Missing lock - question about TSA or Port Authority access in Baltimore

[Sharkb8]

We drove to Baltimore for our recent cruise and noted that one of our locks had been removed. Fortunately, it seemed that all was in place, but it did cause me to wonder if the Port baggage crew had TSA lock access? In the bad old days someone would leave a card (and lock, lol) and we didn't have anything that would have shown up on X-Ray as suspicious. Thanks for any insight.

[Brighton Line]

More than likely you didn't lock it completely and it fell off.

 

Normally your bag is not opened by port personnel that scan the bag but it is put aside and you are called down to open it in front of security crew members. Some cruisers say you are called to the "Naughty Room".

 

That said, TSA master keys have been known to be duplicated this isn't some high-tech secret lock with "Do Not Duplicate" imprinted on it that only an official government employee has access to open. They aren't launch keys,  Master Keys have been copied.

 

Or you can apply pressure to the closed lock push the button or pull the lock, turn the dial to hear a click, repeat for the other dials and you will get the right number and open the lock.

[navybankerteacher]

15 hours ago, Sharkb8 said:

We drove to Baltimore for our recent cruise and noted that one of our locks had been removed. Fortunately, it seemed that all was in place, but it did cause me to wonder if the Port baggage crew had TSA lock access? In the bad old days someone would leave a card (and lock, lol) and we didn't have anything that would have shown up on X-Ray as suspicious. Thanks for any insight.

If absolutely nothing was taken from the bag, I would suggest that you might have forgotten to put the lock on in the first place or that it somehow fell off.  The port baggage handlers are generally in view of many folks and are unlikely to engage in digging around in random pieces of luggage.

[chengkp75]

18 hours ago, Sharkb8 said:

We drove to Baltimore for our recent cruise and noted that one of our locks had been removed. Fortunately, it seemed that all was in place, but it did cause me to wonder if the Port baggage crew had TSA lock access? In the bad old days someone would leave a card (and lock, lol) and we didn't have anything that would have shown up on X-Ray as suspicious. Thanks for any insight.

The ISPS (International Ship and Port Security) code allows for the screening, including hand screening, of a percentage of all luggage brought to a ship, depending on how the port's and ship's Security Plans set these percentages for the various MARSEC (Maritime Security) levels.  Further, under the cruise line's ticket contract, you grant the cruise line the right to search your cabin or luggage at any time, with or without your knowledge or approval.

[Sharkb8]

On 12/12/2023 at 9:17 AM, Brighton Line said:

More than likely you didn't lock it completely and it fell off.

 

Normally your bag is not opened by port personnel that scan the bag but it is put aside and you are called down to open it in front of security crew members. Some cruisers say you are called to the "Naughty Room".

 

That said, TSA master keys have been known to be duplicated this isn't some high-tech secret lock with "Do Not Duplicate" imprinted on it that only an official government employee has access to open. They aren't launch keys,  Master Keys have been copied.

 

Or you can apply pressure to the closed lock push the button or pull the lock, turn the dial to hear a click, repeat for the other dials and you will get the right number and open the lock.

Yes, I know about the "Naughty Room", and the lock was firmly secure when we dropped it off. Thanks for the insight.

[Sharkb8]

On 12/12/2023 at 1:42 PM, chengkp75 said:

The ISPS (International Ship and Port Security) code allows for the screening, including hand screening, of a percentage of all luggage brought to a ship, depending on how the port's and ship's Security Plans set these percentages for the various MARSEC (Maritime Security) levels.  Further, under the cruise line's ticket contract, you grant the cruise line the right to search your cabin or luggage at any time, with or without your knowledge or approval.

The 'with our without knowledge or approval' wasn't really the question. We've had bags vandalized at port before and have been lucky that they've not popped open, and the lock was fully secure .. as secure as we could assume, lol.