PSA: The US TSA Will Steal Your Mech Mods from Checked Bags

Public Service Announcement: Do not pack valuables in checked bags when flying in the United States.

Now before you go and say that e-cigs must be carried on, just read through the facts.

5 MECHANICAL MODS (i.e. metal tubes) were packed in checked bags. Arrived and unpacked. Found the note that bags were searched. Great. Found another note that all "lighters and matches" were removed because of supposed safety concerns. Even more great. Because there were never any lighters or matches packed it is now up to you to figure out what is missing.

No list or description of items removed. No identifiers of the "agent" who conducted the search. No times, dates or location of search. How do you file a police report when you cannot say if you were robbed on one coast or the other at any particular time in a 24 hour period?

Now here is the shady part. Of the 5 mods packed, 3 were removed. Those 3 were still inside their presentation packaging. The packaging was plain, little to no verbiage what so ever. So we are still talking about metal tubes inside boxes. No fuel, no flint, no batteries. Nothing that could possibly or plausibly ever autonomously and spontaneously create fire. If someone had even wanted to use these materials to create fire, say, stranded on an island and desperate - it would still be impossible.

If someone had genuinely confused the items as lighters (which is a stretch since they look nothing like lighters at all), then why did they not remove all of them? The 2 identical items in form and function that were not in a spiffy box were left alone. So, what can we assume from this? They failed to find them all and left the plane at the same level of (supposed) threat of explosion? Or that the ones in the boxes had more perceived value? Ironically, the ones that were left were more valuable. So, bravo TSA agent! You are either incompetent, dishonourable, stupid or all 3.

And if lighters are so dangerous, how come planes did not spontaneously burst into flames mid flight more often for the decades they were allowed to fly with them inside?

If you take the position that this does not constitute theft because lighters should be removed and therefore metal tubes should be removed because metal tubes are "e-cigs" despite not containing batteries nor even being electronic then just go and search for all the other instances of theft reported by the TSA. No use in arguing the "safety concern" being a disingenuous ploy as all this will fall on deaf ears anyway.

If you had not even thought that your belongings would be subject to risk of theft by a government agency supposedly doing its clumsy, heavy handed part to maintain the illusion of safety - you might want to readjust your expectations before travelling to America. A place where the definition of "low" keeps getting lowered.

 

Between security agents and baggage handlers looking to supplement their income, you risk loosing anything you put into checked baggage.

Ex-TSA agent: We steal from travelers all the time
A TSA agent convicted of stealing more than $800,000 worth of goods from travelers said this type of theft is “commonplace” among airport security. Almost 400 TSA officers have been fired for stealing from passengers since 2003.
Ex-TSA agent: We steal from travelers all the time — RT America

File a claim:

File a claim with the TSA. Look inside your checked luggage for a piece of paper that states the TSA inspected your bag by hand; whenever agents have to open the bag, they're required to put this paper inside. Mention that you found this note when you fill out your claim, because it is proof that agents opened your bag and could have stolen something. You still can file a claim even if you didn't find this paper. Visit TSA.gov and click on "For Travelers," then "Claims Management Branch." Click on "Forms," then download, print and fill out the PDF "Claim Package" form. Mail or fax the completed form to the TSA; you'll find contact information on the form.
File a claim with your airline. Call the customer service number and ask calmly what you can do about a missing item. Each airline has its own policies, but expect to fill out a claim form and wait several weeks before hearing from a representative.
How to Handle Theft From Luggage | USA Today

Claims | Transportation Security Administration

 

Ah, rt.com. The Russian Times... at first watch of their hotel news channel, it kind of came off like the Daily Show and was amusing.

Now laughing time is over.

 

I have heard many stories of TSA and other airport staff stealing from bags. As said above, do not check valuables.

 

Yeah, we know that ... NOW. As a cynical *****, it just caught us by surprise... you know, you come to expect everything to be crappy and at least attempted to be ruined by some schmucky do-gooder (and he will succeed eventually, whoever he is. no matter what it is he is currently working on ruining too) but something like this you just can't think up in advance.

It is bad enough they are now MICROWAVING you on your way into the airport* -- they gotta go the extra mile to add the insult to the injury. Nice.





footnote:
* if you dont make the clearly better choice and just ask to NOT be microwaved** for your part in the live theater production of "CHARADE! All the flaming hoops for no real benefit, just a lousy show" and then get a radiation-free pat down !

footnote to footnote:
**Yes, there are yahoos that think vaccinations are bad for you. And the majority of people mistakenly believe that their interests are represented by the same actors most responsible for repeatedly victimizing them. But a millimeter wave is a MICRO wave. The only reason it is not called a microwave scan is then no one would want to be subjected to it. It is radiation. They can say it is safe all they want. When that turns out to be a total crock of shoot, you too will be glad to have just erred on the side of not being microwaved.

 

If you don't like the microwave you can always opt for the pedo-pat down:


And if you have the audacity to remain in your seat of an over-booked filght that you already paid for...expect a visit from the airlines goons:

United Airlines under fire after passenger dragged from plane; officer put on leaveUnited Airlines (UAL.N) sparked outrage on Monday for the treatment of a passenger who was physically dragged off a plane the airline had overbooked, and one of the security officers involved in the incident was placed on leave pending an investigation.
Videos posted online by other passengers showed a man screaming as officers yanked him from his seat on United Flight 3411 before it departed from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday.
The man, who appeared to be Asian, was seen being dragged down the aisle on his back by his hands, body limp, bleeding from the mouth, glasses askew and shirt pulled up above his navel. The videos sparked outrage on social media, the second time in less than a month that United was criticized for its treatment of passengers.

In a letter circulated to employees and seen by Reuters, United Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz did not apologize for the way the passenger was handled, writing that the passenger had "defied" security officers.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ual-p ... SKBN17C1VX

 

There was one time while on a southwest flight and rummaging through a carry on bag, a flight attendant while walking past caught sight of the mod in hand... The thing was not being used nor intended to be used, just held in hand while obviously looking for something else. Despite that she stops in her tracks and we had the following exchange:

What ever happened to please and thank you!?




*This is the correct answer because as we all should know by now that if the word cigarette was never employed when referring to our personal vaporizers the world would be a better place now.