Cable Ties

[missygirl]

I will be flying next month and I want to secure my luggage but do not want my locks broken by air personnel. I have read about using cable ties that way they can cut them if they need to see inside. Do any of you practice this?

 

Missygirl

[RLM77]

DH and I have used them on four vacations now. Even when we have had our luggage searched :confused: the bags have been "re-locked" with cable ties by the security people!

 

We do try to put them on with enough 'give' or 'play' so that if the cables need to be snipped, there is enough space to do it without damaging the luggage.

 

Have a great time!

[nparmelee]

We've used both the cable ties and TSA locks. Both have worked fine, never a problem. This year we also got some more TSA locks that have an indicator if they were opened by a TSA key.

[kftw]

We have used the cable ties for years now. And like RLM77, the security people have "re-locked" the one case that was inspected with one of their ties. We found some bright colored thin ones at home depot which are great.

[Globaliser]

Yes - I have a pack of cable ties in the front pocket of my suitcase which I can use whenever I'm flying from a US airport. It's the next best thing to locking it with a good lock, which fortunately I can do everywhere else.

[caribbean dreams]

We used them for our trip to and from China, they work great, we used the colored one so we could tell if they had been cut, and sure enough everytime our luggage was checked and the ties replaced with a note inside the luggage.

[sunsetme]

I use easy release cable ties. they can be opened manually and reclosed, but theives probably won't bother with them.

[megr1125]

To get back to the topic, I use cable ties all the time when I fly now! They work great, they are cheap and the bright colors help ID your bag. As do my big fat orange wool pompoms.

 

 

 

and let's not even talk about the TSA, FEMA, Homeland security or "nu-cul-ler proliberation"

 

lol

[jimc_usa]

To get back to the topic, I use cable ties all the time when I fly now! They work great, they are cheap and the bright colors help ID your bag. As do my big fat orange wool pompoms.

 

lol

 

I am not sure what the cable ties are good for? If you are worried about thieves I don't think cable ties will prevent theft. I used to have a big strap in case the zip broke. But the TSA lost that a long time ago!

[zqvol]

Neither cable ties nor locks will prevent any thief from getting into your luggage. If the baggage handlers want in they will have no trouble getting into your stuff, probably even easier than TSA can.

 

The ONLY reason to use a lock or cable ties is to prevent the zippers from opening and something falling out.

 

As a word of caution checked luggage is from clothing, shoes, etc. ONLY.

 

NEVER PUT ANYTHING OF VALUE IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE.

[CruisinMatt]

Well said zqvol!! :)

[Ehpride]

Cable ties are also good for attaching luggage tags.

[Globaliser]

Neither cable ties nor locks will prevent any thief from getting into your luggage. If the baggage handlers want in they will have no trouble getting into your stuff, probably even easier than TSA can.

 

The ONLY reason to use a lock or cable ties is to prevent the zippers from opening and something falling out.

It's true that a determined thief will get past any cable tie and any standard lock - or even just cut through the side of your luggage to get at what they want.

 

But if you have locked or tied your luggage, it will tend to encourage a casual thief to move on to the next unlocked bag for easier pickings. Within the airport environment, most thefts are quick and opportunist; baggage handlers and the like do not have the luxury of time for sophisticated grabs.

 

So for that deterrent/diversion effect alone, it is worth doing.

[DanJ]

It's really no different than the lock on your car, or on your home for that matter. If someone wants to get in, they will, but it deters those that are looking for the quick hit. With the camera surveillance in airports, it would be very conspicuous for a handler to be sitting there trying to cut off a lock or cable tie to steal something.

 

Interesting moderation of this thread. Wonder why post number 8 wasn't touched?

[greatam]

Interesting moderation of this thread. Wonder why post number 8 wasn't touched?

 

Total agreement-that was the offensive post. I don't spell incorrectly AND the discussion was not about nuclear proliferation.

[Capsu78]

I thought we had a very civilized discussion going on too, until the "hall monitor" hit the delete key. First time in 4 years of blogging my comments have ever been vaporized. I too am suprised comment 8 remains.

I didn't think we were way OT, either. However, I guess we have exhausted the "body of work" known as "cable ties".

It is their bandwidth, so they can do what they choose. I have gotten so many good ideas off this board, I will still come back!

[cruisintwinsmom]

Be sure to keep the cable ties a little loose. Coming from Venice, they cut a cable tie from my suit case and also cut the zipper pulls and now it is difficult to open/close the zipper.

[megr1125]

I started using cable ties to hold the bags shut when a friend of mine flew with TSA approved locks that were cut off anyway. Go figure. Hey if a thief wants my clothes, knock yourself out.

 

I usually stick a small nail clipper in an outside pocket.....with a little skill you can get it out even if the zipper was closed with a cable tie. But, asking the front desk to borrow scissors is fun, especially when they see that you are cutting the tie off........