I don't frequently check bags when I fly, but this time around I needed to check a 50 lb bag of tools -- paying $25 each way was a lot cheaper than paying $4-500 to buy them at the other end.

LaGuardia has a great system -- you get a tag from the airline desk, and you carry the bag to the TSA guy who tosses it into the big x-ray machine in front of you. If there's anything suspicious, they can check it in front of you and resolve the matter right there. No worries about theft, etc.

Denver OTOH, has you hand the bag in at the airline counter and it gets scanned somewhere else inside the airport. Of course, I ended up with a zip-tie on the bag, a jumbled mess inside, and a note from TSA. Fortunately, everything was still there. No surprise: it probably looked a bit suspicious on the x-ray, but why don't all airports have a system where they can examine the bag in front of the owner to avoid sticky TSA fingers?

As rough as NYC is around the edges, a lot of ways things are done here actually make more sense than in the rest of the world Interesting trip, but glad to be home!

Murphy's Law would have it that your bag of "deadly" tools would be processed without a hitch, & you would be the random passenger chosen for a full pat down. Nothing like flying the "friendly" skies!

I fly SWA exclusively. Bags fly free.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

No thanks to cattle-call boarding. Give me a window seat or give me death -- I get really claustrophobic otherwise.

i have the same problem except i have to be on the aisle

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

Do you prefer a Window Seat versus Aisle Seat? What does your selection say about you? | TalkTravel.biz

So you're an over-35 male who votes a lot, while I'm an under-35 woman who doesn't vote, camps a lot, and dislikes snooty food? Ah-pahrently.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

I think checking the bag out of sight of the owner is a silly thing to do - you'll get some people claiming theft when there wasn't - and the inspectors can probably learn more from body language than they could from contents!

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

SWA Business Select. Boarding position A1-15 (I book my flights 3-4 weeks ahead of time and have never been lower than A5) plus a free adult beverage. Exit row seats are fair game. I fly it whenever I can.

Otherwise I'm an aisle-seater, too. It's where my legs end up as soon as everyone is buckled in. I enjoy being taller than normal until it comes to flying. I need one more retirement before I can fly first class everywhere.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Will drive --- Flying isn't fun for me anymore. I guess I will have to fly to get to Europe or back to China though. The boat takes too long.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
No longer selling Cluster Needles Paint
No longer selling New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

I think it has more to do with where the airport has room for the large xray machines than whether it's better for the TSA to inspect with or without the passenger present. At DFW the inspection was initially done near the check-in counter. The passenger had to get the bag tagged and then haul it over to the TSA setup. Nowadays, presumably after some remodeling, the TSA has moved downstairs and bags go on the conveyer, just like always.

I have a big collection of TSA notices. I like to fly around with my S&S coupled bicycle (google it) to ride in various places around the US and Europe. It's an unusual enough setup they open it nearly every time and then have to go find me to help repack and close the case. I've gotten accustomed to it.

Prior to 9/11, you could place some decent locks on your luggage; post 9/11 all luggage locks must be "TSA Friendly" READ, any idiot now has very easy access TO YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS. Thank you, but no thank you. How about shipping your SECURELY LOCKED LUGGAGE via UPS or FED/EX directly to your destination?? That way, Mr. "Sticky Fingers" doesn't have access to your personal belongings. Of course, carry on a small bag with one or two changes of clothes in case your now SECURELY LOCKED luggage fails to arrive, but with Fed/Ex tracking, I seriously doubt that will happen. Also, if your luggage contains valuables, be sure and purchase additional shipping insurance from Fed/Ex. Easy and stress free, now that's the way to do it!!

Travel with a firearm. It's a whole different set of rules. Goes much smoother.

MV

I just wire or zip tie the bag shut. If anyone wants to open the bag, they have to cut the "lock" with a pair of dykes, so tampering would be at least evident. TSA locks -- lock with a known key available to every TSA official and their criminal half-brother ain't a lock at all.

Maybe not a such a good idea......this.

Traveling Man's Gun Arrest Appealed to Supreme Court | Fox News