Update on TSA stealing stuff (on TV!!)

[RachelEllen]

Hi folks,


Thanks to everyone with helpful suggestions a few weeks back with our TSA dilemma. ($700 worth of stuff stolen out of luggage with no recourse). The story we brought to the attention of fox news will be on TV tonight at 10pm on Boston's fox for anyone with ability/interest to watch. I have no idea how silly we will be made to look!


Rachel

p.s. They just filmed my husband, since he was the one with the stuff stolen.

 

[Claudia1]

Wow! I just did a search and read your posts. What a nightmare!

Personally, our checked baggage keeps getting bigger and bigger. With a family of 5 (one is an infant), we must have certain personal items available. With cameras, wallets, etc...., it is getting ridiculous.

When the TSA was forming, I feared that items would get stolen and problems like this would happen. With nobody responsible, it is an invasion of my personal freedom. Even the police have strict guidelines for inspecting my property!

Please let us know how the TV report goes. I really hope that this is not the end and that it goes further. I have no problems with the TSA checking our baggage. I have major issues with no accountability.

I agree with the posters on you original thread..... contact anybody and everybody.

 

[zulaya]

I really hope that this gets a nationwide broadcast on all other FOX affiliates so that the whole country can see what's really going on.

 

[mom_rules]

Can you post the link to the
original thread please.
I would love to read it.
This is awful.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I've read about this before ... the article I read had an interview with a baggage handler who talked about how things got stolen. He said that many of the handlers knew which luggage pieces to target and says they would specifically target the luggage from passengers of certain airlines. ... I wish I could remember where I read it..

It makes me nervous since you're not suppose to lock your checked luggage anymore. I guess we'll just have to put the imporant stuff into the carry on.

 

[RachelEllen]

I think this should get you to the original thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=310116


The funny thing, I just got back from work and heard the promos in the car. They're all about carry-on bags. During our interview, my husband gave the reporters the name of a friend of ours (Elizabeth) out in CA who had stuff stolen from carry-on luggage at Logan.

She noticed that some bracelets she had to take off and put in one of the bins at the checkpoint were not on her arm. She returned to the checkpoint about 45 seconds after walking away and they were gone. I guess there's no way to know if another passenger took them or if the security folks did. That's about all I know.

Anyhow, the folks from FOX interviewed her. Now it seems that the whole story is about carry-on bags! I don't know if us (or TSA) will be mentioned at all. I'm going to contact the lady we talked to at fox to see if they are doing a different story on TSA or if they just decided to cover carry-on screening.

Rachel

 

[NotUrsula]

What I don't get is how an airline can claim that they no longer have any responsibility for pilferage.

TSA runs the inspection process on the way down to the bag rooms, but the bags have to be turned over to the airlines to be directed to the right aircraft and loaded. From there baggage is in the custody of the airlines until it lands on the carousel at the destination. As far as I know, TSA does not normally get their hands on bags that are coming *off* an aircraft, only those headed onto one. Maybe TSA would be called over if a ramp agent noticed something strange about an offloaded bag, but I'm betting that doesn't happen too often.

Ramp agents still work for the airlines. It is entirely possible that the person who lifted the equipment was a ramp agent, not TSA personnel. When loose in a bag, camera equipment tends to have a kind of distinctive sound if it clunks together; I don't thing it would be hard to recognize if you were looking for it.

I don't know whether or not you could really force an airline to be responsible for items listed on a disclaimer, but they DO still have general responsibility for making sure that their own employees do not pilfer from passenger baggage.

 

[Ted and Holly]

I'm sure you can read more or see a video clip after it is aired tonight if you don't get this channel locally.

www.fox25.com

As a sidenote, I worked with a girl whose father is in charge of a certain airline's ground operations at Logan. She told me her father has to fire people on a WEEKLY basis for stealing from checked luggage. This was BEFORE TSA took over.... I can't see how its any better. Now the TSA as WELL as the airlines have access to your luggage when its out of your sight!


Holly

 

[Ted and Holly]

We just watched it. Was that your DH? I think Fox did a good job with the story. Your DH was well spoken. The story didn't really come to any conclusion, however. Makes me want to not bring anything with me!

Ted

 

[RachelEllen]

Yeah, that was him. He's cute, eh?

I thought the story was pretty good. They did leave out a few details. I talked to that George Naccara guy personally. Before FOX was involved, they refused to investiage. They refused to review the video tapes he was saying made everything 'so secure' They refused to even file a claim. (No wonder they have so few claims pending!). They also didn't air the details that all the things stolen from the suitcase were in different areas and pockets of the suitcase and everything else was neatly replaced. I.E., someone had to take a fair amount of time to unlock, go through, and relock the suitcase.

The really funny party is that they guy who looks like he's doing the interviewing isn't! They have another lady ask all the questions. They film my husband. Then they put the camera on that anchor guy, and he reads back all the questions she asked! It was edited together to make it look like he was asking them.

Thanks for everyone's support. I hope this gets some pressure on the airlines/TSA to clean up their act.

Rachel

 

[RachelEllen]

Originally posted by Ted and Holly

As a sidenote, I worked with a girl whose father is in charge of a certain airline's ground operations at Logan. She told me her father has to fire people on a WEEKLY basis for stealing from checked luggage. This was BEFORE TSA took over.... I can't see how its any better. Now the TSA as WELL as the airlines have access to your luggage when its out of your sight!


Holly

Actually, it gets worse. Now, they have the ability to sreen and see what's valuble in your luggage. And, people are supposed to be rummaging through luggage, so you don't have to be sneaky at all to be opening suitcases.

Rachel

 

[goofy4tink]

Since I fell asleep before it came on and then woke up and it was over....did they focus on carry-on or checked luggage? We carry anything we value in our carry-on. Who would want my clothes?? So, if the carry-on stuff is being ripped off, how does this happen? I haven't flown in a year so I'm sure it has changed because of security issues. Looks like I could become one of those people that drive me crazy....the ones that have only carry-on luggage and take forever to get settled in the plane, after taking all the space for their almost too big bags!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> The really funny party is that they guy who looks like he's doing the interviewing isn't! They have another lady ask all the questions. They film my husband. Then they put the camera on that anchor guy, and he reads back all the questions she asked! It was edited together to make it look like he was asking them...

It wasn't until 1997 when I did one of the (now discontinued) Disney Institute courses (Video Editing) that I realized that TV news stories and 60 Minutes kind of stories are put together this way. So whenever I watch them I have to ask myself how much they twisted the truth.

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[RachelEllen]

Originally posted by goofy4tink
Since I fell asleep before it came on and then woke up and it was over....did they focus on carry-on or checked luggage? We carry anything we value in our carry-on. Who would want my clothes?? So, if the carry-on stuff is being ripped off, how does this happen?

They did a little of both. The bulk of the story was a TSA 'whistleblower' from Logan talking about how stuff is stolen from carryons, George Naccara (head of security at Logan) talking about how there is no problem, and my husband discussing how much of his stuff was stolen.

The whistleblower guy described a method based on the safety gloves the people handchecking luggage use. Basically, their hands are out of view and they palm small items like cash and jewelry and then slip it inside the glove while their hands are out of view.

Rachel

 

[mom_rules]

Okay, so what are you supposed to do?

They tell you in order to get through the scanners, put your-I change and jewellery etc into your carryon until you clear
security- I guess your only other option is to leave everything
at home and just carry plastic.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Originally posted by Claudia1
Even the police have strict guidelines for inspecting my property!

Not in an airport setting. Notice on the doors when you enter the airport it is stated "All bags are subject to search."

 

[bunnyfoo]

I was wondering about that too mom_rules ... I'm thinking there isn't too much you can do... I guess the best thing to do is to put all your valuables into your carry-on or your purse ... but even then you have to be careful because there are pick-pockets and people who will try to grab your stuff after your items clear the x-ray machine (pointed out to me by a co-worker)...

 

[NotUrsula]

I have a carryon with an accordion pocket on the outside, and I keep one of those plastic pencil envelopes in it, the sort with the plastic ziploc seal. I take it out in the security line and we dump the contents of our pockets into it, then close it & put it into the carryon pocket.

When they unzip the pocket, all that stuff is there in that clear pouch, perfectly visible for inspection. However, they would not be able to open and shut it too quickly with rubber gloves on, as their fingers would not glide over the zipseal. The outside of the pouch is marked with my name and cell phone number; if they took the whole thing I'd notice it was missing immediately. (Unlike a regular ziploc, this is stiff plastic that won't squish well. That's deliberate on my part, as I don't want to forget it is there.)

Also, when travelling with more than one adult, we always split up at security, and one of us goes through the line without any bags first. The other person stays a few people back; I don't go through until DH clears, for instance. That way, the first one through can retrieve the bags as soon as they clear. When travelling alone, I won't put my stuff down until the person ahead of me is clear of the detector; I don't care how long the line is; my things are not going through unless I can go with them.

 

[TinkHappy]

NotUrsula ~ Great ideas. Thanks for sharing. I love the "zip-lock" idea!! I will use this on my next trip in Nov. Thanks!!
I LOVE THIS BOARD!!

 

[mom_rules]

Awesome ideas-where can you get this pencil pouch.
I don't think I have ever seen one?