Shadow Footprints

Wanderings in Virtu and Verity.

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Travel baggage security

With Travel Sentry™ your baggage can be secure while travelling via the USA. Yes, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now allows you to lock your checked baggage with Travel Sentry™ Certified locks.

Here's how it works:

Accepted and Recognized by the TSA
  1. Each Travel Sentry™ Certified Lock has a special identification mark alerting the TSA that they can open this lock without destroying it.
  2. Each of these locks has a special code, which is used by the TSA.
  3. Each TSA screening location is able to use these codes to open the lock and then relock it after inspection.
So, with Travel Sentry travelers can now...
  • lock their bags with confidence
  • feel sure their possessions are once again secured
  • travel with peace of mind
... and help the TSA focus on its mission of securing air travel.
We can all rest assured that these codes and master keys will never make it into the hands of thieves.

To steal your possessions from your bag a thief will have to break the lock or have one of the tools used by the TSA. To the question of How do I know the TSA tools will not fall into the wrong hands? The site responds with The Transportation Security Administration strictly controls the distribution of the tools. The site does not indicate how the bag manufacturers get to test the locks or control the use of the tools.