How you can prevent thieves from lifting your luggage

Did you hear about the AirTran baggage handlers who took lifting luggage to a whole new level in Baltimore recently? Apparently, instead of placing it on the carousel, they were placing it in the trunks of their cars.

This isn't anything new. Ever since the TSA was busted in Detroit in 2004 for creating a regular cottage industry out of stolen goods, the TSA agents and the baggage handlers have been trying to live down a reputation for having slippery fingers. It's true, the number of missing bags and personal items increases every year. But the handlers can't take all the blame. Scam artists have been toning their skills for years and the airports are making it easy for them.

Last month when Cinda Wells flew into Chicago her bags arrived on an earlier flight. When Wells arrived at baggage claim, hundreds of suitcases were piled together without any kind of security.

"Anyone could have walked off with those bags," said Wells, who felt she was probably one of the lucky ones who actually found her bag. "Every few minutes there's an announcement about making sure no one touches your bag and keeping it in your hands at all times. But anybody could tamper with these bags and nobody would notice. I don't get it."

The thieves are the ones who get it. Most of the airports have stopped even checking baggage claim tickets, which gives the scammers another opportunity.

A few years ago, a crook in Los Angeles, dressed as a pilot, grabbed bags off the carousel and made his way toward the door as if he were on a layover. According to reports, his business really took off, until some undercover agents grounded him.

Last year when Geoff Cartier passed through security at LaGuardia in New York, he placed his computer in one bin, his shoes and jacket in another. But when his belt buckle set off the alarm, Cartier had to go through a second check and that's when he lost it. When he got to the other side, his shoes were there but his computer was gone.

According to Tom Benjamin, a retired agent, it happens too often. It's difficult for a passenger to keep track of all his paraphernalia when he's busy stripping belts, removing shoes and holding onto his boarding pass. Scam artists know this and prey on travelers who look rattled. Thieves take off with their cameras, computers and other valuables.

So what can you do to make sure you're left holding the bag? According to Benjamin, when you go through security be prepared. Wear slip-off shoes that you can get into quickly. Leave all metal items in your carry-on bags. Make sure your bags are going through the metal detector before you do. Watch where they end up and who is near them.

If you check it, adorn your luggage like it's a cheap showgirl. One flight attendant sticks giant pictures of her children on the sides. Another hangs huge name tags and pom-poms on the handle. And another paints stripes and polka dots all over her bags.

And stay away from butter-soft leather luggage. Anything that looks expensive becomes a target. At both security and baggage claim make it easy to identify and keep track of your luggage. Air travel isn't the time to dress the old bag in basic black.

Gail Todd, a free-lance writer,worked as a flight attendant for more than 30years. She can be reached via e-mail at gailtodd@aol.com.