Lock luggage?

[Big_G]

1 minute ago, jdechter said:

i use zip ties when leaving luggage out the night before we disembark, anyone can take your stuff.

 

We zip tie too but if they want it they can have it. It'll just lighten my load. 😉

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Big_G said:

We don't put anything of value in our luggage so the zip ties are more to avoid them opening up then for theft.

My Ralph Lauren Polo shirts are £69($100) each and all our clothes, shoes etc are expensive so we always lock our cases.

[Cruise a holic]

3 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Who are you expecting will steal from you?  Anything worth stealing should be in your carry-on.

 

zip ties or locks, I can just carry the whole thing away.

If you purchase all of your clothing from Walmart- perhaps ties are sufficient.  I have expensive clothing and shoes and zip ties just don't do it.  Especially on good luggage.

[katiel53]

We lock our suitcases every trip.  The suitcases have built in TSA locks and they have been opened by TSA, but have never been taken to the naughty room as we don't have anything we shouldn't.

 

Many years ago we sailed on Brilliance and a friend of my dad's had all her shoes stolen from her unlocked suitcase.  She had very tiny feet so someone must have needed them more than she did.  We never found out if it was someone from on the ship or someone from the airline as she flew home.

 

I don't want to leave anything to chance and if locking them makes it more difficult for someone to open it, that works for me.

[cruisinfanatic]

I think it's ridiculous to not lock your cases with real TSA locks. Using zip ties is same as having nothing. Pros can be in your case is 10 seconds regardless of having a lock or not!!!!

At least a real lock may dissuade amatures

 

[island lady]

5 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

Consider purchasing TSA locks- cheap order on line-  You cannot protect your suitcase  contents with zip ties.

 

Just like locking your house, vehicle, etc.  It just keeps opportunity seekers out.  Casual thieves will simply go to the next car, house, or suitcase that is unlocked if they find yours locked (with whatever you use).    

 

Anyone that really wants in, will get in.  TSA locks or not.  

 

If my zip ties are missing when I pull them off the baggage carrier at the airport...I will go directly to the baggage claim and point it out while I check contents.  It just lets me know if it has been messed with.  

[Bloodgem]

I lock 2 of my cases, the ones with clothes in. The third case I leave unlocked as it contains medical syringes and incontinence supplies, pads; bags etc, and can be easily replaced. 

[grapau27]

21 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

If the suitcase has a zipper, you can get in and out if it in a matter of seconds using a ballpoint pen. The bag can be rezipped so there would be no evidence of tampering.The strongest lock or zip tie in the world would not prevent this.

 

Posting URL to demonstrate.

 

 

That is scary.

Thanks for posting.

Some airports shrink-wrap cases with plastic,now I know why some people get that done.

[hukoli]

Tsa locks are not safe, those key sets are available for anyone to print with 3d printer, or they are sold in various places. And picking/raking them open is extremely easy and sometimes even faster than using the right key. That said, they are only locks we are allowed to use when flying to United States, so that is what we have to use. 

 

When using a zip tie for binding the zippers, I can at least tell that the suitcase has been opened. That requires that the ties are also tied to the suitcase, not just between the zippers. There are also some models of tsa locks that show if it has been opened with a key, rather than using the correct combination.

 

Always good idea to check your baggage after it has been out of your hands, and definately if there is a chance it has been opened. Easier to make claims when you know where and when the items have gone missing. 

[Big_G]

5 hours ago, grapau27 said:

My Ralph Lauren Polo shirts are £69($100) each and all our clothes, shoes etc are expensive so we always lock our cases.

 

My taste is more toward Target and Kohl's so I'm not worried.

[Big_G]

3 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

I think it's ridiculous to not lock your cases with real TSA locks. Using zip ties is same as having nothing. Pros can be in your case is 10 seconds regardless of having a lock or not!!!!

At least a real lock may dissuade amatures

 

 

Zip ties are the top choice of kidnappers so there's that.

[cb at sea]

If your luggage is out of your possession, you LOCK it.  You can zip-tie it, or use any lock you wish.  We use Master keyed luggage locks....you can get a package that has several locks operated by ONE key...and they're pretty heavy duty.  Will that stop someone determined?  No...but most thieves are looking for easy prey and will go for the unlocked bags first.

 

You should NEVER, EVER put anything of real value in checked bags.  Always carry anything you MUST have or anything that is costly with you.

 

You know, it's not always about theft....you don't want someone to put something IN your bag, either!

[Giorgi-one]

7 hours ago, davekathy said:

Soft sided luggage with TSA locks. Helps to keep the honest people honest. 

Exactly!

[Cruise a holic]

4 hours ago, hukoli said:

Tsa locks are not safe, those key sets are available for anyone to print with 3d printer, or they are sold in various places. And picking/raking them open is extremely easy and sometimes even faster than using the right key. That said, they are only locks we are allowed to use when flying to United States, so that is what we have to use. 

 

When using a zip tie for binding the zippers, I can at least tell that the suitcase has been opened. That requires that the ties are also tied to the suitcase, not just between the zippers. There are also some models of tsa locks that show if it has been opened with a key, rather than using the correct combination.

 

Always good idea to check your baggage after it has been out of your hands, and definately if there is a chance it has been opened. Easier to make claims when you know where and when the items have gone missing. 

Bottom line a thief could just steal the bag- but zip ties?  Not the best look!!

[davekathy]

22 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

 

You make some great points. However, locks indicate something valuable is inside. With the ball-point pen trick, it takes no extra time to get into a locked bag. Locks indicate there is something worth taking and would be a clever thief's first target!

Man the creep that steals or breaks into our locked luggage is in for a rude awakening. 🤣

Edited August 5, 2019 by davekathy

[time4u2go]

18 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

 

You make some great points. However, locks indicate something valuable is inside. With the ball-point pen trick, it takes no extra time to get into a locked bag. Locks indicate there is something worth taking and would be a clever thief's first target!

I was thinking the same thing.  To me, an unlocked suitcase indicates that there's nothing worth taking inside.

Edited August 5, 2019 by time4u2go

[Merion_Mom]

Nonsense.

 

Do you leave your doors unlocked at home?  After all, someone could just break in.

 

Do you leave your car unlocked?  After all,someone could just break in.

 

Some of you people have WEIRD ideas.

[alex_drew]

My husband worked for the airlines for 30 years.  He always says that if someone wants to get into your bag they will, but we use zip ties so that the bags don't accidentally come open when they are being handled by the airport or cruise staff.  I have witnessed bags coming open once on an airport tarmac and a couple of times when luggage was being transported to/from a couple of cruise ships.  It is not pretty to see someone's personal items strewn on the ground.  We don't ever carry anything of value in our suitcases, so zip ties work well for us.

[Cyn874]

I don't see the point of locking luggage. Who are all these random people you think have access to your bags? The only people who are handling them are either airport employees or porters, and if they wanted to steal from luggage, they could just steal the entire bag and it would just be chalked up as 'lost'. Or they can open the TSA lock anyway. I find it extremely unlikely. 

 

There's a far bigger chance of someone walking off with your bag at the airport baggage carousel where you have mobs of people standing around hundreds of suitcases going by on the carousel, and I haven't seen security checking bag tickets before people exit the airport in years. It's grab and go. I'm far more concerned with someone walking off with my entire suitcase than I am worried about some luggage handler stealing my socks and undies.

[Wine-O]

Locks are made for honest people.  🍷

[time4u2go]

10 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

Nonsense.

 

Do you leave your doors unlocked at home?  After all, someone could just break in.

 

Do you leave your car unlocked?  After all,someone could just break in.

 

Some of you people have WEIRD ideas.

What ridiculous comparisons.  Nearly everyone has something worth taking inside their house.  As for leaving a car unlocked, that's totally different, because it makes it easier to steal the entire car!

[island lady]

10 hours ago, davekathy said:

Man the creep that steals or breaks into our locked luggage is in for a rude awakening. 🤣

 

Oh no...don't tell me you are packing your rattlesnake pet in there again!!  🐍🤣

[Joseph2017China]

Zip ties can be cut with finger nail clippers - so that's real secure!!!!!!  Those tiny locks can easily be picked....And if all else fails, stick a regular pin into the zipper to snap it open. 

[island lady]

7 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Zip ties can be cut with finger nail clippers - so that's real secure!!!!!!  Those tiny locks can easily be picked....And if all else fails, stick a regular pin into the zipper to snap it open. 

 

The point I was making, as did many others (if you were to read back on the posts).....if my zip ties are cut or missing when I get my bag.....I have a starting point as to where the invasion occurred.   

 

No locks will keep determined thieves out.  

[marci22]

Royal Caribbean security broke my TSA lock off at the request of another passenger who thought the luggage was hers. I thought the point of TSA locks was that security could open them for inspection. Next time I'm using zip ties.