Posted on 12/17/2004 9:18:58 AM PST by yatros from flatwater
The travel season is here, but, do you feel safe sending your luggage through the airport? The surveillance video is disturbing. A TSA worker at JFK airport in New York, allegedly rifling through a bag planted by police, removing jewels and money. This suspect was charged with larceny and possession of stolen property. Theft has been a problem for as long as travelers have been checking their bags, but now, the TSA is keeping track. Since taking control of baggage screening nearly two years ago, it's received more than 28,000 complaints of damaged, lost or stolen items. The total value: nearly $36 million. But no one knows how many of those are false claims. Air traveler Randy Rutland says, "Everything was in the luggage when we left from here." Rutland, of Louisiana, claims it happened to him while flying out of New Orleans. He says his luggage was checked, then secured with blue tags to indicate they'd been hand searched by the TSA, but when he got his bags, a brand new digital camera and his daughter's compact discs were missing. "I think somebody went through our bags, saw a nice camera and some cd's and they took 'em," Rutland says. The value: $1600. So far, the TSA has settled some 19,000 claims totaling $2.5 million, including $152,000 worth of claims at LAX, $111,000 dollars at JFK, followed by Seattle, Las Vegas and Oakland. The TSA is now adding surveillance cameras in baggage handling and secure areas to watch for theft. TSA Administrator, Admiral David Stone, says, "In issues of theft, there's a zero-tolerance and we need to make sure that we route that out of our organization because it gets to the very core of who we are and that trust and confidence bond with the American people." Only 66 TSA workers have been arrested out of 60,000 present and past TSA screeners, and for every TSA employee who handles a bag, it's touched by four airline employees. Still, the TSA itself warns travelers to pack valuables, like jewelry and money in carry-on bags.
Sounds like the blue gang controlled cities for Kerry are leading in TSA theft.
What happened to plain old matches when you get there? :)
For our son's wedding, we shipped our weddiing clothes, shoes and jewelry. I don't know about immigrants and their valuables. I only know about flying to and from within the USA. We found our solution...I hope you find yours too.
And you think TSA will catch it?
If you want security, go to El Al. If you want abuse, go to TSA.
Have you heard of the term: "predictive value"?
I recently flew across the country with a handgun in my checked bag. The handgun was in a locked gun case and the piece of luggage it was in was locked. I used a TSA lock, see an example at http://www.tsalocks.com/ , so that I would know if the bag had been disturbed. I had absolutely no problems the entire trip.
~ Senator Tom Daschle, (D-SD), 2001
Stone thinks the TSA has a bond of trust and confidence with us? Good grief, what's he smoking?
How exactly will a lock that TSA personnel can open at will stop or deter a TSA employed thief?
Go to USA Jobs and see how much your average TSA guy makes...
Around $9.00/hr.
$9.00/hr to protect us from terrorism. Yeah, right...
"The article doesn't say he was fired so i suspect he was not."
The good news. Since we caved in and unionized them, they cannot be fired.
I have had a rash of thefts in the mail system in the last couple of years. Mail order items and cash from birthday cards. No recourse to that unless you insured the letter/package.
~ Senator Tom Daschle, (D-SD), 2001
Yet another example of: "It takes one to know one".
absolutely and I guess to me it just matters more to NOT pack valuables or things I cannot replace. Why would anyone? We have to do what we have to do in the airports now for security. I wear slip on shoes so they are easy to remove. I wear slacks and a plain top with no layers. I do not wear bracelets. Would I like to? Of course but...it's not worth the hassle. I carry a small bag and a purse. A small bag like a canvas tote. I there is my water, a snack, a book and anything else I want to carry on. Actually, it makes life easier now. I used to have big carry ons and it was always a pain. We took too much anyway. Now we travel light and it's grand. :)
These are also some of the biggest and busiest airports in the country.
Might be smarter to FedEx your luggage to and from your destination.
What do the airlines have to do with it?
They no longer allow your travel bags to have locks, so at any time employees can rifle through the bag if they want to.
do you think infirm elderly should be exempt from security checks?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Helen Thomas and Janet Reno should be scrutinized more carefully than the rest. Profiling, you know.
Which is a bigger crime: rifling luggage or lugging rifles?
What do the airlines have to do with it?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.