A new thought on packing knives for travel?

Chuck Gedraitis Knives

Chuck Gedraitis Knives

Joined
Dec 10, 1998
Messages
4,860
I had the idea to pack my knives in a USPS box, sealed and labeled for delivery and put into my checked luggage. Would it be a federal offense since the contents would be considered personal mail if airport security opened the box?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Chuck
 
Would what be a federal offense?

What are you trying to achieve? What is the problem you are trying to solve?
 
Our son John came home for the holidays and his bags were sealed in a plastic sarran wrap type of material. They did this at the airport he flew out of in South America. Apparently after the bags are inspected they got sealed in this plastic wrap and he needed a knife to cut the stuff off at this end when he arrived at Washington D.C.

When I travel I just put any knives into my checked bags and ask them to seal it right there. So far no problemo.
 
My big concern is theft. The USA TSA has been responsible for many thefts of small valuable objects from luggage. There is no accountability because any TSA person can access your bag. I would hesitate to transport any knife of value through air travel. I purchased folders that I wouldn't cry over if I lost, and I use these for occasions when I am traveling by air and am willing to check bags. When I can't check a bag, no knife of course, and that bugs me :mad:
 
Ive never had a knife stolen in transport since I found out this new trick. I put them in my running shoes and them stuff a nicely well worn and unwashed pair of socks on top of the knives. If anyone really wants to steal my knives they are gonna have to handle my ripe socks. :D
 
I mail 'em USPS Priority Mail Insured with Delivery Comfirmation to where I'm going, Hotel, Job Site, Mothers House, I think you can prearrange to have it shipped to a Mailboxes ect. or another one of those places.
 
An article is not US Mail (and afforded the protection of US Mail) until it enters the postal system, i.e. until you drop it down the slot at the post office. And once it's delivered to its addressee, it again ceases being US Mail.

So, no, a package in your suitcase at the airport is not US Mail, even if it's got stamps on it.
 
I mail 'em USPS Priority Mail Insured with Delivery Comfirmation to where I'm going, Hotel...
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That works.

Address it to:

Mr. T. Erdelyi (Guest arriving January 15, 2005 Conf. #12345)
C/O Hotel Exorbitantee'
123 Main Street
New York, NY 12345

It's also a good idea to call the hotel ahead of time and let them know that a package will be arriving for you a few days before you arrive.

And it's a good idea to send it with signature confirmation so that you can say, "Yes, there was a package delivered to you for me. Here is a copy of the USPS Website page that I printed showing the delivery confirmation. It was signed for by Mr. Dewey Cheatem. Please look around in your mail area again."
 
cognitivefun said:
My big concern is theft. The USA TSA has been responsible for many thefts of small valuable objects from luggage. There is no accountability because any TSA person can access your bag. I would hesitate to transport any knife of value through air travel. I purchased folders that I wouldn't cry over if I lost, and I use these for occasions when I am traveling by air and am willing to check bags. When I can't check a bag, no knife of course, and that bugs me :mad:
Click to expand...


"The USA TSA has been responsible for many thefts of small valuable objects from luggage. "

Got any evidence for that?

If not, please don't go making criminal accusations against other people.



Fact is, reports of lost items from luggage are down following the TSA reforms. Lost baggage is way down. Why? Baggage handlers are now subject to background checks and baggage handlers are now more closely watched. Baggage handling areas are under video surveilance. Nobody has casual access to checked baggage anymore and nobody is left alone with the checked baggage anymore either.

Even passenger separations are way down (or were until US Air's recent little snaffu). There's a lot more emphasis on moving bags along and keeping them with their passengers. Airlines now have to match bags to passengers 100% and they have to give an accounting of any bags that are aboard without matching passengers. The days of "oh, just throw it on the next flight," are over. Now they have to file a report documenting that bag and justifying why its going unattended on that flight. The airlines have found that it's a lot less work (read expense) to just hussle and get the bag on the right flight in the first place.
 
Gollnick said:
Mr. T. Erdelyi (Guest arriving January 15, 2005 Conf. #12345)
C/O Hotel Exorbitantee'
123 Main Street
New York, NY 12345
Click to expand...

Holy S**t Gollnick, you've hacked into my computer and have now seen my Vacation plans for 2005. for this you must be blinded, everyone put on your dark glasses :cool: .

When I used to travel a lot I would always carry prepaid envelopes to mail back home if I had trouble bringing a knife through security(pre 9/11) I'd pop it in the envelope and mail it back home, now I just ship to location prior to arrival and I always have my favorite knive with me.
 
Gollnick said:
"The USA TSA has been responsible for many thefts of small valuable objects from luggage. "

Got any evidence for that?
Click to expand...

You seem very indignant and there is no reason to be. I am a moderator on Flyertalk, the biggest web board for frequent flyers. My evidence is stories from many travellers who have had stuff disappear.

There may be only a small number of thieves in the TSA but he policy that is at fault is that the TSA will often search bags without your being present. You cannot have your bag searched and then lock it. Instead, the best you can do is lock it with a TSA-lock that anyone in the TSA can open.

This is in contrast with other countrys where if your bag is searched, you are at least there while the search is going on.

Common sense means that even a small number of thieves, with several hundred thousand travelers per *day* at an airport like ORD, mean daily disappearing valuables. Fact is, you can't transport anything very valuable and small through checked bags anymore without a high risk of loss, due to this insane TSA policy.
 
I have no doubt that some TSA people are stealing from baggage. This pre-dates TSA.

Inspection of checked baggage also pre-dates TSA. Since shortly after the Pan Am 103 bombing (the "Lockerbie Bombing"), circa 1989, a fraction of checked baggage on domestic US flights has been subject to X-Ray and hand-inspection. What's new post 9/11 is 100% inspection.

Luggage locks have never been about security. The purpose of luggage locks is to keep the luggage latches or zippers from coming open if they catch on handling equipment. There are two keys that will open every Samsonite hardside suitcase ever made, for example, and both can be purchased freely anywhere Samsonite is sold and, indeed, just about anywhere travel accessories are sold. And the same sort of thing is true for every other brand. So, by being told not to lock your suitcase, you've lost no security. How can you loose something you never had in the first place?

Are there cases of TSA employees stealing from suitcases? Yes, I'm sure there are. They are people and wherever you find people, you will find a certain small fraction of dishonest people.

What I object to are sweeping statements that seem to indict all TSA employees with no supporting evidence at all. You're sweeping statement makes TSA sound like a den of thieves. I'm confident that the vast majority of TSA employees are good, honest people just trying to do their job.
 
By the way, claims of theft from luggage, while down, are more visible post-TSA because the airlines are no longer responsible for those losses, TSA is. The airlines used to pay these claims off quickly and quietly. TSA has not been good at handling these claims. That is true. And that has raised people's ire and with it the visibility of the problem.
 
you used to be able to lock your bag. The only way someone along the chain of baggage handling could steal was to break the lock. Now, the TSA people can all open your bag so it is easy for a dishonest employee to steal.

The policy is very poor. They should only search bags while in your presence, then they should let you lock your bag. That would cut down on the problem.
 
you used to be able to lock your bag. The only way someone along the chain of baggage handling could steal was to break the lock. Now, the TSA people can all open your bag so it is easy for a dishonest employee to steal.
Click to expand...

As I said in my earlier post in this thread...

Luggage locks have never been about security. The purpose of luggage locks is to keep the luggage latches or zippers from coming open if they catch on handling equipment. There are two keys that will open every Samsonite hardside suitcase ever made, for example, and both can be purchased freely anywhere Samsonite is sold and, indeed, just about anywhere travel accessories are sold. And the same sort of thing is true for every other brand. So, by being told not to lock your suitcase, you've lost no security. How can you loose something you never had in the first place?
Click to expand...
 
They should only search bags while in your presence
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As thing are today, if you would like to watch as your bag is inspected and then lock it when they're done, you may do so. This is new post-TSA. Before TSA, if your checked baggage was selected for inspection, that would be done without even your knowledge much less supervision.

The exact process differs from airPORT to airPORT. Notice I capitalized PORT. No airport as been built post-9/11. No airport built pre-9/11 was designed to accomodate today's security screening. As a result, how the TSA inspection of checked baggage is accomplished differs from airport to airport.

Here in Portland, at PDX, the big CTX X-ray machines are installed in the ticketing lobby. After you check in, your bag is taken by the ticket agent and put on a cart and hand-wheeled across the lobby to the CTX machines for inspection and then wheeled back across the lobby to be send down the conveyer toward your plane. If you ask, you can hand-carry your bag to the CTX area yourself and supervise as it is inspected. You can then lock it if you like. It's that simple.

All other airports have some provision to allow you to supervise the inspection and then lock your bag. Just ask.
 
My Main concern is when traveling to shows. I have arrived at shows and have heard that other makers have had knives taken out of their bags. I believe Joe Kious had one stolen out of his bag on his way to the Chicago show.

I know that the only way thay you can transport a handgun in checked luggage is to declare it, and have it unloaded in a locked box. So why can't I declare the knives and put them in a locked box?

When I traveled to Chicago the airport had signs saying that if you have luggage locks on your bags, remove them or they will be cut off so that idea is out of the question.

Here's the real delima, mail them to myself at the hotel and have them get lost or put them in my checked luggage and have the bag get lost or have a knife stolen out of it.

Baggage does get lost, my friend Kelly Carlson had his bag and all of his knives in it get lost flying to Baltimore from NH in early Dec. He missed the show and went home the same day and didn't get his bag back till tuesday, the show was on sunday.

And I think most of us have heard of the recent baggage problem that us airways had over the christmas holiday.
 
Gollnick said:
As thing are today, if you would like to watch as your bag is inspected and then lock it when they're done, you may do so. This is new post-TSA. Before TSA, if your checked baggage was selected for inspection, that would be done without even your knowledge much less supervision.
Click to expand...

you can't do this because as I said, even if you do watch them search/x-ray your bag, after that, your bag can be searched, rifled through, etc.

In the pre-TSA days, you held the AIRLINE accountable and you could LOCK your bag. Now you cannot do so. It is very poor policy and responsible for thousands of valuables being stolen and totally insecure bag shipment :mad:
 
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