Queenie

Could someone please enlighten me on the purpose of US Airport Security?

Specifically my question is, if the security & baggage personnel can get INTO your luggage and steal things - in my case my running shoes - cant they just as easily plant an explosive IN your luggage.

Apparently the public accepts the liklihood of theft and are coming up with ways to combat it with plastic ties, carrying on valuable items, blah, blah, blah. (as evidenced by a search on the Fodors board), but this does not address the problem.

How effective is the heightened baggage screening when security/baggage handlers turn the other way (or are paid off) not to address baggage tampering?

I question the value this new security. Thanks for letting me vent!

FainaAgain

Queenie, you are not alone! There was something in the news, a celebrity was asked to remove her shoes, and they got stolen, she took them off her feet!! And they were not in her luggage! The price was like $800+ or $900+, in this range. I don't remember who it was, maybe somebody on this board knows more?

Now if something at the checking point gets stolen, is there any guarantee at all your checked-in luggage is safe? NO!!

E

I think one assumption is that while it is difficult to screen out security employees who will be tempted to steal, it's less difficult to screen out terrorists. Thus, while occasional theft is bound to occur (not often, one hopes), the planting of explosives BY security personnel is far more unlikely. This line of reasoning makes sense to me.
What I don't understand is the chaotic way security is being implemented across the country, even given the differences in airport designs. Many European countries, like, say, Germany, have crack airport security; couldn't we just copy what they do, instead of making up our own oddball policies on shoes, toothpicks, etc?

ChristieP

Speaking as someone who has also had stuff stolen out of baggage by baggage handlers in pre-911 days, it just bugs the heck out of me that we're no longer allowed to lock luggage! It's not the TSA employees who are stealing stuff, it's the darn baggage handlers!

Dan

As long as people are involved, I'm afraid you're going to have theft from dishonest folks.

As for why we can't have "crack" security, remember that the US aviation system is MANY times larger than that of the #2 nation. It'll take time to get it to where we want it to be. Personally, I believe they're off to a good start.

E

Well, I definitely agree with you, Dan, as to the size of the undertaking. It's very regrettable that we had to start from zero, though, isn't it? And I also can't help but note that all the money we've spent and will spend on the occupation of Iraq could have gotten US airport security off the ground in a jiff. Too late now.

Ryan

In terms of an airport worker planting a bomb, remember, they have to go through security screening, as well, before getting near the planes and bags. Which is not the case if they are exiting with pilfered items.

In terms of theft, from the airlines perspective the cost of replacing stolen items or the related insurance, is probably much less than the cost for having a security guard at every plane or more thorough screening to weed out the criminally minded. Put simply, the payouts for replacements are a cost of doing business.

However even with all the improvements, the simple fact is, airport security will NEVER be 100% safe. Any terrorism expert will tell you that a determined person who knows how the system functions can find their way through the cracks if they have enough motivation, time or resources. (Look at Israel, for example. They are significantly more aware of security than we and on a daily basis they have incidents of terrorism.)

In terms of Germany and the US, remember, both nations beefed up their security AFTER terrorist incidents. The fact is, we were living on borrowed time before 9/11 when it came to a major incident.

I'm curious as to the outcry if we really beefed up security and instituted a system where every person is searched, all bags are inspected, and we were required to arrive 3 hours ahead of time for all flights. AS we now have it, much of it is still random.

E

Ryan, the system you describe is already in place, in Israel, where, for obvious reasons, no one complains about inconvenience. I hope things in the US never come to such a pass.

Intrepid

Remember the days shortly after 9-11 when the government suggested that the airlines wand everyone boarding a plane. The airline industry whined that "the public won't accept it" and it would hurt business? And then they whined some more about all the money it would cost if THEY had to help pay for security measures? So what did our illustrious supposedly capitalism-loving leaders do? They caved into the whining, allowed the overbuilt and inefficient airline industry to keep right on being overbuilt and inefficient, let all of us pay for the "security" and we're still feeling like it isn't good enough.

lillehavfrue

What makes me sick is that not only are we not allowed to lock our baggage to prevent theft, airlines/airports REFUSE to compensate passengers who has stuff stolen from them by airline/airport employees. And of course we can't get insurance because the bags weren't locked. WTF?

irishdame

lillehavfrue, the simple answer is to NOT check a bag, carry on only...or ship it to your destination.
I like to get into the airport, and out of it, quickly as possible therefore I've not checked a bag in over 15 years and it works out great. I travel frequently for business and pleasure and nothing is ever stolen, damaged, lost or late!

Dan

You ARE allowed to lock your luggage. However, if you have anything of interest to the security folks, they are likewise allowed to cut your lock. Fair tradeoff, in my opinion.

I travel quite a bit for work these days and I've NEVER even gotten one of those little "the TSA opened your bag to search it" cards. I must not carry anything that the X-ray machines don't like!

buckeyemom

lillehavfrue-Why would you check anything of value in your luggage in the first place? I keep my valuables such as my digital camera in my carry on and leave my valuable jewelry at home. If you buy expensive gifts, souvenirs etc. you can always ship them home UPS or FedEx.

Gretchen

You are allowed to lock your luggage, unlock it for the screeners, have it screened and then lock it again.

dilbert

Security is a joke...

Just like stealing a car, a terrorist can bring down an airliner whenever they please. The government tries to make people feel secure just so that the economy can move along.

Feeling secure and being secure are two different things. Many people bury their heads in the sand and go about their daily business just like the programmed robots our government wants us to be.

However, I now take more precautions. Maybe they will save my life, maybe they will tilt the odds toward saving my life.

I limit my flying unless it is absolutely necessary.
I do not take the subway in NYC. I am forunate that there is plenty of free street parking where I work. I drive, and frankly, it is cheaper than public transportation, way more comfortable, and even quicker.
I do not drive on the Brooklyn Bridge. I think that this is a tastier target than the Manhattan or Williamsburg Bridges.
I avoid Times Square.
I haven't been to a Broadway show since 1982 (typical native NYer). Now I will nev er go given what happened in Moscow.
I avoid crowds.

You may think that this is alot. It is actually not a drastic change at all in my life. It could also save my life too.

Patrick

Airport security and baggage screening is a difficult issue and I really believe they are trying to do the best they can do. But I'll repeat a story I put on the European board.

Returning from Europe this summer through CDG in Paris, they screened my carry-on and stopped me and the belt. They asked if I had a knife in my carryon. I answered No, very honestly. They had me open the bag and started a brief search. The woman looked at a metal comb I had and also at the two small folding umbrellas, and without going through the rest, she said it was OK and to go ahead.

When I got home and was unpacking, to my amazement I pulled out my knife which has about a four inch handle and about a 6 inch sharp and serrated blade. I take this with me for cheese, bread, etc and always keep it in my checked luggage with my corkscrew and anything else that might not be allowed in checked baggage. Apparently a couple weeks before returning home, I had put that knife in the zipped side of my toiletries bag, so I would have it on a long train ride. I had totally forgotten about it.

So anyway, here I was going through with a knife which they had even seen on the screen, but then rather than check thoroughly, they let me go through with it. Scarey thought!

Dan

Personally, I'd rather die while living life than constantly worrying about how to survive...

J_Correa

I was flying out of San Jose a couple months ago. I was stopped at the security check point and my purse was thouroughly searched. It turned out I had a very small nail clipper/bottle openner/pocket knife in there - totally forgotten about at the bottom of my purse. Although the blade on the thing was maybe an inch and a half long, it was confiscated. On the other hand, my husband and I were flying out of New Orleans and my husband has a Swisscard - same stuff as the pocketknife, but shaped like a credit card. Anyway, he had forgetten to put it in his checked bags. He pulled it out of his pocket at the security check point, the security person commented on it and he said he had forgotten to put it in his checked bag. They let him take it anyway. I guess it's hit any miss.

Leona

I think that the best answer to this question lies in the recent news report about the man who SHIPPED HIMSELF on a cargo plane - that was apparently cheaper than buying a passenger ticket -and NO ONE found him until he was delivered to his parents' address.

JackOneill

My wife has managed to get through security the last three times she's flown with her Swiss Army knive (the small one) in her purse. She didn't deliberately set out to "test" security. She just forgot she had it. Apparently, security forgot to look. Oops.