How safe is your Luggage - not that safe

[calypso*a*go-go]

Another reason why so many people try to cram everything they need into carry-on bags.

 

[Van Helsing]

Hey Garyadams don't forget this one as well

Six baggage handlers have pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of pounds worth of belongings from the bags of British Airways passengers. The men, who all worked at Miami International Airport, were arrested after being secretly filmed.

Cameras were installed in aircraft baggage holds by the airline to try and catch staff stealing from luggage.

A British Airways spokesman said the decision to start taping staff sends out a very clear message that it will not tolerate this type of behaviour.

The six baggage handlers pleaded guilty at a court in Miami to stealing from the luggage of the airline's customers.

Over a 10 day period in September and October of last year secret cameras were placed in aircraft baggage holds.

The men were taped ransacking hundreds of bags and stealing everything from lap-top computers to jewellery.

The decision by British Airways to install secret cameras comes after a significant rise in thefts from luggage at destinations around the world.

It has cost the airline and insurance companies millions of pounds each year in claims.

The six men, who work for a baggage handling company in Miami, will be sentenced in April.

 

[Penny12]

Oh good grief, so there are thieves on both sides of the Atlantic, whoopee-do! This <b>isn't a competition</b> you know

I've never packed anything valuable in my luggage unless absolutely unavoidable. No, in a perfect world nothing would ever get stolen or lost or damaged but this isn't a perfect world - never has, never will be...

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I watch them go through my bags. You can usually request this , esp if you have an item to be concerned about. At least I have always been able to.

I collect swords and daggers and if I am bring a dagger home in my checked luggage , I want to make sure that they :

A. Know about it ahead of time so they don't think I have it for criminal intent (not that i could reach it in flight with checked luggage but you never know

and

B. Do not destroy it when they are going through my bags.

I often have no choice but to pack them in my luggage when I am leaving because you obviously can not carry on a dagger to a plane. But I live in MA and MA has some really lame laws about what you can and cannot mail to MA; (you can own them, but you can't mail it...I've actually bought replica historial daggers in shops in MA that had signs next to them saying "cannot be SHIPPED within MA )

That said, many of these daggers are jeweled, or otherwise valuable.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Some things YOU should know before assigning blame...

1) TSA workers are not hired by Airports. The TSA hires the screeners.

2) Many airlines do not have their OWN baggage handlers, it is often contracted out to a ground handling company (this is especially true at medium and small airports).

3)Background investigations are done on all employees working at an airport if they need to be badged for secured areas. Screeners and baggage handlers are included in this category. Fingerprints are sent to the FBI, in addition to other checks that take place. Sometimes you just don't know if you have a bad apple even after going through the investigation process.