border again until some sanity reappears, which probably means never.

[Alice Torn]

I am sure most TSA agents are ik, but you should here what Alex Jones says about them! prisonplanet.com, or infowars.com. None dare call it conspiracy. The continual eroding of our rights, and freedoms, by big government, big business, big bankers.

[SamathaCD]

I was told a story about a friend of a friend, so please take this with a grain of salt. This person was a photographer and had lost some valuable equipment to baggage theft, just like above. His solution? He put all his valuables into one bag, and on top, he put an unloaded starter pistol. He would declare it when checking in, and his bag would get put into a special, controlled area, apart from other baggage. Since it was unloaded and he never flew with ammo, it was perfectly legal. Remember, this is checked, not carry-on luggage.

[girlygirly]

I don't even check luggage anymore. If I can't carry it on, it doesn't go with me on the plane. I flew out to California for two weeks this spring and sent all my luggage out on FedEx the day before I left. It wasn't much more expensive than paying baggage handling fees, and seemed like a whole lot less hassle..

[Yolanda_Voils]

That makes me so angry, grrr.

Anyone who steals should suffer the punishment granted in Singapore, Caning !!

I posted a small .Gif motion pic of someone getting caned, my bad it was a "bondage" type pic, sorry mods and all..

Sorry for your troubles Renee, hopefully they'll be the last..

[SusanLaine]

I agree that TSA is not doing us any service and that the airlines routinely mistreat passengers. IMHO, anyone who packs any valuables into a case and then checks it as baggage on an airline just isn't being pragmatic. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be able to do this - I'm saying that theft from checked luggage has been going on for decades and the airlines themselves used to warn passengers not to pack any valuables into their luggage. Valuables should only be carried-on where you have far more explicit control over them.

Of course, I'ver seen plenty of passengers forget valuables (most often laptops) at the end of the security lines and just walk off and I even almost did this once myself. :-)

If I have to travel with too much to carry-on I just Fedex it to my destination hotel a few days early - it actually makes flying a lot less of a PITA.

[Erika_bagels]

I loathe the TSA and refuse to fly, lest they molest my month-old son.

[DameErrant]

I fly a LOT for a living and always get those slips inside my luggage saying that The TSA has inspected it. It used ti irritate me a lot just on principles but these days I dont even notice. I had thought that maybe I could save the TSA some money by giving them back their stupid little slips so that they can reuse them, I often arrive with my tools and repair parts scattered and damaged instead of carefully stowed away where I put them, but I dont recall ever having anything stolen. I think that historically baggage handlers have been responsible for a great deal of theft, but I dont know that the TSA has ever been caught stealing anything.

Do you fly through NYC? The FBI says that the Mob controls the Baggage Handlers Union and in their heyday about 1 in 5 bags got pilfered or stolen outright! It may not be as bad elsewhere, but if the TSA is unionized, it's only a matter of time till the Union is on the pad, it gets bad everywhere.

[Stacey Summer]

This sort of crap has been going on for decades. When I was 5 I went to Florida with my family, on the way back, either in the U.S or the UK my dads camera was stolen from our luggage, had most of our holiday pics in it =(

On an even sadder note, this was almost 23 years ago =O Gawd I'm getting old, lol.

[ashlylynn]

Two words:

Baggage Locks.

Jewelery can be put in a locking bank deposit bag
and some of them have a grommet through which
you can put another lock and chain it into the
garment straps sewn inside most modern baggage.

[donnatracey]

I loathe the TSA and refuse to fly, lest they molest my month-old son.

???? Please explain........:doh::doh: