TSA experience......not good.

Just got back from Jamaca and TSA cut our TSA approved locks on our luggage and threw the broken locks in the inspected bag going and coming from USA.  Worse was we now have someone elses clothing  in my wifes bag!!!  So don't bother paying for TSA locks which TSA is suppose to have the keys to open them.    And they wonder why they are hated.  Situation happened at Ft. Lauderdale.  Next time we go to Jamaca we will go thru Panama to avoid this situation as no direct flights from Mexico are available. Guess I will pay the money for carry on bags.  If I sound pissed I am. Those TSA locks are not cheap. Guess it must have been a purple alert (sarcasm).  Jamaca was wonderful and the people were so friendly and helpful..... Even the poor rasta folks were  charming and the Ital (rastaman natural vegan foods) meals were wonderful.  Than back to US and they wonder why foreign folks avoid the USA when traveling. I know understand Canadians trying to avoid US stops to Mexico.  Beware!!!  So my suggestion is carry on only in US to be able to control the situation.  If my mother was not 86 years old I would not return to USA at all.

Comments???   Am I just a grumpy person?? I have someone elses clothing in my wifes bag!!   Two years until I can become a Mexican is my answer to this!!

Grrrrrr I try to be a good person but this is just too much. No wonder the Canadians want a direct Vancouver to Guad flight!

Z

Zed. I sympathize. I am also looking for a solution for not flying through the USA. BTW Is it not spelled Jamaica? You must have been really pi**ed.

I concur - enough of making connections through the US. I now fly GDL-MEX and then take Air Canada non-stop to Toronto. Much less stress and around 9 hrs. total travel time.

Comments???   Am I just a grumpy person?? PROBABLY I have someone elses clothing in my wifes bag!! WHAT DOES YOUR WIFE SAY? ARE THEY BETTER OR WORSE THAN YOU WOULD BUY HER?  Two years until I can become a Mexican is my answer to this!! VISA IF YOU ARE FLYING OVER THE US?

Grrrrrr I try to be a good person but this is just too much. No wonder the Canadians want a direct Vancouver to Guad flight! NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN

SEE CAPS

I never have had them cut my locks. I won't avoid flying through the U.S. and have never had a problem other than constantly being pulled aside for a pat-down every time I flew but that was a few years ago & now no problem.

Complain. It does no good to bitch here.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support/claims

I have also had "TSA-approved" locks cut off. Unlocked luggage does make it a little more convenient for the baggage handler thieves at the Mexico City airport.

After TSA searches they leave the bags I'm disarray. On a return flight from Cuba last year a friend found her previously carefully wrapped and cushioned bottle of expensive rum broken and spilled in her suitcase.

SunFan.

I can't spell sorry and yes I was upset. They also took the three baggy wrapped liquid package and left it unwrapped. Can you imagine the mess if the bottle broke?? Thanks Carry for the URL but if you bitch do you get put on a list??? We bitched before and all we got back was a letter telling us "aren't you glad we are keeping you safe" lecture which had nothing to do with the problem we described.

Zedinmexico wrote:Two years until I can become a Mexican is my answer to this!!
Z

Zed, how does that change anything with TSA?

TSA,they're low paid rent a cops with attitude in my opinion.

Zed, sometimes some airports have contractors instead of Federally employed TSA agents. Ft. Lauderdale might be one & they won't know of bad experiences like yours unless someone tells them. I don't think you'll be put on any list.

Just had a thought. Are you sure it was TSA and not baggage handlers? TSA leaves a card in the suitcase if they opened it.

How do you know it was them? They break locks in Mexico City. If TSA does it they leave a note.

I hear an echo.

DaveP wrote:Comments???   Am I just a grumpy person?? PROBABLY I have someone elses clothing in my wifes bag!! WHAT DOES YOUR WIFE SAY? ARE THEY BETTER OR WORSE THAN YOU WOULD BUY HER?  Two years until I can become a Mexican is my answer to this!! VISA IF YOU ARE FLYING OVER THE US?

Grrrrrr I try to be a good person but this is just too much. No wonder the Canadians want a direct Vancouver to Guad flight! NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN

SEE CAPS

Why do you assume Z buys his wife's clothing for her?

FYI: If you have to transit the U.S., go thru San Jose. CA  I have never had a problem.  Always nice, polite, fairly quick and if they do open a bag on exit, everything is left neat with a TSA note. (however, Volaris=not so good, but I think that's a system-wide problem)


I agree, would be a real bummer to have clothes switched with someone going to Hawaii, if you were heading off to ski in Colorado (and having no recourse, without proof as to who did the switching)

We have had our bags searched a few times and the locks were replaced and also a note inside. Only once the lock was removed and was not replaced back on the luggage. We carry extra TSA locks in our carry-ons so we will have spare when they are cut off or not replaced. In general TSA in the U.S. is pretty militarian and they order you around. Not like the kind security in Mexico airports !

It's not easy to do this, but when I fly, I compress my wardrobe needs into a carry on bag. Not much variety. That seems to be the only way to keep the sticky fingers out of yours. No liquids.
Sorry to hear about your crummy experience, Zed.

I've had a TSA locked removed in Mexico, because maybe they don't have the keys?? But my bags are often opened and there has always been a printed card and things are replace relatively as they were. Mostly they don't take things out - they use their hands to lift and inspect like they do with you carry on if you've ever been checked. Still, lousy experience.

Yes cards were left. Luggage was searched both ways and we lost two TSA locks as I gave my wife my TSA lock for trip back. Both situation were in Ft. Lauderdale. No baggage clerks, No problems in Mexico.

Z

gpbasap wrote:

Zedinmexico wrote:Two years until I can become a Mexican is my answer to this!!
Z

Zed, how does that change anything with TSA?

Nothing other than pushing me to more Mexico and less USA. Emotional response.

Z

Back to suitcases: Me, I am still pondering how the inside of my suitcase got wet in one corner on a flight from here to Phoenix (dry climate to dry climate), There was no sign of water on the outside of the bag.

What I do now is buy clear zippered plastic bags in med and lge sizes, and all my clothes and toiletries go neatly folded into the bags, which I then sit on to squeeze the air out and then zip, which compacts things and means I can get more in the suitcase. This way, it is easy for inspectors to see what I have in the suitcase. I haven't had them opened, but one never knows. Can't hurt, might help. Makes it easy to unpack, too--just throw the bags in a drawer.

JayBear wrote:Back to suitcases: Me, I am still pondering how the inside of my suitcase got wet in one corner on a flight from here to Phoenix (dry climate to dry climate), There was no sign of water on the outside of the bag.

What I do now is buy clear zippered plastic bags in med and lge sizes, and all my clothes and toiletries go neatly folded into the bags, which I then sit on to squeeze the air out and then zip, which compacts things and means I can get more in the suitcase. This way, it is easy for inspectors to see what I have in the suitcase. I haven't had them opened, but one never knows. Can't hurt, might help. Makes it easy to unpack, too--just throw the bags in a drawer.

We had things in bags and they dumped them out into the suitcases with the bags on top and our broken lock in a big pile. We should have gone to panama instead of florida to get to Jamaica.

Did you report it? Also, the bags go to the baggage handlers AFTER TSA so it's still not proven it WAS TSA. I can't figure out why TSA would cut the locks since they have keys which is an easier way to get in the bag. Still sounds like baggage handlers to me.

Agree! Thieves in baggage would be my bet.

I haven't used TSA locks for years. I NEVER had them returned.
I now use plastic tie wraps - after the suitcase has been inspected
I put tie wraps thru the zipper pulls. The suitcase can still be opened
if needed but it slows down the casual exploration. Tie wraps are easily
available, come in various colors and easy to carry along with you.