Bridal gown vanishes from US Airways

[SolidCactus]

At least the TSA generally leaves you a little card that tells you that they stole things from your checked luggage.

I was on a CO flight a few weeks ago (A PBI flight, so you can only imagine) and this lady came on with this wedding dress, and asked the FA to hang it in the closet. The lady was sitting somewhere in coach. The FA was really cocky and said "I dont have room, Im sorry, you'll have to put it in the overhead bin", and the lady was furious and said "i cant put it there, its a wedding dress", and the FA was like, "i guess you'll just have to hold it then".

I was loving it...

 

[N965VJ]

About the same time airline workers began taking huge cuts in pay.

To see how bad the problem really is, the I-Team dug through a little known database of items reported stolen by airline passengers to the TSA (Transportation Security Administration).

"You've got sophisticated crooks (at the airport)," Jim Butler said.

"Miami-Dade aviation gets a lot of money for the security at that airport," Butler said. "My concern is the security at that lower level is wide open. These people are allowed access to whatever."

Digging through the TSA's data, the I-Team found 128,632 passenger claims of items stolen from their luggage dating from 2002 thru June 2008 at airports across the country. That's 54.2 claims filed by passengers somewhere in the United States every day! The amount of value on the stolen items placed by the passengers themselves and reported to TSA exceeded $5.5 Billion ($5,585,286,601.08).

Linkage

So by the TSA’s own figures, we’re pushing $6 billion in theft. Add that to the $6.8 billion of the taxpayers money that was spent on the TSA budget last year alone, and it starts to become clear how expensive this hunt for tewwowists is becoming.

 

[jimntx]

Second with UPS or FedEx you can insure the garment and at least get your money back if not the item itself. These carriers have a loss rate far less then the best airline.

Amen, brother. Peter Greenberg, the guy who does the travel segment on the Today show, said that he NEVER checks bags with any U.S. airline on domestic flights. He ships his luggage FedEx or UPS, and it is delivered to his hotel in his destination city. He commented that since the airlines have started charging for checked luggage it has become not only convenient, safe, and sure, but cost-effective as well.

 

[ChockJockey]

Could he be?

Can't imagine anyone treating you with disrespect.

See the Rules for the Ramp thread.

Wow, a three line response from DW? Must have really hit a nerve...

Some of us enchant with theatrical, embellished prose and others amuse with deadpan two-liners. Kindred spirits to lift and liven the hearts of the world are we; will our sparks never set the world ablaze?

Then there was the Mysterical Spontaneously Combusting Texas Backpack Incident, which happened at the same gate a bag full of camping gear once ruptured and painted me with rancid beans and rice.

I mangled a bag pretty bad once. It's a horrible feeling. A wedding dress? I'd be mortified.