TSA lifted wine from checked luggage

[DougS]

Only time when I found something missing from my bag was before required TSA modus operandi, but not saying here that TSA not capable. But prior to TSA, only baggage handlers would mostly handle baggage. Where’d you hear of TSA lifting things?

I’ve just heard of wine going missing, not any certainty that TSA did it. It just seemed likely because we knew they opened the bag, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I guess I was overconfident. It could have been anyone with access to the bag.

[Mike_Kuller]

Friends that ave toured Oregon wineries tell me that this has happened in Portland.

Maybe now.

We toured the Willamette Valley in 2010 with another couple and each brought a separate suitcase to store a case of wine in cardboard wine boxes. All of it made it home with us.

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

. . . The airlines are between a rock and hard place on this one because it’s not always their employees.

No they are not. If they contract with a third party, they should either get a guaranty of faithfulness or get another contractor. If they choose to have someone else do the work, they should make sure it is done right. The same goes if it is an airline making arrangements with an airport or another carrier to handle their bags.

[JFPelletier]

Actually I have an interesting story about that. A few years ago I was bringing a case of old Italians and Bordeaux in a wine check that my father in law gave me as he was not drinking wine anymore for health reasons. I checked in in a small airport where I could see the TSA behind the counter swabbing all bottles. I decided to stay at the counter until they were done, but at some point they checked 2 bottles again and then came to talk to me saying that they would have to confiscate the 2 bottles because they showing positive for explosive materials (2 80’s Gaja if I remember correctly). I begged them to not do it as they were purchased on release by my in-laws, which triggered another flurry questions. In the end the agent was cool and let the wine go through. I brought it safely home and it was delicious and definitely not explosive! But if I hadn’t been there I am sure they would have been confiscated.

To this day I am still wondering what happened exactly, but the story at least has a happy ending.

[Rick_Smith]

We recommend our customers take pics of their wines they have in their luggage and their Wine Check, (Imagine trademark here), plus write the contents on a flap of the shipper inside the Wine Check. (Imagine trademark here). This is not an unknown problem and security improvements continue, but they can’t get it all. The numbers by percentage would probably be surprisingly low. Add to that location, demographics, specific items stolen and how each airline handles their baggage. I am sure some airlines pay to have the “airport” baggage handlers load and unload, versus hiring their own personnel to work odd hours and schedules across the nation. For all the travelling I’ve done, I have one friend who had a chef’s coat taken from his suitcase and one acquaintance who had a bottle of Silver Oak removed from his suitcase, yet his marijuana has made the trip annually for 22 years without being discovered.

US Airways did buy me a new set of golf clubs, a new golf bag and travel bag after dragging my clubs across the tarmac, reducing the blades about 20 percent and putting a 25 degree bend in the metal shafts.

Theft is going to occur and there is nothing that will stop it. You put in cameras, they learn how to avoid those cameras when they conceal the property on their person or they don’t care and steal anyway.

One last thing: TSA did an inspection. If the wine was taken before or after their inspection, how the hell would they know. Your claim should be with the airline.

Couldn’t have hurt your golf game…

[Rob_Lynch]

Actually I have an interesting story about that. A few years ago I was bringing a case of old Italians and Bordeaux in a wine check that my father in law gave me as he was not drinking wine anymore for health reasons. I checked in in a small airport where I could see the TSA behind the counter swabbing all bottles. I decided to stay at the counter until they were done, but at some point they checked 2 bottles again and then came to talk to me saying that they would have to confiscate the 2 bottles because they showing positive for explosive materials (2 80’s Gaja if I remember correctly). I begged them to not do it as they were purchased on release by my in-laws, which triggered another flurry questions. In the end the agent was cool and let the wine go through. I brought it safely home and it was delicious and definitely not explosive! But if I hadn’t been there I am sure they would have been confiscated.

To this day I am still wondering what happened exactly, but the story at least has a happy ending.

False positives are pretty common with those swabbing tests. Warrants further investigation, but confiscating bottles is Bull.

[David_Bu3ker]

We have a manufacturing facility in Fairfield, CA, not far from Napa. The facility makes the explosive charges for fighter jet canopies and ejection seats. Whenever I visit I am given two letters - one for me to carry, and one for my checked bags. They explain where I have been, and why I (and my stuff) might scan positive for explosives. I always wait in the bag check area until I see the TSA folks open my bag (happens every time), read the note, put everything back (including the wine I inevitably buy in Napa), and load it on the belt.

[John_Coop]

If they open a bag and a bottle were to fall out and break would they have to leave a note or just go on? I could easily see someone dropping a bottle by mistake or if it were just wrapped up in a pair of jeans.

[Jeff_Vaughan]

About ten years ago, my business partner and I took a trip to St. Lucia. We each checked a case of wine. As we sat on the plane waiting to get off, we watched the two cases come off the plane. When we went to baggage claim, only one was there (thankfully the one with my wines). They claimed they had no idea what happened to the other, despite the fact we said we watched them both get unloaded from the plane. We drank a lot of beer on that trip.

[TomHill]

We have a manufacturing facility in Fairfield, CA, not far from Napa. The facility makes the explosive charges for fighter jet canopies and ejection seats. Whenever I visit I am given two letters - one for me to carry, and one for my checked bags. They explain where I have been, and why I (and my stuff) might scan positive for explosives. I always wait in the bag check area until I see the TSA folks open my bag (happens every time), read the note, put everything back (including the wine I inevitably buy in Napa), and load it on the belt.

Hmmm, David. I got that same problem, though my explosive charges are a bit more powerful than yours!!
Maybe I should include a letter in my checked btls??
Tom

[David_Bu3ker]

We have a manufacturing facility in Fairfield, CA, not far from Napa. The facility makes the explosive charges for fighter jet canopies and ejection seats. Whenever I visit I am given two letters - one for me to carry, and one for my checked bags. They explain where I have been, and why I (and my stuff) might scan positive for explosives. I always wait in the bag check area until I see the TSA folks open my bag (happens every time), read the note, put everything back (including the wine I inevitably buy in Napa), and load it on the belt.

Hmmm, David. I got that same problem, though my explosive charges are a bit more powerful than yours!!
Maybe I should include a letter in my checked btls??
Tom

Yours are “world class!”

[Jay_Miller]

Actually I have an interesting story about that. A few years ago I was bringing a case of old Italians and Bordeaux in a wine check that my father in law gave me as he was not drinking wine anymore for health reasons. I checked in in a small airport where I could see the TSA behind the counter swabbing all bottles. I decided to stay at the counter until they were done, but at some point they checked 2 bottles again and then came to talk to me saying that they would have to confiscate the 2 bottles because they showing positive for explosive materials (2 80’s Gaja if I remember correctly). I begged them to not do it as they were purchased on release by my in-laws, which triggered another flurry questions. In the end the agent was cool and let the wine go through. I brought it safely home and it was delicious and definitely not explosive! But if I hadn’t been there I am sure they would have been confiscated.

To this day I am still wondering what happened exactly, but the story at least has a happy ending.

False positives are pretty common with those swabbing tests. Warrants further investigation, but confiscating bottles is Bull.

One morning when I applied Johnson’s baby powder before flying I was flagged with a positive for explosives. Never knew that stuff could be so dangerous.

[Y_U_R_A_N_S]

year ago on the flight from Boston to LA, I checked about 7 bottles of wines in the suitcase. I found out a week later that TSA lifted a bottle of my keller abts 2015.

[David_Glasser]

We have a manufacturing facility in Fairfield, CA, not far from Napa. The facility makes the explosive charges for fighter jet canopies and ejection seats. Whenever I visit I am given two letters - one for me to carry, and one for my checked bags. They explain where I have been, and why I (and my stuff) might scan positive for explosives. I always wait in the bag check area until I see the TSA folks open my bag (happens every time), read the note, put everything back (including the wine I inevitably buy in Napa), and load it on the belt.

And I thought I’d need a note for my hip and spine hardware. I guess surgical titanium doesn’t set off the magnetometers.

I’ve never observed TSA inspecting the checked bags on domestic flights. I know it happens, but where? Typically the counter agent checks my ID and takes my bag, which then disappears on a conveyor. International is different.

[Mike_Kuller]

And I thought I’d need a note for my hip and spine hardware. I guess surgical titanium doesn’t set off the magnetometers.

Actually it does set it off and they don’t care about any notes.

I get wanded for my hip even when I go through the big scanner but much less than with the smaller ones.

[JFPelletier]

We have a manufacturing facility in Fairfield, CA, not far from Napa. The facility makes the explosive charges for fighter jet canopies and ejection seats. Whenever I visit I am given two letters - one for me to carry, and one for my checked bags. They explain where I have been, and why I (and my stuff) might scan positive for explosives. I always wait in the bag check area until I see the TSA folks open my bag (happens every time), read the note, put everything back (including the wine I inevitably buy in Napa), and load it on the belt.

And I thought I’d need a note for my hip and spine hardware. I guess surgical titanium doesn’t set off the magnetometers.

I’ve never observed TSA inspecting the checked bags on domestic flights. I know it happens, but where? Typically the counter agent checks my ID and takes my bag, which then disappears on a conveyor. International is different.

It sometimes happens in small airports.

[ykwon]

We have a manufacturing facility in Fairfield, CA, not far from Napa. The facility makes the explosive charges for fighter jet canopies and ejection seats. Whenever I visit I am given two letters - one for me to carry, and one for my checked bags. They explain where I have been, and why I (and my stuff) might scan positive for explosives. I always wait in the bag check area until I see the TSA folks open my bag (happens every time), read the note, put everything back (including the wine I inevitably buy in Napa), and load it on the belt.

[David_Glasser]

And I thought I’d need a note for my hip and spine hardware. I guess surgical titanium doesn’t set off the magnetometers.

Actually it does set it off and they don’t care about any notes.

I get wanded for my hip even when I go through the big scanner but much less than with the smaller ones.

I haven’t set one off yet.
Maybe a different alloy?
Or maybe you just have that look?

[Steve_L_Gellman]

Just came back from vacation. No rum missing from checked luggage!