Do You Lock Your Luggage?

[Jingthing]

Jingthing,

I understand your point, but disagree. The only time I have ever had my CHECKED bags broken into and items stolen was when it was locked. It was reported and I never had my itmes returned. From then on I have never locked my bags and have not had any items stolen. Maybe I have been lucky or un-lucky. If you can tell me which it is, then I will know. I am trying to put a "smiley" here but it isnte working.

regards

So your own personal experience, one case out of hundreds of millions, proves something. Interesting.

[GungaDin]

FWIW,

I just brought thru 27 bags, each with a bright Red cable tie, securing the zips.

Nothing touched.

BTW, those multi coloured cable ties are available from Dollar shops, dirt cheap. (in Aus)

[Murgatroyd]

Yes, I lock my check in bag, mostly to secure it against someone adding drugs or other contraband. I don't carry anything of value to anyone else in my check in bag... All the electronics are in my carry on bag.

[jonmlb]

personally never bother ,my thoughts are people might assume there,s some thing worth nicking if you´ve got serious locks visible,never thought about zip locks tho, seems like another great use for the little blighters.

[RakJungTorlae]

Nah a locked bag can be easily accessed within 2sec, those locks are worthless.

But it still takes the thief a little time to open it. He might use something to cut, that he cannot carry with him on plane (if he's a passenger).

With the 2nd option, anyone can just open it with bare hands.

How they going to get down to the luggage area and open it. Do a ninja on a plain? Or they gonna cut it open where everybody?

"don't worry people this is my bag I lost the key, lucky I carry a spare knife".

I'm curious to know how many members think it's worth putting locks on luggage to deter thieves/drugs.

I don't use a suitcase, just a backpack/rucksack and didn't use any locks on my previous trip.

I always use mini-padlocks oare the twisty-ties.

I've learned the hard-way. prescription glasses stolen, and other items at times.

Mr Magoo?

[Mighty Mouse]

Nah a locked bag can be easily accessed within 2sec, those locks are worthless.

Any lock can be accessed. The easiest method is by brute force but if brute force on your luggage is used somewhere between the check in counter and the carousel, somebody would witness it. The airport should have security cameras in strategic locations to keep an 'eye' on all passenger luggage. Most luggage thieves work solo and don't want to be detected, so if the luggage is locked why would they take the risk of pulling out the bolt cutter.

On one occasion traveling into LOS, I had a thick chain with a huge padlock wrapped around my hard shell Samsonite case, just for added protection.

[britmaveric]

Don't need brute force - just a lock pick, I bought a set myself - opened up a lock in less than a few seconds.

[Mighty Mouse]

Don't need brute force - just a lock pick, I bought a set myself - opened up a lock in less than a few seconds.

Hmmmm. Now why would any honest person want a set of lock picks?

Are you thinking of going into the house breaking trade?

My Samsonite hard shell case has a combination lock. There are 999 different combinations. I have seen brute force (a screw driver,) used to open such a case. It totally destroyed the lock. Does your lock picking tool open combination locks too?

[britmaveric]

^nah just wanted to see how easy it was, even came with an instruction manual. Any rate precision screw driver can open most of the padlock types that use keys.

[ClaytonSeymour]

I use a hardshell case with an integrated combination lock. Unfortunately, it's not TSA approved, so should I visit the US - I'd need a new suitcase.

Edited January 24, 2009 by ClaytonSeymour

[yosithezet]

Blue, green or red cable ties (or "zap straps" as we call them) are not so common. You use green ties on your luggage and find white (or black) ones on it when you get to your destination, you know if someone has been tampering with your stuff.

Great idea!

I travel with a hardside Samsonite suitcase. Always locked. Last time I was in the US and didn't lock it the TSA opened it, broke and stole stuff, then left me a nice note.

[neverdie]

Loaded weight is 18kg, but no airline has ever asked to weigh it.[/b] An AirAsia employee questioned its size and told me it had to go as checked baggage. When I explained that there was about 350,000 baht worth of electronics in there and I'd hold him personally responsible if a single thing got broken or damaged, he walked away. But I'd never put *anything* of value under the plane.

I checked in for a flight the other day, my baggage weighed 9kg. The checkin lady then asked to weigh by carry on luggage, which was 3.2kg. I told her that I had never had my carry on luggage weighed before & asked her why she did that? She replied that she had never checked someone in for an international flight before with only 9kg of luggage, so she thought my carry on luggage would be too heavy. Strange theory really.

Edited January 27, 2009 by neverdie

[neverdie]

FWIW,

I just brought thru 27 bags, each with a bright Red cable tie, securing the zips.

Nothing touched.

BTW, those multi coloured cable ties are available from Dollar shops, dirt cheap. (in Aus)

GD, You may not have seen the news but all those dollar shops in Australia just went into receivership.

[GungaDin]

No, I didn't know, lucky I have plenty of spares.

[t.s]

Question,

Would a thief narrow their search for loot to only the few locked bags, or go through all of the un-locked bags? IMHO, its a toss up, but I tend to lean toward not locking my bags and dont put anything in that I cant live without.

agreed, take my socks and underwear if you wish, you will find nothing else of value.

actually i rarely check luggage in at all.

[Martian]

Just as with anything there are different philosophies. I agree with many of them here, even if they are in conflict. I personally don't lock my checked luggage because I don't put anything of great value into checked. I do see and agree with trying to keep would-be traffickers from placing controlled substances into your baggage trying to make you their anonymous mule.

Up to your comfort level with things.

Regards,

Martian

[wolfmanjack]

I lock my luggage to keep the suitcase from popping open. Sometimes i use a banding machine to put straps on them. I have seen the way the baggage handlers throw the suitcases around. The valuables always go on the plane with me.

[Briggsy]

Follow these rules and you will thank me later.

1. Never put valuable items in your check-in luggage. Be it a plane or a bus or a boat or whatever, keep valuable items near your person.

2. Use a small length of plastic coated wire to 'lock' your baggage. If customs want to open the bag, they don't need to smash it, just twist it off. 99% of baggage-handling thieves would be put off as they would waste time opening the bag. For trips within South-East Asia excluding Singapore, just lock the bag. They're not as bag-smash-happy as developed countries. The kind of wire I am referring to can be found when purchasing electrical goods. It is used to keep the cable in a loop.

[Boycie]

Yes, i lock (secure) my luggage with zip tie's.

Not because i have valuables in my luggage; i carry them with me at all times, but to stop anyone from 'planting' anything in my luggage.

A tip i picked up from my backpacking days staying in dorms, was with the combination number locks, is after locking them, instead of just turning the numbers to random digits, place it onto a certain number that you will remember and when you come back to your luggage if the number is different you know someone has been trying to get in.

I still use this now, even thou i've upgraded to hotels.

Boycie.

[nookiebear]

Nah don't bother - when I have locked my bags - they have been cut off by customs!

UK Customs have huge bunches of keys ............I've seen them opening suitcases many times BEFORE they arrive on the luggage carousel.I spent 35 years working at LHR & LGW.

[henryalleman]

Always get mine wrapped in plastic at LHR for £5.00 a bag just to be safe!!!

Then even I have trouble getting it open at the final destination!!!!

So am I and the same time its have insurance against theft and damages. I pay 7 euro;

[Zpete]

Once upon a time I locked everything.

After retrieving bags and locks missing, neva bother now.

Neva had a missing item.

I make over dozen or so international flites a year, most out of Thailand to neighbouring countries and return.

If ya must wrap ya bags, I once used a couple of rolls of cling wrap, just as good, and hel_l of a lot cheaper.

That service at airports for suckers, a knife soon does away with the wrap.

Reckon it is pretty safe nowadays.

[baboon]

Nah. I never have anything worth stealing so why bother?

[GungaDin]

Thieves targeting outbound passengers at Bangkok airport

Loading ... Posted on: March 9th, 2009 by Martin Fellowes www.bangkokairportonline.com

Tourist police in Thailand have indicated they believe a number of gangs are operating at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, targeting outbound passengers.

"I believe there is more than one gang operating at the airport," said Tourist Police Chief Adis Ngamchitsuksri.

On 26 February, two suspects were arrested after passenger Mohammed Umar contacted the police about items stolen from his luggage. The 57-year-old Qatari left Bangkok on 11 February and found when he arrived in Doha that his luggage had been damaged, the lock broken and a mobile phone and gold ring had been taken.

The police assumed that the bag was interfered with at some point between check-in and the aircraft. The passenger was alerted that someone was using his designer Samsung mobile, due to a special feature that allows the phone to be tracked even when a new SIM card has been inserted.

Investigators tracked the suspects by the new phone number, and found that the phone and ring had been sold to shops in metropolitan Bangkok. The items were recovered.

The thieves in this case worked for the baggage handling service at Suvarnabhumi Airport that was commissioned by Qatar Airways.

Thanks to www.bangkokpost.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.bangkokairportonline.com

[thaieyes]

I'm curious to know how many members think it's worth putting locks on luggage to deter thieves/drugs.

I don't use a suitcase, just a backpack/rucksack and didn't use any locks on my previous trip.

Cable ties coloured plus I photograph also at the checkin counter, particularly on os flights.

[GungaDin]

Has anyone found a shop which sells colored cable ties in Bangkok?

[TenDreams]

Has anyone found a shop which sells colored cable ties in Bangkok?

I just bought white ones at tesco lotus, then painted patterns on them with permanent markers.

[Razzler1973]

I always look my bags, two locks, keys in my wallet, on me.

Lock them in hotel rooms, airports, wherever.

I don't really subscribe to the 'thieves will steal anyway' line, you're surely discouraging casual thieving, opportunism. Why make it easy for someone. If they're a proper, hardcore thief they may well steal your stuff, break your locks, they may as well steal the entire bag but I generally find thieves are more of the kind that if you give them an opportunity they'll take it, just make it more difficult, what's to lose?

[Zpete]

If you have bags with those plastic spiral zippers on them, ya waste ya time putting locks on.

Just poke hard at the zipper with a ball pen, and hey presto, bag is open.

Use the zippers open/closers to close bag.

Nobody any the wiser.

Go try it, saw it done on You Tube, it works,

Buy a roll of cling wrap, and wind it around ya checked bags, no need to pay a heap at airports and you will know if bag has been tampered with.

I must admit to having a padlock on my bag, but just a twist and it opens, looks the thing tho'.

Edited March 27, 2009 by Zpete

[fft100]

Strangely, the only thing that i have lost flying into BKK (about 30 landings in BKK in last 4 years) is the bright yellow heavy duty luggage strap complete with lock that i was using to deter entry to the suitcase....