Fearing loss or theft, people traveling by plane often bring their most valuable possessions with them in their carry-on bags. Doing that will usually prevent stuff from getting lost. However, theft can still be an issue, especially when you and your bags get separated. Like when they have to go through the security checkpoint at the airport.
You’d think that your stuff would be safe while it’s going through the checkpoint. I mean, it’s got how many sets of eyes on it? And yet stuff gets stolen just about every day, because, if you think about it, no one except the individual owners knows which stuff belongs to them. So it’s the perfect opportunity for a thief to take something that doesn’t belong to them.
It happens more often in foreign countries or at domestic airports with more lax security protocols. It also can happen as a single thief or two scammers working in tandem. Whatever the case, your stuff can be gone before you get through the scanner.
Here are some ways to help prevent that from happening.
How to protect your stuff
- Do your best to stay “ahead” of your stuff so you will be right there when it comes out of X-ray. (If you’re “behind” your stuff and it comes out of X-ray before you get there, it’s sitting there, unsupervised, until you come to get it. That makes it a target for thieves).
- When you have to empty your pockets before going through X-ray, put everything into your bag – If your wallet, passport, money, etc. are sitting loose in a container, it’s easier for someone to quickly grab them and walk away. If they’re secured in a zippered pocket of your bag, it’s one more step, as well as more time for a would-be thief to get to your stuff (they also may not know where to look if your wallet etc. are out of sight).
- Don’t be afraid to make a scene. If you see someone taking your stuff, point at them and yell something like, “THEY’RE STEALING MY STUFF!” or even just, “STOP, THIEF!” It will catch peoples’ attention and if you’re lucky, the would-be thief will drop your stuff and leave, or be caught.
- Use bright-colored items. (orange bag, yellow strap around your laptop bag, etc.) so they’re easy for you to see, even if you’re 20+ feet away. Keep watching your stuff and if you see someone taking it, alert a TSA agent (or, again, make a scene) immediately.
- If you’re traveling with someone else, have them go through a few people ahead of you. Put both your and their stuff as you go through, so you can watch both their and your stuff as it goes through X-ray, and they can see it when it comes out on the other side.
- Wear slip-on shoes. If you don’t have TSA Pre-Check and go through the regular scanner line, you have to take your shoes off. You can put on slip-on shoes much faster than you can shoes with laces, thereby decreasing the chance of your being distracted from your stuff.
What if the TSA officer steals your stuff?
It’s unfortunate that not every TSA officer is as trustworthy as we would hope. You do see news reports, here and there, of TSA agents taking peoples’ belongings (these guys got caught, but not all do). When you get your bag back from a TSA officer, if you notice something is missing, ask to speak to a supervisor; they can review security footage to check.
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