What's the point of TSA locks?

[RandomFool]

I was buying locks earlier and noticed that they have special locks for luggage that can be easily opened by TSA officials. If TSA can open it I'm sure others can just as easily. Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of a lock in the first place? Not that any lock is going to be super secure but still...

 

[PhoenixOrion]

non-TSA personnel have TSA keys?

 

[BoomerD]

They give the average "Joe" a sense of security that they don't get with unlocked luggage. You're right that the keys may be had by almost anyone, even though it's ONLY TSA employees who are supposed to have them, but...
Last trip to Maui, my wife bought TSA locks for our suitcases. Going over was fine, but coming home, we ended up short 2 locks. Apparently, they either didn't bother to replace them, or didn't lock them and they fell off.
With today's soft-sided luggage, it doesn't take much of a knife to open them anyway, so a lock only keeps out the honest people.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
They give the average "Joe" a sense of security that they don't get with unlocked luggage. You're right that the keys may be had by almost anyone, even though it's ONLY TSA employees who are supposed to have them, but...
Last trip to Maui, my wife bought TSA locks for our suitcases. Going over was fine, but coming home, we ended up short 2 locks. Apparently, they either didn't bother to replace them, or didn't lock them and they fell off.
With today's soft-sided luggage, it doesn't take much of a knife to open them anyway, so a lock only keeps out the honest people.

makes me want to check out any consumer reports comparing different kinds of denier ballistic nylon luggages.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
non-TSA personnel have TSA keys?

Yes...and criminals have guns!:Q

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
non-TSA personnel have TSA keys?

Yes...and criminals have guns!:Q

we should put background checks of some sort in place so that criminals can't get guns. I'm surprised no one has thought of that yet.

 

[Sphexi]

Makes it easier for them to open and ruin your luggage.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
non-TSA personnel have TSA keys?

Yes...and criminals have guns!:Q

we should put background checks of some sort in place so that criminals can't get guns. I'm surprised no one has thought of that yet.

Better yet, we could make it illegal to use a gun for any criminal purposes. That'll throw them for a loop.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
non-TSA personnel have TSA keys?

Yes...and criminals have guns!:Q

we should put background checks of some sort in place so that criminals can't get guns. I'm surprised no one has thought of that yet.

Better yet, we could make it illegal to use a gun for any criminal purposes. That'll throw them for a loop.

BRILLIANT!

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: PhoenixOrion
non-TSA personnel have TSA keys?

Yes...and criminals have guns!:Q

And law-abiding citizens also have bolt cutters and hack saws from Wal-mart to break any TSA locks.

 

[Triumph]

Buying a TSA lock is like buying your door knob from a guy who robs houses.

 

[TallBill]

Holy crap this thread is retarded. Someone can just pick up the whole damn bag and walk off with it regardless of locks.

 

[vi edit]

A lock isn't always about keeping someone out.

It's about keeping your stuff in. Don't want a latch or zipper coming undone when that baggage loader goes for shotput record with your suitcase.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Holy crap this thread is retarded. Someone can just pick up the whole damn bag and walk off with it regardless of locks.

cheers :beer:

 

[Itchrelief]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
A lock isn't always about keeping someone out.

It's about keeping your stuff in. Don't want a latch or zipper coming undone when that baggage loader goes for shotput record with your suitcase.

Ding ding ding.

Although the TSA lock vendors are deathly afraid of the newfangled twisty ties for some reason...

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Holy crap this thread is retarded. Someone can just pick up the whole damn bag and walk off with it regardless of locks.

QFT

Some of us old-timers remember when there used to be a person at all the exit doors that checked bags against ticket stubs.

 

[uallas5]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

Some of us old-timers remember when there used to be a person at all the exit doors that checked bags against ticket stubs.

They still did that last time I flew into Vegas, funny that's the only place in the States I've seen them do it.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Holy crap this thread is retarded. Someone can just pick up the whole damn bag and walk off with it regardless of locks.

LMAO!

So true.

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: uallas5

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

Some of us old-timers remember when there used to be a person at all the exit doors that checked bags against ticket stubs.

They still did that last time I flew into Vegas, funny that's the only place in the States I've seen them do it.

You just broke the first law of Vegas...

 

[uallas5]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

Originally posted by: uallas5

Originally posted by: 911paramedic

Some of us old-timers remember when there used to be a person at all the exit doors that checked bags against ticket stubs.

They still did that last time I flew into Vegas, funny that's the only place in the States I've seen them do it.

You just broke the first law of Vegas...

LOL

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
With today's soft-sided luggage, it doesn't take much of a knife to open them anyway, so a lock only keeps out the honest people.

A lock also prevents the zipper from working its way open just from having the bag jostle around. I've had a couple bags where the zipper will "migrate" on its own, so I use a lock just to prevent that.

You're right though, the locks are too small to be any real deterrent.

ZV

 

[kranky]

The locks are good protection against airline baggage handler thefts of items packed in luggage. I had a friend who lost about $2K of camera gear that way - the bag arrived but the gear had been stolen sometime between when he checked his bag in and when it showed up at the baggage claim.

Saw one of those 20/20 or Dateline shows a couple years ago that had hidden cameras on baggage handlers who were stealing items out of luggage.

My friend now knows you dare not put anything valuable in your checked baggage. At least the TSA locks are a deterrent (assuming TSA replaces them).

 

[Gneisenau]

The locks aren't there to keep people out, they are there to keep the luggage from accidentally opening.
Crooks have keys to all the locks and they can cut softsided luggage with ease.

TSA locks are there to keep you from having your locks cut off by security. They are supposed to lock them back up after the inspection.

 

[RandomFool]

Originally posted by: Itchrelief

Originally posted by: vi_edit
A lock isn't always about keeping someone out.

It's about keeping your stuff in. Don't want a latch or zipper coming undone when that baggage loader goes for shotput record with your suitcase.

Ding ding ding.

Although the TSA lock vendors are deathly afraid of the newfangled twisty ties for some reason...

I was using a paper clip originally and every time I got my luggage back they were all mangled for some reason.

 

[SSSnail]

The best way to deal with the hassle is to allow your bags to go through the XRAY screen, and be present should they require you to open the locks. If you're cleared, then you don't have to worry about the TSA locks. It takes a few minutes extra to wait.