Who uses zip ties?

[dursin]

There is a gate to the concierge area that can only be opened by the concierge guests key cards. Dursin is attempting to be funny by saying his kids will use the zip ties to close the gate so NO ONE can get in or out thru that gate...

Yep! And then after the gate has been securely fastened closed, we're going to break into the bridge and steer the ship into an iceberg!

 

[nemofans]

Thanks everyone! I will definitely be using them.

 

[Katems]

Um, can't anyone in the hallway just snip the zip ties, too?? And stuff ice cream in or steal or whatever? I don't see them as a theft deterrent.

 

[truck1]

Um, can't anyone in the hallway just snip the zip ties, too?? And stuff ice cream in or steal or whatever? I don't see them as a theft deterrent.

I use them all the time, for any number of reasons including keeping them closed incase of accidental opening. I used to work at JFK airport before I moved, and I cant count how many times, bags were accidentally opened, while being loaded into a plane or container. And I dont mean by the 5.00 phr baggage handlers, looking for something. The ones I saw were legit accidents.

Cold someone just snip them off? yes, but for the most part, unless you really made someone mad, and they are after you specifically, theyll go to someone thats not sealed since its not worth the effort. Thats just my 2 cents

 

[dahuffy]

We didn't last year but will for sure this year. We had ice cream stuffed in our suitcases last year when we had put them out the night before. It was awful, wish someone would of told me about the zip ties last year.

Brats should have been hung by their left pinky toes!

 

[dahuffy]

Anothe good use for the zippies,is to secure your Fish Extender to the fish.

 

[Luvstocruise]

Yep! And then after the gate has been securely fastened closed, we're going to break into the bridge and steer the ship into an iceberg!

Hey Dursin,
Loved your idea of doing that to the Concierge gate on the Dream! After seeing some of the posts where some "hoighty toighty" type of person wanted to keep "riff raff" like me out, my devious mind thought the same thing. Of course we know there are plenty of nice folks that sail Concierge, so is just in jest. That is funny. All kidding aside though, I wouldn't say things like breaking into the Bridge area, that might get the security people all worked up!!!! I know you are joking, but security types are missing the "sense of humor" gene. It is fun to have a sense of humor on these boards, life is to short to be serious all the time.

To the poster that mentioned the nail clippers Thanks -"GREAT IDEA"!! I didn't want to bring side cutters onto the ship, would look sort of funny.

I am not too worried about DCL staff going through my stuff, more worried about some bored kids and teens that think it is funny to put stuff in the bag like that person who had ice cream in their luggage. That would p&ss me off for sure.

Got my zip ties in the box of goodies to be packed.

FWIW
Luvstocruise

 

[NancyIL]

I started using zip ties last summer. While they aren't as secure as a lock, it will be evident to me if someone has tampered with my bag. I use nail clippers to cut the ties.

Let's face it - if someone really wants your suitcase, they will take the whole bag - not open it and pull out a few things. With so much soft-sided luggage out there, a sharp knife to cut open the bag will also override the toughest lock.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Securing your bag with a zip tie or lock (TSA approved or otherwise) isn't so much to prevent somebody from stealing stuff out of your bag or because you have valuable stuff in your bag. It's more to prevent or deter or make it just a bit more difficult for somebody to put something INTO your bag ... like a stash of drugs or worse.

Let's say somebody wants to smuggle drugs somewhere and your bag is going to the right place. Wouldn't be too hard to put them into your bag if it's not been secured. It's not going to insure that it won't happen but it'll make your bag less of a target. If bad guy is in a hurry, he's not going to want to fiddle with a lock or zip tie. He'll just move on to the next bag.

I'd shrinkwrap my bag if I could if I was heading to a country that had a death penalty for smuggling drugs ... just so nobody could slip something in. Take all the crap out of my bag but don't stick something into it.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Let's say somebody wants to smuggle drugs somewhere and your bag is going to the right place. Wouldn't be too hard to put them into your bag if it's not been secured. It's not going to insure that it won't happen but it'll make your bag less of a target. If bad guy is in a hurry, he's not going to want to fiddle with a lock or zip tie. He'll just move on to the next bag.

ok, maybe I'm just clueless but how would a drug smuggler successfully smuggle drugs through my luggage? Even if the drugs made it to the destination city undetected, how would the smuggler get them back out of my bag if we're there waiting at the conveyor? They steal our luggage at gunpoint? I just can't see it happening.

 

[NancyIL]

Bottom line - zip ties are a deterrent and not a sure-fire way to prevent someone from getting into your luggage.

 

[pxlbarrel]

ok, maybe I'm just clueless but how would a drug smuggler successfully smuggle drugs through my luggage? Even if the drugs made it to the destination city undetected, how would the smuggler get them back out of my bag if we're there waiting at the conveyor? They steal our luggage at gunpoint? I just can't see it happening.

Ummm...they steal the luggage at the conveyor (it's not like it doesn't happen even if you're standing there) or before it even gets to the conveyor. The drug smuggler could have accomplices in luggage handling. The drug smuggler follows you out of the terminal and gets you after you've already gotten past customs ... with a gun or knife or just looking threatening. I doubt they have any scruples from stopping them from doing that. They don't need to get it out of your bag... they just need the bag at that point.

 

[pilk]

We use both TSA locks and seals that are similar to zip ties. The seal are thin plastic that can be easily broken. I know they don't provide any greater security but they can act as a deterant. It also tells me if anyone in security opened the lock. I put the seals on all zippers even the smaller exterior pockets. Just a peace of mind to take a quick look and see them on still and not having to think about anything that might have gone missing or put into the bag (both legal or illegal stuff)

Jon

 

[truck1]

ok, maybe I'm just clueless but how would a drug smuggler successfully smuggle drugs through my luggage? Even if the drugs made it to the destination city undetected, how would the smuggler get them back out of my bag if we're there waiting at the conveyor? They steal our luggage at gunpoint? I just can't see it happening.

They used to do it all the time in Kennedy. Basically the way it works is that its a well established organization, with ties in both airports.
Person a hides contraband, after the screening in the baggage room or on the ramp where no one can see them.

They then call there boss or the person on the other end and say its in this location. Person b meets the flight, and in the belly or somewhere else no one can see, takes out the contraband, does whatever with it, and no ones knows what happened except the people involved. Generally even the peoples luggage thats invovled wont notice, unless something is missing, severly moved, or in some cases, something is found.

Now to answer the next question, I can see coming, I used to work for Virgin Atlantic Cargo, and we handled the cargo for Avianc,Domincana, Lacsa and a few other Latin american airlines, which had daily flights out of Columbia or other Latin American countries. Needless to say Customs had a second home in our wharehouse, and I was on a first name basis with a lot of them. Youd be surprised, at how much is stashed in objects that would otherwise be overlooked, or otherwise be considered sick.

Weve accidently found envelopes with cash, drugs and everything else, inside cargo palattes, because they were shaken during a flight, and the contraband, fell between large boxes, where it couldnt be reached with out tearing the pallate apart on the ramp, which would cause suspicion.