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

[Bahnhof Strasse]

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.

I'm sure that would be an effective deterrent

 

[hash tag]

The best defense is a lot of heavily soiled underwear

You always have heavily soiled underwear. A lot of???

 

[scifisam]

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.

You have to take the laptop out of its case/bag when you put it through the scanner.

 

[2hats]

The best defense is a lot of heavily soiled underwear

Once when departing JFK, I had the joy of observing from a distance some homeland security type rifling through my (carefully prepositioned at the top of the rucksack) 'spent' underwear.

Needless to say the inspection was brief.

 

[Yossarian]

I had a camera that went missing out of a checked bag on United Airlines, I don't remember if I reported it or not - 9/11 happened about three days later so I think they were a little too busy to deal with theft reports.

 

[Yossarian]

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.

Not sure if a Care Bears carrier bag would deter thieves - kids have electronic devices too. One of these might be more effective, though it might not be worth the extra attention from security.

 

[hash tag]

Once when departing JFK, I had the joy of observing from a distance some homeland security type rifling through my (carefully prepositioned at the top of the rucksack) 'spent' underwear.

Needless to say the inspection was brief.

Underwear. Brief.

 

[2hats]

Underwear. Brief.

Sorry. Couldn't resist the pun. However it really did happen. My return flight had been delayed several days by a pilots' strike so I'd had to extend their wear, which must have made for an even richer experience.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Sorry. Couldn't resist the pun. However it really did happen. My return flight had been delayed several days by a pilots' strike so I'd had to extend their wear, which must have made for an even richer experience.

What was your longest skiddie that the TSA guy had to handle?

 

[2hats]

What was your longest skiddie that the TSA guy had to handle?

Too fruity for me to examine myself.

 

[abe11825]

I haven't seen cling wrap, but I've seen loads of black trash bags. All bulging at the seams and tagged like that's what the person was traveling with instead of an actual suitcase. I always thought it was a bit odd.

My last trip north, I went to pick up my luggage and found a pocket (holding 4 good size paperbacks I was bringing to someone), ripped in various places... to the point the zipper line was cut in a spot. Surprisingly, the books were still in the pocket, but by the grace of whatever this bag was made of, it kept them secure. The bag is old enough as it is, so I'm surprised it's lasted this long with no problems, but even still... the airline didn't want to do anything about it except offer me money off my next flight. I said I can't go anywhere without a suitcase. I made a big deal out of it and did end up with a new suitcase.... after spending hours on the phone with them.

 

[spanglechick]

I had my wash bag nicked out of a zipped holdall in my checked baggage when we went to Venice. It was big and bulky (and flowery) and I don’t know what they thought was in there. There was half a bottle of Jo Malone Red Roses perfume and a bottle of Lancôme foundation - but it seems a risk for so little reward. Of course, when you add up all the normal wash bag things that had to be replaced it cost me more than two hundred quid including those two items. But I wouldn’t have thought there was any value for thieves in my toothbrush, deodorant, hair bobbles etc.

 

[cheesethief]

I had my wash bag nicked out of a zipped holdall in my checked baggage when we went to Venice. It was big and bulky (and flowery) and I don’t know what they thought was in there. There was half a bottle of Jo Malone Red Roses perfume and a bottle of Lancôme foundation - but it seems a risk for so little reward. Of course, when you add up all the normal wash bag things that had to be replaced it cost me more than two hundred quid including those two items. But I wouldn’t have thought there was any value for thieves in my toothbrush, deodorant, hair bobbles etc.

How annoying! Sounds like a random opportunist to me.

This is why I always keep my checked baggage locked. People come out with daft comments like "that won't stop them", which really misses the point a bit - anyone who really wants to get into your bag will. Whereas a cheap lock, whilst not deterring the determined, might well make a sticky fingered, opportunistic baggage handler pilfer from the next bag along, which doesn't have one...

 

[skyscraper101]

I'd argue that it's better to have a cheap padlock now than a TSA approved lock as those keys have been widely copied and circulated.

 

[clicker]

I had my wash bag nicked out of a zipped holdall in my checked baggage when we went to Venice. It was big and bulky (and flowery) and I don’t know what they thought was in there. There was half a bottle of Jo Malone Red Roses perfume and a bottle of Lancôme foundation - but it seems a risk for so little reward. Of course, when you add up all the normal wash bag things that had to be replaced it cost me more than two hundred quid including those two items. But I wouldn’t have thought there was any value for thieves in my toothbrush, deodorant, hair bobbles etc.

Friends have just come back from Boa Vista, both had perfume stolen from their checked in bags. They'd bought it on the way out. Apparently they'd been advised to cling wrap their bags as thefts from that particular airport are currently frequent, they'd not got around to it.

 

[cheesethief]

I'd argue that it's better to have a cheap padlock now than a TSA approved lock as those keys have been widely copied and circulated.

I just use an old combination luggage lock - not a TSA one. Anyone with a pair of pliers or a knife could easily get past it, but that's really not the point - its sole purpose is to deter opportunistic pilferers. I don't have to make my bag impenetrable, I just have to make it look a tiny bit more hassle than the next bag in the line.

 

[abe11825]

I reckon any type of lock (especially if it's not TSA approved because of the whole "keys are everywhere" thing) would be better than cling wrap... only because you can re-wrap the luggage but you can't re-lock the lock once you've broken it. Telltale sign you've been pilfered is a damaged or missing lock; cling wrap can't tell you anything until you get to your destination.

And yes, I saw the video posted in this thread about how to go around trying the lock. Just makes me wonder how common that is to have someone take a ballpoint pen to the zipper and slash it open, then casually zip it closed when they're done... or how many people will try it after seeing the video.

 

[Artaxerxes]

I tend to assume they are worried about rain damage.

Camera comes with me in hand luggage, don't much care if clothes go missing.

 

[shakespearegirl]

I flew back from Bogota last week, loads of these cling film stands and loads of signs saying suitcases that are cling filmed are banned from the airport, people were still doing it though

 

[Don Troooomp]

It's probably to prevent your bag being used to smuggle drugs without your knowledge.

Stops anyone putting anything into your bag
Stops people taking things from your bag, or at least it's bloody obvious if they have, and it takes them ages to get in so they don't bother.
I use hand luggage only where possible - easier.