Travel Warning: Don't Pack a Pelican

Glad to hear you received something! I find myself worried about my upcoming trip since they say on website:

Liability is limited to $2800 per ticketed passenger for travel on or after October 22, 2004

No liability for damage or loss of protruding baggage parts such as wheels, straps, pockets, pull handles, hanger hooks or other items attached to baggage

No liability for baggage carried in the passenger cabin

No liability for photographic equipment, computers, VCRs and any other electronic equipment including software or components, jewelry, cash, documents, furs, works of art or other similar valuable items

Other items that are not covered in our limit of liability include, but are not limited to: antiques, books, china, fragile items, liquids, medicines, perishable items, securities and negotiable papers or silverware

My sympathies for all who have had bags lost and pilfered.

A while back I talked to my local TSA official in SLC about inspections and locks on bags. The person I talked to was the maager for the operations in SLC (i.e. head offical). I discussed with him several concerns I had about my bags and their contents. The one piece of information he passed on to me was that as a passenger I am allowed to request that my bags be inspected in my presence and then relocked with my own locks.

The inspection can consists of either a machine inspection, hand inspection, or simply and explosive swab inspection. Once inspected the locks placed on the bags can be any lock - it does not have to be a TSA approved lock. This inspection does not need to be repeated.

Some airports are not set up very well to do this whereas others are. And of course this just applies to the US and their territories.

Also it is helpful to travel with copies of the TSA rules as many times the floor inspectors do not know what is what. And if you hand them a copy of their own rules it is hard for them to argue with you.

Cheers,

Allen

've been there and there is not much you can do. I use an old beat up igloo for my housing, batteries and stuff but locks don't help much. The airlines totally ignor their fuduciary duty to protect their customers belongings and then claim they will only reimburse up to about 1k. They just don't give a damn.

Steve

I'll say it once and I'll say it again. TSA and/or airline personnel have a license to steal your gear and not be held accountable for it. That is the motivation.

Joe

Here's My Solution!

Sit in 14A to 17A. Carry on your case from originating city, board SJU near end of line. If it had turned up missing this is who I would be going to Police about.

--Chris

The thing that really gets me about things being stolen after you check them in is that once the bags leave your hands they are supposed to be entering a secure area. How can things go missing from a secure area? All of us go through a lot of screening to fly these days to make sure flights are safe. If someone can steal bags from a secure area and spirit them out of the airport why can't they bring something like a bomb, in? Bags are supposed to travel on the same plane with you. They are supposed to be tracking these things. In my opinion the whole system is a joke. Security? Window dressing if you ask me.

Sorry for the rant.

Here's my solution: regular plastic suitcase, with custom-made foam padding to suit my photo gear.

Not fool-proof, but cheaper, lighter, and less conspicuous than a Pelican case, even though some may say the colour wasn't really the best choice

Here's my solution: regular plastic suitcase, with custom-made foam padding to suit my photo gear.

 

 

Not fool-proof, but cheaper, lighter, and less conspicuous than a Pelican case, even though some may say the colour wasn't really the best choice   

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I do something similar, packing stuff in a nondescript black roller suitcase that looks about like every other one on the conveyor belt. However, the only problem is that the guys stealing stuff in PR may also be the same guys manning the X-Ray machine. Form the sound of things, it's not a one-man operation there . . .

Here's my solution: regular plastic suitcase, with custom-made foam padding to suit my photo gear.

 

 

Not fool-proof, but cheaper, lighter, and less conspicuous than a Pelican case, even though some may say the colour wasn't really the best choice   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

mattdiver

I like your solution!

Where did you get the foam from, please - and any tips for someone copying your idea?

Thanks

Ralph

Someone tell pelican and the rest to make stealth cases. Ones that look like normal baggage. If they already do, all well and good. If not: Copyright Dean Burman 2006

That simple..

Dive safe

Dean Burman

Someone tell pelican and the rest to make stealth cases. Ones that look like normal baggage. If they already do, all well and good. If not: Copyright Dean Burman 2006

 

That simple..

 

Dive safe

 

Dean Burman

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HaHa! My bag is actually a Armor Stealth bag, so at least they got you on the name. Originally designed to look just like any other generic black roller suitcase. They came in three sizes -- the large had drain holes and was designed to hold SCUBA gear. I use a medium (the large was just that -- LARGE) and the sides are just hard enough for protection. I pad everything with clothes and bubble wrap . . .

http://shop.divebooty.com/569.html

Discontinued, but you can still find them around sometimes . . .

Mike

mattdiver

I like your solution!

Where did you get the foam from, please - and any tips for someone copying your idea?

Thanks

Ralph

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Hi Ralph,

First thing is to make sure everything fits in the suitcase you get, including some padding on all sides.

For the foam itself, I went to a shop that does re-upholstery (that should be easy to find in any city). If the shop can cut it for you using templates of your equipment, then it's easy (that's what I did!).

If they won't cut the foam for you, just get the sheets from them (2" for top and bottom, and 4" for intermediate layers). You can use a standard steak knife to cut the sheets to the shape of your equipment. That's all there is to it.

Mat

I was hoping this was behind us, but apparently not-

http://dive.scubadiving.com/talk/read.php?...83375#msg-83375

Unbelievable. And, we know someone flying through there in June.

At some point someone said that the FBI was investigating this. Any news? Also, I was at the SCUBA SHOW 2006 in Long Beach and Continental has added Bonaire flights that do not go through San Juan. American, watch out!!

Just thought I'd say that I just traveled for 3 weeks from Cayman to USA to Bali and Sulawesi and to and fro in between and I carried all my camera gear in a big pelican case without any problems whatsoever. It is quite heavy though so it did limit what I could carry inside. I saw mattdiver's case in Singapore when I was there and it is definitely the way to go. Very light and with plenty of space - well done Mathieu.

We were returning from a trip to the west coast when I discovered that all of my bags had been gone through. I had some memory cards in a ziplock bag stored with my shaving stuff and they were gone. Even my dirty clothing had been ruffled, which shocked me because I have some fairly stinky feet and my socks didn't smell too nice.

When I called the TSA they shrugged it off. I went down to the airport and talked to a "supervisor". This miscreant apparently couldn't get a job at McDonalds. When I asked her if I could file a complaint she got angry and mumbled something about my being a PITA. I was this close to punching her but one of the armed security goons was standing outside the door. I called the TSA main office, they were little help also.

Tell me something. These people, many of which have a IQ that rivals that of a cabbage, are protecting us? BS. The TSA and their minions and talk a flying frigging leap as far as I'm concerned.

/rant off

Apparently at Intercontinental Airport Houston (IAH) a baggage theft ring was detected, after luggage was found in a dumpster IN the airport:

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4429789.html

ChrisJ,

The stolen and abandoned luggage was found several miles outside the airport in a dumpster behind a pet store. No one here is really talking about how the bags left the airport or whether it was an inside or outside job. But the Chronicle's article discusses how easy it would be to lift luggage from airport baggage claim areas.

Oddly, the article quotes a man that had his bag tags checked against his claim tickets in San Juan of all places.

I too, made my own "custom case". Like Matt said an uphostery shop is the place to get foam. Make sure you get the heavy duty stuff they use in chair cushions. If you want to cut out spaces for your gear the best thing to use is an electric knife! It works great, you can make just about any custom shape you need.

Still think the best defense is to carry as much as you can onboard with you.... and have good insurance.