Those ignorant bastards have done it again. I seldom get upset but yesterday I got “uncorked” about some stupid checking by TSA.
I was flying home from “a land far far away” the past two days. On Tuesday I made 3 flights and ended up in Boston for the night. When I started they had just checked my luggage to Boston as I knew I would have to overnight and the last time through there was not one there to “recheck” the luggage anyway. I picked up my bags, called the hotel, got there and checked in and caught a few hours (about 5) sleep. At 4 AM (Boston time) I get up and go back to the airport and check in – again. This time I decided to check two bags and just carry my backpack to the final destination. Cutting my load for the airlines load. On my roller bag I had a “TSA” approved lock with all the proper markings on it so they could open it for checking purposes.
When I get to the final point and wait to pick up my bags, the big one comes off first – no problem as it was only locked with a cable tie and some duct tape. Although it is a large “trunk’ style and almost always gets checked going over it did not get checked this time? I waited and waited and at the very end of the bags coming off, my small roller bag that had the TSA approved lock on it came off.
Strange it had a cable tie on it and on further examination it looked like this:
The cable tie is not holding the two zipper pieces together – but is holding on one of the zipper tabs? Note that the AA tag that appears to be orange, is a tag to identify the bag PRIORITY – due to my Frequent flier status it only applies if you at an elevated level or if you fly first class. Due to my upgrades I had first class from Boston home. Ok, that does not preclude the checks that TSA can make but they know as well as anyone else the status of the bag with that extra marker.
I looked a little closer and the tab had been cut off the other zipper catch and the lock was ???? inside on this:
Next I pull the tape to see this:
Ok, so if you pay double to get an approved TSA lock and it is marked so they can open it with their special keys, then why the hell did they have to cut it off? Next on my list of rants, why in HELL did they have to cut off the zipper tab in the process and then have the BALLS to cable tie it back on and not re-lock the back with the cable tie?
Unlike the airline baggage people, I doubt arguing with TSA will do much good. At least if I had been able to argue with American they would have listened and it would have given me some relief , but you can’t even find TSA people to argue with once your out waiting on the bag…
I have said it before, I hate travel. – WD0AJG