Luggage

[travellingnana]

We always leave our luggage unlocked when we drop it at the port. Leaving tomorrow and just wondered if others lock their suitcases.

[PacnGoNow]

11 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

We always leave our luggage unlocked when we drop it at the port. Leaving tomorrow and just wondered if others lock their suitcases.

I always use TSA locks.  If they have to get into the suitcase, security will have access to it, if it’s a TSA lock. 
I’ve had them only once over the years open and search. They left a note inside, that it had been searched and relocked.
 

[travelin.sisters]

26 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

We always leave our luggage unlocked when we drop it at the port. Leaving tomorrow and just wondered if others lock their suitcases.

...we lock because it makes my sister feel more secure, but I once left my luggage keys in my car when flying to Atlanta, & when I got there the bagage person had a whole ring of keys & easily opened them for me, so I don't feel like they make them very secure...& as @PacnGoNowsaid, with a TSA lock they can get in to search if they need to (or someone else could)

[PacnGoNow]

5 minutes ago, travelin.sisters said:

...we lock because it makes my sister feel more secure, but I once left my luggage keys in my car when flying to Atlanta, & when I got there the bagage person had a whole ring of keys & easily opened them for me, so I don't feel like they make them very secure...& as @PacnGoNowsaid, with a TSA lock they can get in to search if they need to (or someone else could)

True, but not everyone. My Mom didn’t lock hers one time and it came down the baggage shoot opened zipper and her clothes flying out all over the place.  From then on, she locked her suitcase. 😮

 

Thank goodness in mainland China we locked our suitcases.  We were pulling them up steps in Shenzen when, 2 women wanted to help us. We said, no thanks.  Then, they tried to unzip them to steal the contents.  Again, lucky we had locks on them.

[travelin.sisters]

1 minute ago, PacnGoNow said:

True, but not everyone. My Mom didn’t lock hers one time and it came down the baggage shoot opened zipper and her clothes flying out all over the place.  From then on, she locked her suitcase. 😮

 

Thank goodness in mainland China we locked our suitcases.  We were pulling them up steps in Shenzen when, 2 women wanted to help us. We said, no thanks.  Then, they tried to unzip them to steal the contents.  Again, lucky we had locks on them.

oh my! those are good reasons to always lock...I guess it is good I let my sissy have her way on this!

[PacnGoNow]

14 minutes ago, travelin.sisters said:

oh my! those are good reasons to always lock...I guess it is good I let my sissy have her way on this!

Remember your keys though. 😂 I have one set in my flight bag and another set in my DH’s flight bag. In case one of us loses a set. 
 

[travellingnana]

Excellent answers, but I meant do you lock your luggage when you drop it at the cruise port? 😁

[Doug R.]

2 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

Excellent answers, but I meant do you lock your luggage when you drop it at the cruise port? 😁

Yes and for the same reasons cited by others.

[mom says]

I haven't used a lock on my luggage in decades. Any thief can get around a lock in seconds, and could damage the bag in the process. I just zip tie the zippers together so they don't open due to rough treatment by the baggage handlers.  The nail clippers in my purse are all I need to remove them,

[1965]

15 minutes ago, mom says said:

I haven't used a lock on my luggage in decades. Any thief can get around a lock in seconds, and could damage the bag in the process. I just zip tie the zippers together so they don't open due to rough treatment by the baggage handlers.  The nail clippers in my purse are all I need to remove them,

Great idea.

[lolane1]

7 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Remember your keys though. 😂 I have one set in my flight bag and another set in my DH’s flight bag. In case one of us loses a set. 
 

Well, you don't even need your keys as I found out when I did leave my keys at home.  Thank goodness for google.  On a zippered suitcase, just puncture the zipper with a pen and move the pen around to  unzip your bag.  When finished, just move the lock around the bag to rezip. Makes it so easy for thieves, so just make sure to carry all your valuables with you.

Video   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5mvvZl6pLI

 

 

And it is also easy to open those three numbered combination locks. Find the notch under each wheel, and then rotate each of the three wheels to the left or right until the lock opens.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxLVrkqfN0Y

 

 

[lx200gps]

9 hours ago, mom says said:

I haven't used a lock on my luggage in decades. Any thief can get around a lock in seconds, and could damage the bag in the process. I just zip tie the zippers together so they don't open due to rough treatment by the baggage handlers.  The nail clippers in my purse are all I need to remove them,

That's precisely what we do as well. An advantage to zip ties is that we can easily tell if they had been cut off, so we'd know that our bags had been opened.

[SpaceCowboy9]

We don't worry about it, I think someone will take your bag before going through it.  Besides, we don't have anything in the bag we are not worried about losing.

[SargassoPirate]

10 hours ago, mom says said:

I haven't used a lock on my luggage in decades. Any thief can get around a lock in seconds, and could damage the bag in the process. I just zip tie the zippers together so they don't open due to rough treatment by the baggage handlers.  The nail clippers in my purse are all I need to remove them,

We use TSA locks to keep the honest people honest and the zip ties to tell if TSA or anyone else has opened them.  Sort of belt and suspenders.

 

[Fish42]

I understand that some people are putting Air Tags (or similar) in their luggage to track it.  I haven't tried it myself but it is an interesting idea.  Of course it doesn't prevent people from opening your luggage, but it does provide a layer of security.

 

If you are feeling very decadent, you could put one tag attached inside your luggage and one tag attached to something valuable in your luggage.  If the two aren't together, you've got a problem 🙂

 

Lojack your luggage!

[WatchHill]

After finding a few items missing upon arrival home, with only TSA/airport handling the luggage, I started using different colored mini zip ties on the zippers. This gave me small sense of security.  A few years later, flying home from PHX to BOS, one piece of luggage was searched in spite of the zip tie - but it did have a TSA note in the case - and they used a hot pick zip tie same as I had on the piece. Conclusion: TSA has multi colored zip ties and a whole lot of "approved/easy access keys.

 

Of course, DH was called ashore by secuirty in Southampton UK about a sharp object in his luggage after we were on the ship. He had to open the case after viewing the xray scan - it was some early Celtic novelty tool that he was told must be tossed into a large metal container for disposal. Of course he wasn't too happy and questioned how dangerous this item was compared with the steak knives on the ship. No more souvenirs for him! 

 

Darcy

[JF - retired RRT]

14 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

True, but not everyone. My Mom didn’t lock hers one time and it came down the baggage shoot opened zipper and her clothes flying out all over the place.  From then on, she locked her suitcase. 😮

 

Thank goodness in mainland China we locked our suitcases.  We were pulling them up steps in Shenzen when, 2 women wanted to help us. We said, no thanks.  Then, they tried to unzip them to steal the contents.  Again, lucky we had locks on them.

WOW!!

[JF - retired RRT]

14 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Remember your keys though. 😂 I have one set in my flight bag and another set in my DH’s flight bag. In case one of us loses a set. 
 

I brought the wrong keys one time (we have 2 different sets of locks). We were overnighting at a hotel before the cruise and the staff cut it off for us.

[Cruzinnana47]

13 hours ago, mom says said:

I haven't used a lock on my luggage in decades. Any thief can get around a lock in seconds, and could damage the bag in the process. I just zip tie the zippers together so they don't open due to rough treatment by the baggage handlers.  The nail clippers in my purse are all I need to remove them,

That's exactly what we've been doing for years.  

[memoak]

Always either lock or zip tie 

[Mara4166]

We also use zip ties.  I have a set that have a tag that are numbered (detachable tag with same number) so no one can take it off and then just replace it without me knowing when I pick it up.

 

The only time it has ever been removed is when we have a TSA note inside.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

20 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Remember your keys though. 😂 I have one set in my flight bag and another set in my DH’s flight bag. In case one of us loses a set. 
 

I just purchased a new suitcase and it has a TSA combination lock built into it. Now I don’t have to worry about forgetting or losing keys.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

20 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

True, but not everyone. My Mom didn’t lock hers one time and it came down the baggage shoot opened zipper and her clothes flying out all over the place.  From then on, she locked her suitcase. 😮

 

Thank goodness in mainland China we locked our suitcases.  We were pulling them up steps in Shenzen when, 2 women wanted to help us. We said, no thanks.  Then, they tried to unzip them to steal the contents.  Again, lucky we had locks on them.

That’s awful!

[sloopsailor]

20 hours ago, mom says said:

I haven't used a lock on my luggage in decades. Any thief can get around a lock in seconds, and could damage the bag in the process. I just zip tie the zippers together so they don't open due to rough treatment by the baggage handlers.  The nail clippers in my purse are all I need to remove them,

 

Bingo! That's is exactly what we have done for decades. We use them only to keep the zippers from accidentally opening. 

 

It is sooooo easy to open a suitcase that is locked. Takes less than 15 seconds. Watch the video below for how. I have tried it on all our suitcases and this worked every time. Unless you have a clamshell type suitcase with no zipper, a lock will not stop someone from opening it.

 

Besides, experienced thieves will simply pick up the suitcase and move it to a hidden area so they can riffle through it without being seen. 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by sloopsailor