If You’re Dumb Enough to Check a Laptop, Well…

A story by Scott McCartney in yesterday’s WSJ convinced me never to ever pack anything with real value in my checked in bags. The story was about how many bags are looted and stolen from, and to make it worse, have their tags ripped off so the luggage never makes it to its intended destination.

It’s not only the baggage handlers who are blatantly ripping off passengers, but the TSA. Both are guilty of hundreds of thefts, according to the story. In a Phoenix neighborhood, a couple were found to have stolen luggage piled up all over their condo, more than 1000 pieces, all lifted from the carousels at the airport!

But who is dumb enough to put a new iPod into a checked bag? How about piles of valuable jewelry? Yes people check that too. It’s like holding a steak out in front of a wolverine…it’s gone! Since 2003, a total of 330 TSA officers have been fired for stealing. Things have improved since fewer hand checks are needed now that many bags can be scanned through machines without opening them up.

Cops planted a bag bristling with all sorts of tempting electronic gear, in order to snare the thief. They found the TSA and the baggage handler working together, and videotaped them swiping a computer and a cellphone, then switching the tags to help cover their tracks.