Airport Security

[Wally_lamma]

So the question is... Now that they have these new rules regarding locks on your Luggage. What have you been doing to protect your investment. I'm not worried about the security people just the bag throwers...

Been using tie-wraps to secure the zipper ends and I've heard that they will replace them if you have on and they have to cut them off to open your stuff.

Anyone been down this path yet this year?? Did you have any items that they questioned? Wondering about the glow sticks for nite dives??


Regards
:hithead:

 

[ericfine50]

Haven't been down that road yet. But I would put all $$ stuff in carry on. That way, if they have to search it - you will be present for the search. Glow sticks, I would do carry on as well.

Eric

 

[DocVikingo]

I've written an extensive piece on this for next month's issue of Undercurrent http://www.undercurrent.org

I suspect that you'd find it very informative.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[deanmartin]

I've been traveling from Southern California to Miami one week of each month with my dive gear since August of last year.

I carry my reg, computer and log book in my carry on bag. After going through the x-ray, sometimes they want me to open the bag. Once the inspectors see the equipment they allow me to continue.

I check my equipment bag with my BC, mask, fins etc. I use a lock on the zipper tabs. I have never been asked to open the bag.

 

[YorkDiver]

I have flown from Pearson (Toronto) to Victoria, Winnipeg and Quebec City for excercises with all my dive gear and haven't had a problem yet. Most of it is stored in cargo with padlocks on the zippers.

Regs are usually packed in the middle inside my BC with my wetsuit packed on either side to keep them safe.

 

[mndolphin]

I don't know about scuba equiptment but, your contacts can cause you to be searched. Disposable contacts come in foil that obstructs the view of the xray machines. If you bring that in your carry on luggage they'll search it to find out what it is.

 

[Natasha]

Over the hoildays, I was in Chicago, O'Hare, Houston-Inter Continental, Houston Hobby, and New Orleans, Louis Armstrong, airports.
So that's 4 airports in 6 days.

Hobby had the tightest security I have seen in a long time. They had 4 people searching luggage before getting on the plane, and went through our checked luggage before we checked it.

We didn't have scuba equipment with us, so I can only tell you about clothes and presents.

Chicago asked us if our luggage was unlocked, we said yes, and they sent it through.
Nothing was missing anywhere.
But as York said, that is how I also pack my gear and check it.

And as eric said, never let anything you could not live with out get checked.

 

[MSP Rescue Diver]

Has anyone travelled with their equipment or locked bags after 12/31 when the new requirements of EVERY bag being checked before being placed on a plane went into effect?

I wasn't carrying any scuba gear, and didn't have my bags locked so I didn't notice anything, nor did my bags contents look disturbed when opened. But the airlines were quite firm with others about removing locks and not having certain items in your packed baggage. Apparently cheese and chocolate wrapped in foil show similar shadows as plastic explosive when passed through the new x-ray machines.

Marc

 

[DocVikingo]

If your bag is is searched, TSA will place an alert inside indicating such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[GK9292000]

I traveled to Australia yesterday with my dive gear. The case I put my gear in has a place for a large combination lock. In the past I've always used the lock primarily to keep the bag closed. I work in airports, so I know that a lock doesn't prevent anything. If one of the bag slingers want in your bag, they will get in it. For years now I have been using simple zip ties to secure my bag, basically so I know that somebody opened it.

My complaint about the new 12/31 rules is that I have a feeling that the TSA is going to get a big head and open bags just because they can.

Because of the new rules, I placed a sticker on the lock with the combination, hoping that if they needed to look that they wouldn't pry my bag open. Unfortunatly they did it their way.

When I arrived in Australia I noticed that my lock was gone. Replaced with tiny blue zip-ties. Inside my case was a note saying that they "selected my bag for physical inspection" and my cut lock.

They paid no attention to the combination stuck directly on the lock, but they did manage to spin all the barrels back to "0" before cutting it off.

What really concerns me is WHY they opened my case. The contents of the bag were:

BC
2 wetsuits
Hood
Gloves
fins
boots
mask
Snorkel

Now I dont know what a BC looks like on a Xray machine, but I doubt that it would look suspicious. And I don't see how the other items would cause alarm.

Like I said originally, I think they just opened my bag because they wanted to cut the lock.

Traveling domestically in the US doesnt bother me to much, since the entire process is in the "TSA" jurisdiction.

BUT when they cut the locks off my bag prior to international travel, that really pisses me off.

There should be other procedures for bags leaving the US.

Thats enough ranting for one day.


GK