Could airport security have done this?

Question

Yesterday, I flew back to Europe from the USA. My husband and I stood beside the men who scanned our two suitcases just in case they needed to unlock them for inspection. They both passed through the scanners okay and we were told to leave them there. However, when one suitcase arrived on the baggage belt in Europe, I noticed that the lock was removed and slipped unto the side of the case leaving it unlocked!! No damage was done to the lock itself, the case or my stuff but there was no notice from security to say they examined the case. There was nothing worth stealing but I am conserned that someone messed with it while it was waiting to go on the plane. Is there a further check done out of our sight? Do secuity always leave a note? I feel unsettled as thieves slashed a locked case in my hotel room recently but I would be okay about security doing a check.

Answer 1

It probably was TSA it happened to me as well, but I got a note in my bag, even with the note it is a little unsettling

Answer 2

Airport security is only as good as the people who enforce it. My personal experience is that it is an absolute farce. I travel by 'plane often. Sometimes I am told to take certain shoes off going through X-Ray. Other times I have the identical shoes on and not told to remove them. Mmmm one officer considers I could have something in the wedge of the shoes and the other doesn't? The worse thing that has happened was coming off a flight the day after a 'red alert' was put in place. After leaving the 'plane I went immediately in to the first toilets. After this I proceeded to Border Control and then in to the baggage hall. As I was leaving the toilet the captains and cabin crewe too were walking along. Plane still in sight but obviously nobody now on board. In the baggage hall I reaslised I had left my cabin baggage case in the toilet. Thought this would be a problem but when I reached Border Control obviously all the flight had passed through so not a single person there. I then went the long walk to the toilets, picked up my bag and went all the way back. Now surely a camera was following me? If so seems nobody was paying attention. I was so angry at lack of security when I got out the baggage hall I attempted to complain to several people but nobody was the least bit interested. Therefore I certainly don't trust airport security.

Answer 3

this happens all the time. I have had padlock types of locks cut off in many airports. they never leave a note and I have never had anything taken from a locked bag. (I did have a camera taken from a side pocket in Manila. So security probably popped your bag for a quick look at something that did not look quite right. No problem.
If the boys in the baggage room popped your bag then something would be missing. Their job is much easier these days because they just put the bag through the xray and see what they want to take. They don't open cases that don't have something that they want.

Good luck and don't worry.

Answer 4

The only locks that are allowed on checked bags are the TSA approved ones that they can open. If it isn't one of those, they'll cut it off. These days it's better to just not have a lock at all. Just make sure nothing valuable is in the checked bags.

Generally, if they open it, they leave a notice, although they may forget occasionally with the mass numbers of bags they deal with. My bag was opened once on a flight to Europe and a note was left. One of my friends was opened once and there was no note. It varies.

I wouldn't worry about it. It was probably the TSA people.

Answer 5

This is normal, airport security can open lots of different kinds of locks and they don't always lock the locks back up, nor do they always tell you the bag has been inspected, although sometmes you will get a big sticker that says "inspected" put on your bag. That's why you should never carry anything valuable like cameras or jewelry in your checked baggage.

Answer 6

They can inspect your bags via the x-ray as much as they want but they have to have probable cause to cut the lock off and do a manual inspection. There are generally only two causes for the locks being cut off; the baggage handling equipment can break/tear off anything that is projecting out, and the other is the Ramp Rats who load the luggage on the plane

Answer 7

I would not even consider theives as they probably would not be nice enough to put your lock in a side pocket. And it is as everybody else said........ they don't always leave a note or sticker.

Yes, you should get the approved locks. And never put anything that you can't stand to lose or is valuable. Its just not theft. I went to this place in the US where they sell the stuff from lost luggage that is never claimed. It was so big and the statistics of how much and what goes through there a month made it mind boggling.

Answer 8

The security probably took it off because you're not allowed to have locks on your suitcases. The reason for that is incase they need to check it. If you had a flight that you had to change flights the new security has to re check them I think. Whe you left they might have had to re check the bag too. If nothing is misssing then your ok!

Answer 9

Airport security can do just about whatever they want for good reason. They can check your bag 10 times if they want to. And yes sometimes they do leave a message in the luggage. Dont worry this happens all the time.

Answer 10

now a days they do not prefer you lock your bags of any kind,since they would be just cause to be inspected.. They will damage or cut the lock and they are suppose to leave a notice saying so,, they did when I once locked up my checked in golf bags,fyi...