Texas Photographer Not Charged with Crime

[ch1]

I alway thought that X-rays were there exactly for that, to avoid having to hand-search checked in luggage, unlike x-rays for hand luggage, the machines for checked-in luggage are powerful enough to see virtually trough anything.
If you put film inside your checked in luggage it WILL get fogged even inside his metal canister.

Also both airlines and insurance companies here ask to lock all checked in luggage, and about valuables, I can't put 15 kg of photo equipment in the hand luggage.

So we have yet another admirable example of Catch 22: if I lock it they can wreck it, if I don't they can steal it and insurance won't pay because was left unlocked, brilliant, just brilliant.

Undeniably, if you need to carry valuables via checked luggage you are in a Catch-22. However, as to x-rays substituting for hand searches - that is generally the case but NOT if they see something they don't like and want to make sure about.

As times change - so do approaches. I remember traveling through Heathrow in the 1990's during the IRA "troubles". The public address announcements then were quite explicit and unequivocable. Something like: "Do not leave any baggage unattended. If you do, it will be seized and taken to a remote spot and blown up!"

Message was clear - they weren't going to even think about searching first.

 

[fgianni]

Undeniably, if you need to carry valuables via checked luggage you are in a Catch-22. However, as to x-rays substituting for hand searches - that is generally the case but NOT if they see something they don't like and want to make sure about.

As times change - so do approaches. I remember traveling through Heathrow in the 1990's during the IRA "troubles". The public address announcements then were quite explicit and unequivocable. Something like: "Do not leave any baggage unattended. If you do, it will be seized and taken to a remote spot and blown up!"

Message was clear - they weren't going to even think about searching first.

May I point out that unattended baggage is a much higher level of threat?

All checked in baggage is tagged, and can be easily traced to the owner, in the (very rare indeed) cases when the airport X-Rays may not be sufficient, it does not cost the earth to put a call for the bag owner, and ask him to open the bag in front of the security officials. As you can see it does not take much to take the passenger's needs into consideration if there is the will to do it.

Also what I fail to understand is the need to damage the content when doing a search, if the security guys at U.S. airport were made accountable for their actions, I am sure they would treat other people possessions with more care.

 

[Heath]

There was a case recently when an Australian woman travelled to Bali to do some surfing. She took along her boogey board and when she arrived in Bali it was 4kg's heavier. This was because someone had placed 4kg's of marijuana in the bag. The bag was not locked. She has pleaded innocent from day 1 and was facing death by firing squad. When the verdict came through she was sentenced to 20 years, which is being appealed.

All this because she didn't lock the bag. So it is not only about terrorist threats, but drug smuggling too.

Heath

 

[fgianni]

There was a case recently when an Australian woman travelled to Bali to do some surfing. She took along her boogey board and when she arrived in Bali it was 4kg's heavier. This was because someone had placed 4kg's of marijuana in the bag. The bag was not locked. She has pleaded innocent from day 1 and was facing death by firing squad. When the verdict came through she was sentenced to 20 years, which is being appealed.

All this because she didn't lock the bag. So it is not only about terrorist threats, but drug smuggling too.

Heath

I did not think about it, I wonder, given the american custom's requirement of leaving luggage unlocked, what does amercan law says about owner's liability for luggage content.
Is the owner of an unlocked luggage liable to prosecution in the USA should illegal content (like heroin) be found inside? And that being the case is there any way to come in holiday in the USA and make sure something like that does not happen to you?
It would be intersting to know should an US lawyer be among our members.

 

[fgianni]

Of course the same applies to an US citizen going abroad, depending where he goes he may really end up facing the firing squad.
He is probably going to be worse off that someone coming inside the US, at least if something illegal is found in your luggage and you are charged, you can always say: "well you asked me to keep my luggage unlocked, now you can't hold me responsible for what went inside it after I checked in" this has got to be worth something in court.

 

[Heath]

Here in Australia our major airports provide a shrink wrapping service to seal your baggage on check-in. If the wrapping is disturbed when you go to pick up your baggaje you don't accept it and you tell someone in authority.

Anyone know of anywhere else that provides this or a similar service?

Heath

 

[fgianni]

Here in Australia our major airports provide a shrink wrapping service to seal your baggage on check-in. If the wrapping is disturbed when you go to pick up your baggaje you don't accept it and you tell someone in authority.

Anyone know of anywhere else that provides this or a similar service?

Heath

In Italy is available as well, but is it going to shield you from prosecution?
Also I have seen nothing like that in UK airports.