Why do people wrap their suitcases up in a half ton of cling film?

[joustmaster]

Most modern suitcase come with locks that are supposedly approved by airports. I guess dodgy baggage handlers know the code that too.

2 seconds with a biro

 

[salem]

Yeah those locks are a joke, someone at the TSA posed for a photo for a Washington Post article a few years ago with the whole set of master keys on display and now you can download the CAD files and print your own or buy a set on eBay for a few quid

 

[scifisam]

TBF they are supposed to open luggage sometimes for security checks, aren't they, so if they can't open the locks they have to break them. So there's not a lot of point trying to have a lock the TSA can't open.

 

[hash tag]

I never bother even locking my cases; if someone is going to have a rummage and nick stuff they will do it regardless. Besides essentials and valuables are always carried by hand.
That shrink wrapping stuff is to deter customs from searching your bags, the thought being they cant be arsed to deal with all that stuff.

 

[joustmaster]

The best defense is a lot of heavily soiled underwear

 

[cheesethief]

The best defense is a lot of heavily soiled underwear

Did that convince the trial judge?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

TBF they are supposed to open luggage sometimes for security checks, aren't they, so if they can't open the locks they have to break them. So there's not a lot of point trying to have a lock the TSA can't open.

As they did with mine, which just had a bit of a stuck zip ffs, they will just cut it open if they can’t open it normally and then rewrap it in clingfilm with a bit of paper saying “we can do what the fuck we like, if you don’t like it tough titty”.

It’s all about relative opportunity anyway - a lock which is slightly slow to open means your bag is less likely to be chosen over one with no lock. Bag thieves don’t generally have much time I understand.

 

[kalmatthew]

I had it done when I was moving back from Malaysia not so much security as my cases were very, very full and I didn't quite trust the zips. It was considerably cheaper there though

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

The best defense is a lot of heavily soiled underwear

Just lob a couple of dog turds in with your clothes, any baggage handler having a rummage is gonna give up once his hands are covered in shit.


My ex-brother-in-law was a transfer baggage handler for BA, his day seemed to consist of smoking pot whilst playing poker and then occasionally popping out to steal stuff from people's luggage. He got caught when BA had a clamp down on it in the late 90's and got 4 years for his trouble. He said at the time that they go through every single bag that has no lock, takes 2 seconds per bag to whizz it open, hands through and out and close it again. Any kind of lock at all was enough to let the bag go unmolested.

They are searched going in to work, same as passengers are, not searched leaving work though.

 

[miss direct]

Very popular here in Istanbul. There are booth things where you can get your bag wrapped. Seems stupid and wasteful to me - the only sensible reason would be if the zip on your case was dodgy/broken.

 

[t0bytoo]

Often the plastic wrap is for when the suitcases are crap quality and likely to break open.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

My ex-brother-in-law was a transfer baggage handler for BA, his day seemed to consist of smoking pot whilst playing poker and then occasionally popping out to steal stuff from people's luggage.

A dream job.

 

[RainbowTown]

I've travelled extensively over the years and cling film will not deter anyone thieving from one's luggage. If someone's determined to unpick a lock or cut through luggage material, a few layers of cling film isn't going to make a blind bit of difference. Yes, it may add some security (very little probably) if your lock is broken at the last minute whilst at the airport, or your luggage is actually damaged ie. ripped, but otherwise it's pretty much a waste of time, I think.

 

[klang]

I've seen it more in Europe, but seems to be something older people get done to stop theft.
View attachment 166404

It's a mad price though, especially in the UK. I did see a bloke outside Rome airport a few years ago with his own roll of cling film though. Seemed a smarter way of doing it!

don't think I ever had suitcase content worth more than £14.

 

[sim667]

I've had to have it done before because of straps hanging off my bag, but I always take a hiking bag.

 

[bellaozzydog]

It’s a very African/developing country thing. Travellers often carry what looks like their entire life possessions , a metric shit tonne of luggage
Travel is very often non routine for people, it raises fears that aren’t necessarily founded and selling 4 metres of plastic is a quick buck.
Stuff does go missing in some less salubrious airports and the wrap would help opportunistic theft.

I don’t give a fuck. I never have anything of any value in hold baggage and if I do it’s work equipment and insured. I use an 18 year old north face duffel and zip tie the zips to a fixed point on the bag just as an indicator of any tampering

 

[nick]

just got back from the trip of a lifetime with the family to Australia. Pretty sure my camera was in my checked in luggage in Brisbane - it sure as fuck wasn't there when we got home. Don't give a fuck about the lost camera, but would love to be reunited with the 1,000 odd photos of unique moments that were on the memory card.
Cling film for me next time

 

[RainbowTown]

just got back from the trip of a lifetime with the family to Australia. Pretty sure my camera was in my checked in luggage in Brisbane - it sure as fuck wasn't there when we got home. Don't give a fuck about the lost camera, but would love to be reunited with the 1,000 odd photos of unique moments that were on the memory card.
Cling film for me next time

Sorry to hear that and hope somehow you recover your memory card and the camera, too.

As a rule of thumb I always carry stuff like that in my hand luggage, tucked securely away in stuff like a couple of cheap t shirts or socks etc that I put in my hand luggage for such purposes. I've sometimes even tucked my memory cards down the side of the pair of socks I'm actually wearing while at the airport.

 

[editor]

just got back from the trip of a lifetime with the family to Australia. Pretty sure my camera was in my checked in luggage in Brisbane - it sure as fuck wasn't there when we got home. Don't give a fuck about the lost camera, but would love to be reunited with the 1,000 odd photos of unique moments that were on the memory card.
Cling film for me next time

Really sorry to hear that, but for future reference: always keep valuables in your hand luggage (or, as RainbowTown says, at least keep the memory cards on your person). Bags with cling film all over them still get opened up.

 

[nick]

So do I normally - but hand luggage was bulging so slipped it into a (zip up) bag for the hold (or so I vaguely remember).
Wife also managed to lose her iPad on the same trip - had it on plane from Brisbane. Got on plane home from Singapore transit stop and suddenly it was gone. Airline say not found.

 

[nick]

I think next camera will have to be one with wifi or something, so I can back it up as I go. Thank god for phones as at least I managed to get the odd snap of the holiday on that as well

 

[nick]

• Friends we stayed with don't have the camera.
• Singapore air don't have it
• Changi and heathrow don't have it
• Budget rentacar don't have it
• Could have sworn I put it inside some soft clothes in the hold luggage. But obviously not

Have checked through the whole house for rate last 8 days. It is nowhere... bloody baggage handlers must have lifted it.

After a shitty day at work decide to have another look (fuelled by a couple of drops of special weekend tincture). Have checked all the pockets of the clothes we travelled with. But now do a "weight test". Bloody thing is in the elasticated cuff of my Harrington (that the kids hung up when unpacking.

I feel a weight of self-flagellation has lifted from my shoulders.

Huzzah

Still looking to get a wifi camera so I can back up as I go - worth it to avoid the misery I went through over the last week

 

[editor]

Cling film wouldn't have helped at this London airport

‘My £1,000 Macbook Air was stolen at airport security and no one cares’

 

[cheesethief]

Cling film wouldn't have helped at this London airport

‘My £1,000 Macbook Air was stolen at airport security and no one cares’

I've been thinking about one... always had concerns myself, it's a bit scary being asked to put your most valuable items in a fucking tray & then walk away from them...

One idea springs to mind: put your tablet/laptop/etc in a bright pink plastic bag, then stick that in the tray. Won't affect the X-ray in the slightest, but might serve as a deterrent from someone "accidentally" picking up your stuff.

Anyone got any better ideas?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I've been thinking about one... always had concerns myself, it's a bit scary being asked to put your most valuable items in a fucking tray & then walk away from them...

One idea springs to mind: put your tablet/laptop/etc in a bright pink plastic bag, then stick that in the tray. Won't affect the X-ray in the slightest, but might serve as a deterrent from someone "accidentally" picking up your stuff.

Anyone got any better ideas?

Security at all airports is bristling with CCTV and no one is permitted to just hang around in the area. For anyone to pick up your lap top, camera, whatever they have to happen to be right there, at exactly the right time and to not care that their image will be captured and fairly easily linked back to their passport (and credit card used to book the flight).

Must be astonishingly rare that this really does happen.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

From that article:

It has been alleged that gangs in the US target air passengers going through security homing in on the unwary, and moving in behind them in queues. It has been claimed there are two thefts a week from security trays at Miami airport.

45 million passengers p/a pass through Miami, assume 50/50 arrivals/departures that's 22.5 million. Divide by 52 that is one theft for every 2,163,000 passengers.

'Gangs'

 

[skyscraper101]

I was in Miami Airport the other week and found one of those machines that wraps bags. Seemed to be a free service.

I even thought of this thread and took a photo.

 

[cheesethief]

Security at all airports is bristling with CCTV and no one is permitted to just hang around in the area. For anyone to pick up your lap top, camera, whatever they have to happen to be right there, at exactly the right time and to not care that their image will be captured and fairly easily linked back to their passport (and credit card used to book the flight).

Must be astonishingly rare that this really does happen.

Yeah but the news article kinda suggests that if it does happen, security don't really give a shit...

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Yeah but the news article kinda suggests that if it does happen, security don't really give a shit...

Yeah it does happen and it seems at London City they don't care, according to that article LHR and LGW would be much more on the ball.

But if Miami's figures are anything to go by, 1 in 2 million is not a risk worth getting too concerned about.

 

[cheesethief]

Yeah it does happen and it seems at London City they don't care, according to that article LHR and LGW would be much more on the ball.

But if Miami's figures are anything to go by, 1 in 2 million is not a risk worth getting too concerned about.

Agreed, the risk is tiny, it's more anxiety inducing than anything. However I stand by my suggestion: Stick your laptop in a bright pink Care Bears carrier bag (showing my age there, whatever the contemporary equivalent would be) and I'll wager that any sticky fingered types in the area would rather choose someone else's stuff to nick.