Airport Staff Stealing Your Baggage

Packerjohn

Packerjohn

Packerjohn
Location
Canada
I remember when many airport hired private security staff. It was suppose to save the airport money. However, how much money can you save when airport security is stealing your valuables. Apparently, this self-help employee is somewhere in the USA!

Have a look at these characters that really believe that "god helps those that help themselves." I suppose they are supplementing their income but HEY! That could be your watch, iphone, jewelry or whatever. I love free enterprise too but not when it comes to someone at the airport stealing my stuff while I take off my belt and my shoes. Nice racket!

CCTV shows US airport staff allegedly stealing from bags
 

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Punks. Good chance they done it before there and other places. Can't believe the application process can't weed out criminals.
 
Packerjohn said:
I remember when many airport hired private security staff. It was suppose to save the airport money. However, how much money can you save when airport security is stealing your valuables. Apparently, this self-help employee is somewhere in the USA!

Have a look at these characters that really believe that "god helps those that help themselves." I suppose they are supplementing their income but HEY! That could be your watch, iphone, jewelry or whatever. I love free enterprise too but not when it comes to someone at the airport stealing my stuff while I take off my belt and my shoes. Nice racket!

CCTV shows US airport staff allegedly stealing from bags
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well they're not very bright thieves either. Let's face it, there at Security check-in is about the most likely place for them to be caught. We put our loose stuff in the tray and 2 minutes later we take it out again at the other end. The only person whose touched it are Security, so its plain as day they stole from it...

It's Bag handlers who are the most prolific thieves at airports.. even with cases and bags locked they can split open a zip on a case just using a pen
 

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I don't fly often, but I've been trying to figure out how to do it the next time with just a carry-on skipping a checking in a bag. After our luggage was left behind in Newark & we were in Germany with nothing but a few items we had in a small bag, I don't want to go through that again. That was in the late 90s & we weren't even thinking about anything being stolen then, but I'm sure it was happening. Doesn't give you warm fuzzyies when you travel.

Any ideas on possibly protecting your purse going through these check points? They tell you to keep your script meds & valuables with you & not in check-in luggage, but what can you do to protect those? Opening up bigger luggage may be harder to do in front of you, but could happen if your not watching your things. Can you still ask for hand check for certain items like purses?
 
Lilac said:
Any ideas on possibly protecting your purse going through these check points?
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If you’re carrying a large amount of cash, you can hold it in your hand or within a plastic bag and display it as you go through the x-ray. This is very commonly done for Vegas travel.

I use carry-on only and put valuables in an awkward place that someone doing something like supposedly just running his hand over the zipper can’t find easily. Opportunity is everything. Put your medications in a large zip bag in the middle of your suitcase. If TSA says they need to check your bag because of something on the X-ray, you will be there watching them.
 
Speaking of watches, one of my men had his very expensive watch lifted during a routine search of his carryon. I asked if he talked to the Supervisor and he said he was told they have no cameras in place, so how would he prove he even had a watch in the bag. Lucky for him, his homeowner’s insurance paid about 80% of the replacement cost, but only because he had kept the receipt.

I wrote to the airport manager in Washington National Airpirt and received back a very nice letter of apology, but he wrote they are not responsible for lost or stolen items. He also stated that they were planning to put in cameras the first of the new year.
 
Jules said:
If you’re carrying a large amount of cash, you can hold it in your hand or within a plastic bag and display it as you go through the x-ray. This is very commonly done for Vegas travel.

I use carry-on only and put valuables in an awkward place that someone doing something like supposedly just running his hand over the zipper can’t find easily. Opportunity is everything. Put your medications in a large zip bag in the middle of your suitcase. If TSA says they need to check your bag because of something on the X-ray, you will be there watching them.
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Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware you could carry anything through the walk-thru x-ray with you. I'm more concerned loosing credit cards & money most of all, the hard to replace items when your traveling. Also any script meds that you have to have.

I guess putting anything important in the toes of your shoes & then stuffed with socks would fit the bill of making it harder to snag them. I usually put my shoes in a bag to keep my clothes clean so that would make it more difficult. As far as jewelry, anything good I'll wear like my rings. I don't take a lot of jewelry with me when I travel, just a couple of extra pairs of earrings. I don't like leaving valuables in the hotel room either.

Coming back from Germany in '96, my husband's aunt gave us a crystal candy dish at the last minute. I put it in my personal bag I was carrying & through each x-ray, it was flagged & hand checked. At one checkpoint, I was told it showed up as a solid black mass. I told my friend that story & she said I had a very good piece of crystal.

I also remember that security in Germany at that time was much more than in the U.S. when we were leaving. At airport my belt buckle set off the x-ray. I ended up putting it in the luggage & then it was the button on my jeans. Each time I was hand wanded. Before being allowed onto the international concourse, everyone in line was asked where they had been & if you stayed with anyone, how did you know them. Took forever in line.
 
I looked at the video a little longer and that's basically their version of perfected technique. They've done it before.

Besides criminal lying or slipping by to get the job many "employees" get an attitude on job toward their employer or customer. They look young so they probably haven't had high responsibility jobs like this before.

The minute a supervisor gets a report of theft they need to review these videos. Also reports of theft should be forwarded to seconded off site office so there is less chance of someone covering for them or selves.
 
@Lilac If it’s a style you’d wear, invest in a Scottevest or similar brand. They have lots of interior pockets, zipped or Velcro. You can carry your passport or small valuables in it. I fold it neatly at the bottom of the TSA bin. Everything else on top.

Carrying the large amounts of cash through TSA might have been specifically a Vegas thing. I’m not sure I’d try to take anything else through. If they made it go in the bins, you’d be separated from the original bin by then.
 
Jules said:
@Lilac If it’s a style you’d wear, invest in a Scottevest or similar brand. They have lots of interior pockets, zipped or Velcro. You can carry your passport or small valuables in it. I fold it neatly at the bottom of the TSA bin. Everything else on top.

Carrying the large amounts of cash through TSA might have been specifically a Vegas thing. I’m not sure I’d try to take anything else through. If they made it go in the bins, you’d be separated from the original bin by then.
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I love fleece vests & they had one that I like. Those are excellent options for carrying valuables.

I have a Barbour coat & it was the first jacket I had with interior pockets. I wore it in Germany & kept our passports & traveler checks in it. I didn't carry my purse at all on that vacation & loved it.
 
It looks like it requires a combo of employees to look out or alert the other one etc.........

as the travel i have done this year they had about 4 TSA agents all close enough to witness another persons hand lingering in a bin like that...
harder to get 4 people willing to risk job etc for some quick cash.

Several places will not let you carry anything at all through x-ray ...
if i was carrying cash i would openly video with phone ....my putting in bin and when i picked up bin after going through x-ray ... verify
TSA in several areas at a few airports i have been in also rotate people among the various posts making it harder to create a pact like was seen here ...


There is always someone who if they see a chance ....... they will try it ....
I would say like other jobs .........sometimes a person decides why not? even after being a long term employee ...
this is why airports or any other business should never let employees know if cameras are not operating properly etc.
 
It's been ages since I flew with checked baggage. I haven't flown in years but the last few times I made it with carry on only. Really helps travel time. I know that can't work for every trip.

Yes, I guess these geniuses didn't think about the cameras. My workplace has cameras. I don't even think about them because I'm too busy doing my job as I should.
 

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