[CQ-Contest] Airport security and ham gear - yesterday

[Scott R.]

--- Jeff Maass <jmaass at columbus.rr.com> wrote:
K8ND wrote: 
 
> Scott:
> 
> The TSA folks know that they have no liability for 
> damaged items whatsoever, and so have no incentive 
> to treat your valuables with care. 
> 
> Probably the best defense is to make the packaging 
> easily seen-through, or easily openable for
> inspection without having to take the item out and 
> then re-closable (maybe with velcro).
> 
> 73,
> 
>   Jeff Maass  K8ND

Actually I thought this would be the case, at least for the power
supply and the headphones/SO2R box/cables/discs in the cardboard box.
The power supply was wrapped --no tape-- in clear bubble wrap.  I left
the bag unlocked on purpose - I thought I was doing this in a way so
that someone could easily inspect the contents.  It would have (I
thought) been easy to open the little cardboard box and look at the
contents, unroll the power supply from the bubble wrap.  

The cardboard box was not taped shut - the top was folded closed only.
I ended up with an empty cardboard box.  All the ham toys that were in
the box were thrown back into the bottom of the Tourister bag, the
power supply thrown into the bottom of the bag, clock radio on top of
it, and then both shirts, wadded up empty bubble wrap and the TSA
inspection tag at the top.  

Noting that I had the bags packed the same way going to Hartford on
Saturday morning, and neither had the contents shown any movement nor
was there a TSA tag in the bag when I got there.  

Whatever...next time, I'm not checking the stuff.  I'd rather risk
being hassled by security getting on the plane with it than taking the
chance it's going to be broken by TSA.  I thought I was minimizing both
my and their hassle by checking the stuff - I was wrong. 

Scott W4PA


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