I'm sure there are better stories but here are mine. I addition to what I listed in the other thread here is the rest of the story.

On my recent Tanzania trip I packed in a X large Filson duffel, kinda expensive. I took it to SA last summer and several in country trips without any problems. But this time...........as Filson owners know there is a nice brass lock with keys attached so the zippers can be locked together. I never bothered to remove the keys or the locks from the zipper pull, they are VERY securely attached, and I never locked the zippers anyhow so TSA could inspect the duffel if they so chose. Now I'll be the first to admit I should have but they were doing no harm and were securely attached. I check my bags in Chas. WV and all is well. I arrive in Arusha and my zippers are locked together with my own locks and NO DAMN KEYS !!.......I had to cut my own lock off after scrambling around for tools in the TZ airport. I found a TSA inspection tag in the duffel. I can still hear some SOB laughing as he locked my zippers and threw the keys away.


My fault I admit but still..................JJ

JJ
Have you looked really hard inside the duffel?
I wonder if they might have put the keys inside the duffel after locking it. They might have thought you had extra keys.

Buy Pelican combination locks. The security guys check your Filson and can easily lock it back. I've done it on every safari with no problems.

NE 450, yep I looked twice. Thinking the same but no keys. Looking back on it now it does make me smile..................JJ

quote:

Originally posted by JJ_Miller:
I'm sure there are better stories but here are mine. I addition to what I listed in the other thread here is the rest of the story.

On my recent Tanzania trip I packed in a X large Filson duffel, kinda expensive. I took it to SA last summer and several in country trips without any problems. But this time...........as Filson owners know there is a nice brass lock with keys attached so the zippers can be locked together. I never bothered to remove the keys or the locks from the zipper pull, they are VERY securely attached, and I never locked the zippers anyhow so TSA could inspect the duffel if they so chose. Now I'll be the first to admit I should have but they were doing no harm and were securely attached. I check my bags in Chas. WV and all is well. I arrive in Arusha and my zippers are locked together with my own locks and NO DAMN KEYS !!.......I had to cut my own lock off after scrambling around for tools in the TZ airport. I found a TSA inspection tag in the duffel. I can still hear some SOB laughing as he locked my zippers and threw the keys away.


My fault I admit but still..................JJ

It seems to me there may be a good job opportunity in Dar for lock pickers.

JJ that's a hoot....



Mike

JJ here's a good one: I needed to fly from ABE to LAX to do some research on a project. I didn't bother to lock my 1 bag at all ( a wheeled Cabela's duffle) when I got to luggage claim at LAX I found one of those long necked bike locks thru both carry straps locked. some SOB musta had a good laugh at coffe break time when he snapped that on! cats

Unless you're packing in a hard-sided TuffPack, aluminum guncase, or other indestructible container, there is no reason to "lock" your zippers, straps, etc. Especially the new cordura nylon bags which are all the rage. A single swipe with a knife will remove anything of value in 2 seconds. I have found the tough nylon TY-WRAPS to be the best means of securing things and they are cheap. Once you are ready to close the bag, put one on. Simply put a supply of them in your carry-on luggage, and use a new one each time. Since TSA can't trust us with a pocketknife anymore, it is a pain in the butt to get them off, but it is worth it to have all the loose stuff gathered together.

JJ,

I can only imagine the smile on the guys face as he did it! But at the end of the day as Blank says, its really a pointless exercise with soft luggage. A few yeats back I had one of the zip pulls on my hold all snipped off while transitting Istanbul...They could have just as easily snipped through the tiny 50C "paddlock" but elected to damage the holdall instead..There was no note from security nor was anything taken so I have no idea who actually did the cutting..

Regards,

Pete

I have to disagree about the Pelican locks. I have my own near-horror story. I have a pelican travel camera case and thought the pelican locks were a good idea until this trip to RSA. Somehow on the return, one of the locks either got jammed or the combo got changed by accident. Well you might know there is apparently no one at the J'Burg airport with bolt cutters because I asked. I nearly wasn't let through security at the final checkpoint because they wanted to look in the case and I couldn't open it. They finally said ok just go but it took all of them standing around scratching their heads to make the decision. US-Customs was more than happy to cut the lock off at my request. Now that case has keyed-alike locks just like the rest of my bags.

I left out for my frst safari june 8 th of this year.I made sure to foollow all posted regs by tsa and delta.I checked in a delt not much of a problem . I had a new girl who did not know the ropes put she was smart enough to ask for help.I had just purchased a Starlight case just for the trip. Delta rep looked in case had me sigh a form stateing guns were unloaded ,and then had me lock the case. TSA is 20 feet back of ticket counter, TSA inspecter ask for the keys to unlock the padlock, she had the case on the floor but could not undue the latches. My inspector is a black woman about 6 foot tall. She get pissed she can't open the box so she pick it up with two hand and throws it to the work table. It landed with a loud bang, trying to keep my cool I yell to her that I would be happy to assist her in opening the case.She asked a male coworker to help her instead, He get out a large scewdriver and prys on the wrong side of the latch. Again I yell to them I am more than happy to help the open the box. My wife start backing away as airport security start gathering behind me. He put his screw driver down and picks up a clawhammer. At that point I yell to him to not touch the case and that I wanted to see a suppervisor now. The cops are starting to get a little closer now, I know not to cross the yellow line infront of me. The head TSA offical shows up and ask what the problem is. I explain that the case is hard to open and that there is over $5000.00 of rifles and scopes in the case. That I am more than willing to open the case for them and that there is no need to damage my property. He tells me to step around to the side, but not to cross the yellow line. He brings the case to me places it on the yellow line ,he has me unlock the case with out opening it,and does a basic check of the case. He closes the case and tells me to lock it with out opening it. I do so. off to africa we go. No problems in Namibia.

On the way back we had to check bag in Atlanta, case was fine, bagage was fine,Departing Atanta to New Orleans
Tsa opened my checked bag by cutting off the TSA approved locks instead of useing there keys, broke into the cheep metal cash lock box my ammo was stored in. (clearly marked ammo). During the process half of the $300.00 worth of wood carvings got busted.

And to think I was worried about the so call uneducated African. They were 10 x better than our airport staff!!!

JD


Sorry about the Spelling.

You just stated that in the us the tsa people were uneducated african-american

TSA stand for Thousands Standing Around.........

The people I dealt with in Dallas and Atlanta were helpful and polite. I suppose that is to some degree the luck of the draw.