Elias K. Mangosteen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mangosteen) wrote2004-07-12 11:13 pm
mangosteen) wrote2004-07-12 11:13 pm
How did this happen?
So, I'm going to the UK in less than two days (i.e. I'll be halfway across the Atlantic 48 hours from now).
In the interest of taking advantage of inefficient markets, I'm shlepping a significant amount of consumer electronics over there. Given the amount and the nature of the electronics, I'm more than willing to declare it and pay VAT... it's still cheaper than getting it locally in the UK.
So, I'm trying to figure out how to pack everything appropriately, with full knowledge that I can't actually lock any of my checked luggage, because the TSA will look at my lock, going "you're 8 days old and I'm the mohel", and it'll all go bad. Because, you see, when you start talking about a couple thousand dollars of easily stealable, easily resold electronics, you start getting a little paranoid.
But who am I really scared of? Well, I gave that a bit of thought, and then it occurred to me. It wasn't the baggage handlers, and it wasn't some opportunistic twit loitering by the baggage claim at Heathrow...
It was the TSA.
The goddamn TSA.
I'm worried about some TSA goon cutting the lock (or unlocking a TSA-approved lock with a TSA-supplied tool), taking something out, re-sealing the bag, and I won't know until I get to Heathrow, by which time a digital camera is sitting in a pawn shop in Southie. Even if I insure everything (which I have), good luck on prying a police report out of the Boston Police... it's not like I can even prove when it happened. I have nightmares about even trying to make a stolen goods claim with the TSA.
As it turns out, I'm just going to unbox everything, re-pack it all in much more compact and proper-fitting enclosures, and carry the expensive stuff on the plane with me (and hope they overlook the whole 9kg weight limit thing).
I guess my main question is... how did the Transportation Security Administration become the place I trust the least not to nick things from my checked luggage? This strikes me as very odd and very disturbing.
In the interest of taking advantage of inefficient markets, I'm shlepping a significant amount of consumer electronics over there. Given the amount and the nature of the electronics, I'm more than willing to declare it and pay VAT... it's still cheaper than getting it locally in the UK.
So, I'm trying to figure out how to pack everything appropriately, with full knowledge that I can't actually lock any of my checked luggage, because the TSA will look at my lock, going "you're 8 days old and I'm the mohel", and it'll all go bad. Because, you see, when you start talking about a couple thousand dollars of easily stealable, easily resold electronics, you start getting a little paranoid.
But who am I really scared of? Well, I gave that a bit of thought, and then it occurred to me. It wasn't the baggage handlers, and it wasn't some opportunistic twit loitering by the baggage claim at Heathrow...
It was the TSA.
The goddamn TSA.
I'm worried about some TSA goon cutting the lock (or unlocking a TSA-approved lock with a TSA-supplied tool), taking something out, re-sealing the bag, and I won't know until I get to Heathrow, by which time a digital camera is sitting in a pawn shop in Southie. Even if I insure everything (which I have), good luck on prying a police report out of the Boston Police... it's not like I can even prove when it happened. I have nightmares about even trying to make a stolen goods claim with the TSA.
As it turns out, I'm just going to unbox everything, re-pack it all in much more compact and proper-fitting enclosures, and carry the expensive stuff on the plane with me (and hope they overlook the whole 9kg weight limit thing).
I guess my main question is... how did the Transportation Security Administration become the place I trust the least not to nick things from my checked luggage? This strikes me as very odd and very disturbing.
no subject
The TSA doesn't give me warm fuzzies either. Out of the three different services that I've had the dubious privledge of being hauled over and searched by, their attitude seemed to be centered around "I can do what I want to you, how I want, if I want", not "I'm a professional doing my job".
I'm not sure that I can properly articulate how frustrating the difference between the polite and efficient "Please step aside with your belongings", followed by a quick and unemotional review of self and belongings of the Japanese and Canadian workers - and the flustering and screaming to do contradictory things that the TSA seems to encourage.
Similarly, while I appreciate the availibility of multilingual employees, it's really wonderful if the employees in question speak the primary language of the country in question.
Hrm. I suspect that part of what I'm pointing out here is the difference between a career job, and porly paid hourly work...
no subject