49 DAYS TO GO . . .

     SATURDAY MARCH 5, 2011

     SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR SUITCASE PACKED, OR AT LEAST YOU THINK YOU DO, BEFORE YOU CHECK IT THREE MORE TIMES.  NOW COMES A REAL QUANDARY.  DO YOU LOCK YOUR LUGGAGE?  I NEVER KNEW WHAT A BIG DEAL THIS WAS UNTIL I STARTED READING ABOUT IT.  I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE FORESEEN SOME OF THE ONCOMING PROBLEMS INVOLVED AFTER ALL THE INCREASED AIRPORT SECURITY CHECKS.  I ONLY RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT YOU CAN'T USE THE LOCKS THAT MAY HAVE COME ON YOUR SUITCASES ORIGINALLY UNLESS THEY'RE APPROVED BY THE TSA, AND MOST LOCKS AREN'T.  YOU'LL KNOW.  THERE WILL BE ONE OF TWO SYMBOLS ON YOUR LOCK: A TORCH AND FLAME OR AN OPEN DIAMOND TYPE SYMBOL. 
     ALL LUGGAGE IS NOW SCREENED BY THE TSA BEFORE IT IS PLACED ON AN AIRPLANE, BUT SOME LUGGAGE NEEDS TO BE PHYSICALLY INSPECTED FOR MANY DIFFERENT SMALL REASONS.  IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE APPROVED LOCKS, THE TSA CAN USE A UNIVERSAL MASTER KEY TO OPEN THE LOCK, INSPECT YOUR LUGGAGE, AND RE-LOCK IT BEFORE SENDING IT ON IT'S WAY.  IF YOUR LOCK IS NOT APPROVED AND YOUR LUGGAGE NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED, YOUR LOCK IS SIMPLY CUT OFF.
     ANOTHER OPTION THAT IS GROWING IN POPULARITY IS LOCKING YOUR LUGGAGE WITH ZIP TIES.  THEY'RE CHEAP AND COME IN PACKS OF BIG NUMBERS AND ARE EASILY REPLACEABLE.  ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS REPLACEABLE OPTION IS THAT IF THE TSA NEEDS TO PHYSICALLY INSPECT YOUR LUGGAGE, THEY WILL REPLACE THE ZIP TIES FOR YOU IF THEY'RE FORCED TO CUT THEM OPEN.
     NOW THE "WHYS" OF LOCKING YOUR LUGGAGE.  HOWEVER UNFORTUNATE, AND EVEN UNLIKELY, THE REASON PEOPLE LOCK THEIR LUGGAGE IS BECAUSE THINGS CAN FALL OUT.  A ZIPPER GETS CAUGHT AND YOUR BAG OPENS A LITTLE.  BUT THE TRUTH IS THINGS ARE STOLEN OUT OF THEM.  WHETHER BY BAGGAGE HANDLERS OR TRANSFERS, OR AS I'M FINDING OUT MORE AND MORE, AT YOUR DESTINATION.  WHETHER IT'S A HOTEL, RESORT, OR CRUISE SHIP, BAGS ARE OPENED AND THINGS ARE STOLEN.  NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, OR HOPE, UNLESS YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOUR LUGGAGE WITH YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP AN EYE ON IT ALL THE TIME.  WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELING IN A GROUP, YOU'RE LUGGAGE IS USUALLY MOVED IN MASS AND STORED FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME, AND YOUR LUGGAGE JUST WON'T BE VISIBLE BY SECURITY AND CAMERAS ALL THE TIME.  IT'S THE STAFF HANDLING THESE BAGS THAT KNOWS THIS BEST, AND WHERE IT'S BEST TO OPEN THEM.  SO TAKING THESE PRECAUTIONS, HOWEVER UNNECESSARY THEY MAY SEEM, MAY JUST PROTECT YOU MORE THAN YOU THINK IN THE END.  I JUST READ ABOUT A WOMAN THAT HAD SOMETHING SHE PURCHASED ON HER CRUISE FOR HER DAUGHTER THAT MYSTERIOUSLY WASN'T IN HER SUITCASE WHEN SHE GOT HOME.  WHAT CAN YOU DO?  ALL THE COMPLAINING IN THE WORLD ISN'T GOING TO PROVE IT EVER WAS THERE, LET ALONE WAS STOLEN.  I TALKED BEFORE ABOUT PUTTING EVERYTHING IN YOUR SUITCASES IN A BAG, OR BAGS, INSIDE THEM.  WELL THE SMALL INVESTMENT OF TSA APPROVED LOCKS OR ZIP TIES AROUND YOUR BAG ZIPPERS MAY SAVE YOU THE SAME HEARTACHE.  JUST PACK A PAIR OF NAIL CLIPPERS OR A REAL SMALL PAIR OF SCISSORS, THAT WON'T RAISE ANY SUSPICIONS, BUT CAN STILL SNIP YOUR ZIP TIES WHENEVER YOU NEED TO.  PLAN AHEAD, BE SAFE, AND BE SECURE.  YOUR FUN AND TRIP MEMORIES MAY JUST BE TIED TO IT.
     NIGHT NUMBER 3 OF OUR DISNEY MOVIES IS THE ORIGINAL "FANTASIA".
     SEA YOU REAL SOON!   ºOº