The Roger Levans episode confirms that our luggage is never really secure

Nov 20, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Almost every one of us knows of the need to pack our own bags and to always keep them in sight prior to air travel. So I could not repress a shudder when I read of air traveler Roger Levans who has reportedly sued Delta Airlines for his experiences resulting from tampered luggage in which cocaine was found during December 2010.
I for one have experienced a wonderful sense of relief upon retrieving my luggage intact after fearing that it might have been lost, stolen, accidentally damaged or broken open.
In addition to the foregoing, the Levans episode confirms that our luggage is never really secure once it leaves our possession in view of the possibility of anything being placed in it after it was checked.
I think what probably saved Levans’ bacon was the apparent confirmation by investigators that he had indeed locked his bag at the check point, and had no further access until he picked it up from the carousel. Luckily for me, I no longer have the urge to travel; but what of those of us who must?
I won’t go into the types of bags and locking devices that the traveler should try to obtain except to say that maybe we need to move to disposable one-time use security seals like those used by GRA to secure our barrels after they are checked at the wharves.
If the authorities have reason to remove the seal for inspection then the luggage must be resealed using the appropriate official seal by that authority and recorded via a “Notice of Inspection”.
If both seals are absent the red flag goes up since it would mean that the luggage was accessed by an unauthorised person(s). At this point, the traveler should bring this anomaly to the attention of the destination airport security to determine if anything is missing or worse yet, to determine if anything has been added to the luggage.
Editor, I guess what I have been leading up to is that in much the same way that drugs could have been placed in that man’s luggage, someone could have placed an explosive device which could have resulted in loss of life. Just two months before Levans’ troubles, two explosive devices were discovered in the U.S. destined for an overseas-bound aircraft.
We should not forget the Cubana air disaster and the apparent ease with which the bomb was placed on board that aircraft.
Any lapses or perceived unwillingness on our part to put strictly monitored measures in place is likely to be met with severe sanctions and penalties that we can ill afford.
Patrick E. Mentore

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