The Other Pandemic

Released on = November 5, 2005, 2:54 am

Press Release Author = BDi

Industry = Consumer Services

Press Release Summary = INTRO – The word pandemic is in serious danger of losing meaning through overuse in the same way that “Mandatory Evacuation” seems to have lost its meaning altogether in the US. The bird flu “pandemic” is only a potential scenario – other real pandemics are not making the same headlines. One such problem is Luggage related crime. “Lost Luggage” is now a common term, comedians use it for laughs, airlines use it for an excuse not to care about your possessions. The question is, how much is “lost” and how much is stolen, damaged or hidden!

Press Release Body = Only this week, the Delhi State Consumer Commission headed by Justice J D Kapoor increased the compensation awarded to Anu Raj Singh, a member of the Indian shooting team, who had originally been awarded Rs.5000 for her lost
items, including her pistol, but the airlines chose to appeal the decision. The appeal was overturned and the award raised to Rs.25000 and $400. Justice J D Kapoor observed that it would make "such airlines efficient and careful in future in providing services and not taking the loss of baggage of the consumer casually by getting relieved from its liability by paying some meagre amount." Hopefully this will be the start of many such awards.

Clearly the figures for lost luggage show a serious malfunction in the system. But the worst aspect is the 15% of luggage that remains “lost” after 21 days. This seems to be unbelievable. Of course, what we are not being told is how much of this so called “lost” luggage is in fact stolen. The simple fact is that these figures are not reported, because they don't have to be.

Now we find that the disease has jumped species to those who we trust to look after our luggage. There have been over 29,000 claims of theft filed against the Transport Security Agency in the USA in just two years. The TSA, as they are known, is part of Homeland Security and as such is responsible for the screening of passengers and
luggage in US airports. It is the TSA rules that prevent you from locking your bags within the USA unless you use a “TSA Approved” lock.

Unfortunately for every lock, there is a thief with a plan. In this case, hundreds of thieves and with little in the way of scruples. Almost every day you read of celebrities being robbed while undergoing searches (Cameron Diaz), or passengers having valuables and cash stolen during searches ($80,000 from one luggage item is
the current record). Hidden camera sting operations have caught some, others are dismissed without charges being raised, again the true extent is unknown.

And its not just the TSA. The US ambassador to Bulgaria, John Beyrle, had his mobile phone stolen during a customs inspection whilst en-route to Hungary. He used his GPS tracking system to locate the phone, in the pocket of one of the customs officers!
So now we do have a pandemic. The theft disease has crossed over from common thieves, to organised crime working in Baggage Handling, and now onto the “good guys”, the TSA, Customs, Security. Where will it all end?

In one of the worst cases to come to court so far, Derrick Kysar, a US Army National Reservist, was arrested for luggage theft. Not an isolated incident, but a routine theft of black wheelie bags from the Washington Airport that he was sent to guard soon after 9/11. Kysar was sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing $2 million worth of medicine, clothing and other personal items that he took from
nearly 1,000 pieces of luggage. He stole so much luggage that his apartment was full as was his rented storage unit. He organised “yard sales” to convert much of his loot into cash, and as expected, blamed his crime on low income and high debt.

So where do we look for a solution? Obviously a pandemic of this nature cannot be stopped overnight, but tracing the infected carriers is essential, and there is a product now available to do just that. The Luggage Passport, designed & patented by two British Boffins, is now available and offers passengers the chance to fight back. The Luggage Passport contains a check list for the unwary, advice and space to store essential documents and receipts, and most importantly a page for collecting and recording luggage weight data. (visit www.luggagepassport.com)

This last item is for a different and more life threatening strain of the theft virus. This one involves putting items into your luggage, not taking them out. These items are normally contraband, often drugs, and as has been shown in the Schapelle Corby incident, if they fail to collect their haul on arrival the results can be severe and could be fatal. Schapelle narrowly escaped a firing squad and is serving
a 20 year sentence for not locking her bag, or checking it on arrival at Bali.

Apart from drugs, there are the incidents where “security drills” go wrong, and passengers arrive home to find Handguns, TNT, and Plastic Explosive in their bags. All three of these were reported in recent months, and are not unusual. Passengers are simply not told that their luggage is used for such exercises, or that these do
sometimes fail to spot the items hidden – in fact the Plastic Explosive planted in Charles de Gaulle airport has never been recovered.

The Luggage Passport provides a chain of evidence that can be used to spot and report theft, tampering, ID theft and of course use of luggage as a “mule”. It comes in an easy to use, passport sized format and is designed to be given away by Travel Agents, Insurance Companies, Tour Operators and even Airlines!

Individuals will soon be able to purchase the Luggage Passport from dispensaries at prime locations, in the meantime, they will be available by mail order.

To obtain a Luggage Passport, there is no need for a prescription, but if you email info@luggagepassport.com, you can request details of your nearest supplier.

Web Site = http://www.luggagepassport.com

Contact Details = APartado 3
3221-909
Miranda do Corvo
PORTUGAL
00350 239 533 526