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Getting to Bonaire: U.S. travel restrictions from TSA?
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2002-10-28 to 2003-04-30: U.S. travel restrictions from TSA?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Parsons on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 11:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've just seen an initial release of upcoming security requirements here in the U.S.A. One of this is asking (or requiring?) air travelers to leave their checked luggage unlocked so as to ease the job of the security screeners. I find it hard to believe that this is as it appears, especially with all the media coverage over the last two or three years of theft problems from the baggage handlers (one of the hot spots was Miami International, a popular departure point for Bonaire air travel). Has anyone else heard of this? I saw it first on the MSN website and the next day in a local paper.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linda Richter - NetTech on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 11:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I read the same thing in the Miami Herald. They also said not to pack cheese and chocolate because it could be mistaken for explosives? They also mentioned the problem with luggage thefts in the southern Florida airports in regards to leaving bags unlocked.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ida Christie on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 11:40 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I heard it on the news that you have to leave your luggage unlocked. To save on delays.

We have allways locked our dive gear with the zip lock ties. We had made it to Bonaire and back and on our flight from Atlanta to Tallahassee, they asked us to cut the zip lock ties. That was a joke since your not allowed any knives etc. After about fifteen minutes they found some sizzors.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Cabus on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 2:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cheese & chocolate mistaken for explosives. That reminds of the X-mas pudding story a couple of years ago in the UK. They were detected as Semtex.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Daniel Senie on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 3:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think the cheese and chocolate more likely "break" the bomb sniffing dogs...

We had a friend who was pulled over on the highway, and asked if they could search his car. The fellow looks like Jerry Garcia. He's also a theoretical chemist, and generally curious guy, so he wanted to watch the proceedings. The officers asked to let a dog search his car.

The dog sniffed around, and the officers got really concerned when the dog alerted, then jumped into the back seat tearing into something. It turns out "Fluffy" found a McDonalds Filet-o-fish which had been half eaten and tossed back in the bag.

The officers were mortified. Insisted on paying for the sandwich (even though it was already discarded) and said Fluffy was going to have to go back for retraining.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Daniel Senie on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 3:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The TSA recommended zip ties (bring some spares in case you have to open the bags at customs stops, btw).

Also mentioned in one of the TSA quotes was a plan to have tamper-evident seals to use in place of cable ties. Seems they are sensitive to the concerns about people taking things out of bags. I'd also be concerned about people putting things INTO bags (cooperating baggage handlers could, in theory, stick stuff in private bags to send to each other, with less risk to themselves).

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 4:07 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Or place explosives, etc., in bags between the security check point and the aircraft. But, of course, they are all 'secure' people, right???!!??

I use stainless steel split rings as 'locks' on the theory that a determined person is going to get into any bag anyway and the ring is enough of a nuisance to discourage the casual thief or one in the vision of another person. 'Reuseable' also; when 'unlocked', the ring stays on the bag!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fiona Rattray on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 9:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sorry, folks, can you help out a Canadian here with translation of an acronym...TSA means.....???
I have a business trip to FLA in January, (of course, trying to dive SOMEwhere) but should I leave my chocolate habit at home? PS, I've always travelled with zip ties, now what?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Glen Reem on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 9:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

'TSA' is the new federal transportation safety administration (I don't know if that is the exact acronym but the purpose is there) that runs transportation safety in the U.S. as a result of the 'terror war' since 9.11..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Susan Taft on Friday, January 3, 2003 - 2:26 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Just returned this week from California where at LAX our checked luggage was searched while we were checking in. We were then allowed to relock it but had to ask to do so and missed one piece as the agent was a little less than happy that we were holding things up by relocking. After inspection each bag was tagged with a very sticky pink sticker which has now been hard to remove. It is my guess that each airport will be handling the locking issue differently depending on where the inspection is done.

 


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