HelperElfMissy 42 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Originally Posted By: JA Which is exactly why I have purchased a tamper proof system for my bags. ALL zippers on ALL bags are fitted with them. ALL are sealed, tagged and signed. We seal them and sign the tags on the cable-ties before we allow the bags to go onto the plane, check them before we collect them from the carousel and reseal them before we return. Saves a heap of heartache, and unused side pockets stay sealed (in fact some are still sealed from our trip to Japow in Jan 2007!) I have a contact website for anyone that wants to ask (PM). We do similar using the disposable single use seals. I carry a full set of spares in my hand luggage in case we need to open bags in transit, or they are opened for us for any reason. Gone are the days of luggage locks. We also use these to seal the snowboard bags which are less simple to seal (as in not made to be locked) by linking one through the other like a paper chain to the nearest spot to hold the zipper closed. Makes for one less stress when travelling. We had to open the bag at Chitose when my 14 yr old tried to smuggle back a Zippo lighter unknown to us!! HOW EMBARRESSING! But I had some spare seal/tags in my pocket ready. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I seem to remember that for a lot of flights now you are not allowed to lock your bags. Disposable seals are a good idea. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted May 28, 2008 Author Share Posted May 28, 2008 Hmm, seems slightly anal to me. I would only consider doing it if I was flying through a dodgy country (Indonesia etc) where the officials are likely to rifle through your bags. If you are checking in fairly late going from UK-US or something with no stop over, I think there's nothing to worry about. The only time I had anything taken from my bag was in indonesia when I checked in 3 hours early at a tiny little airport. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Not worried about things being taken bobby....worried about things being put in! Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Heathrow are good at bags. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Yeah, locks are easy to get around, disposable seals are OK, so long as they stop the zips from being run open without breaking the seal. The ones I use have small stirrups at the end of the zip and the cable ties go through these as wwell as the zip tag. That way, the zip cannot be opened with a ball pen and then re-closed by running the mechanism back through. The zip mechanism will not move form gthe end. If it is opened, it must stay that way. The people who sell it also offer a sheet of translations of te wording that says "I believe my bag has been tampered with, would you please assist by supervising me while I open it." Useful if the zip has been opened. Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps Heathrow are good at bags. Bags of crisps? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 those 600,000 misplaced bags been recovered yet? Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 The dogs must be pretty dopey if they can't smell six ounces. They'll probably use twelve ounces of superskunk the next time to give them a better chance! Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Today's News.com " AN unsuspecting traveller who walked away from a Tokyo airport with one million yen's worth of cannabis due to a customs blunder has returned the drugs. The passenger, identified only as a foreign person, was "extremely cooperative" and handed the drugs back to authorities after being informed of the mistake, a customs spokeswoman said. An officer at Narita International Airport on Sunday stuffed 142g of the drug into the side pocket of a randomly selected black suitcase coming off an overseas flight for a sniffer dog to find. The animal failed the test and the 38-year-old customs officer forgot which bag it was put in. "We tried to call passengers one by one and finally we found the person late Monday," the spokeswoman said. The cannabis, which has a street value of one million yen ($10,000), was in a metal box wrapped with newspapers. The officer admitted to being aware of rules against using passenger bags for training but decided to do it anyway to "improve the sniffer dog's ability". "We are relieved to have recovered the drug," the spokeswoman said, adding that the officer will be punished. " Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Paid holiday for him then. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 Did he say sorry and bow a lot? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 Originally Posted By: Mantas They did the same test here once. They planted 5 kg of canabis in some poor girls Boogie board bag. are you being serious Mantas? Was that the case of the girl who got through to Indonesia where they found it and put her on trial? Did the authorities eventually own up then? I remember that case but didn't know what happened to the girl in question Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I had a padlock chopped off my suitcase two years ago by the American Customs dudes when I was transiting to Canada. Has this happened to anyone else? Or was I unlucky? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 1, 2008 Share Posted June 1, 2008 I would say you were unlucky JM, but I wouldn't say you were alone! We had 2 padlocks removed from our 5 suitcases 5 years ago when departing USA from LAX enroute to SYD. I was most ticked off as we had bought a heap of Disney Souveniers (well, it was out first Disney trip!)and being a Christmas Junkie I bought a large and delicate Christmas Snowglobe. I spent 2 hours getting that packing right - centre of the suitcase cushioned by bubble wrap, then stuffed toys the kids bought, then halloween costumes, then...you get the picture. Well the USA Customs fellows opened the case, ploughed through it and left the snowglobe completely unprotected (even took the bubble wrap off) on the top of the suitcase. Of course it go smashed and all of the liquid went through the suitcase - ruining everything else as well. So I now use the disposable seals...and don't but thinks that break easy! Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Some countries will not permit padlocked suitcases. Another reason why I use the cableties. If ANYONE breaks them, I would complain loud and long! Before I accept the case from the carousel, I would want a customs official to be with me, open the case for me and confirm the contents. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Don't fly thru the states then. US Customs reserve themselves the right to open anything! Hence the US approved locks with master keys held by US customs (and any sensible crooks). Which countries do not allow padlocks? I've never heard of this and would rather not find out the hard way! I bet 80% of travellers break this rule! Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Originally Posted By: Mamabear ...and left the snowglobe completely unprotected (even took the bubble wrap off) on the top of the suitcase. Of course it go smashed and all of the liquid went through the suitcase - ruining everything else as well. So I now use the disposable seals...and don't but thinks that break easy! That sux. I guess your only hope of redress is thru travel insurance. I wonder how many people get stuff smashed as a consequence of meddling by US Customs. I know that my carefully packed external hard drives were left at the top of the suitcase. I was lucky, they lived. I don't understand the seals, unless you are using them as a kind of psychological lock? Padlocks at least pretend to look sturdyish. Seals certainly wont deter the US Customs dudes. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Originally Posted By: Journey Man I don't understand the seals, unless you are using them as a kind of psychological lock? Padlocks at least pretend to look sturdyish. Seals certainly wont deter the US Customs dudes. No JM, but they are numbered and we record the number of the seal before we hand the bag over. If the seal is not there, or is replaced with a different seal we take that bag to customs and say straight up "We had a security seal on this bag that has been removed while in transit, we are unsure of why, and can not vouch for the contents, as it has been tampered with since it left our sight." If they found drugs we would have some leg to stand on. Link to post Share on other sites
AET 0 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Good idea that. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Especially when you are travelling with kids. I always take way more precautions when we travel with the kids, because they are depending on you. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Mamabear and JA: Have the seals ever been broken? Now I understand the theory, I'm interested to know how customs reacts to such a request. eg I'm not sure I'd go near Indian customs with such a request! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Mine have only been broken by Sapporo Chitose security because my stupid 14 yr old bought himself a zippo lighter during his little bit of freedom and decided to bring it home in his suitcase. Complete moron!! I couldn't believe it! I was still there at the counter, and I resealed the bag with a spare seal after the zippo was removed. Other than that - nup. Not been touched. Very comforting, especially for all those 'extra' pockets that you never use and often don't lock. We just leave the seals on those pockets all the time - trip after trip after trip. Link to post Share on other sites
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