Why do I need a TSA lock?
Some models of backpacks and bags Mark Ryden as an additional protection against thieves are equipped with combination locks. In addition to the holes for fixing the zipper “dogs” and the code mechanism itself, the lock has a core marked “TSA007” on the side.
- And where is the key to the side lock? It is not included. Did you forget to put it to me? - sometimes buyers ask us.
- We answer: the key to the lock with the TSA mechanism is ... only at customs officers at airports. Let us explain why.
After the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, the procedure for baggage screening at airports underwent significant changes. Employees of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration - American Transportation Safety Association) service, and then similar services in many other countries, were given the right at any time to open and further inspect any luggage without the presence and permission of its owner. Security is not responsible for the integrity of baggage. Simple locks are simply cut off.
In 2004, the Association, together with the largest at the time manufacturers of travel bags and suitcases, designed special locks, which were called the “TSA lock”. Universal keys are issued only to security agents who are personally liable for them. When you open a suitcase, bag or backpack with a lock TSA is not damaged and your code is not lost. The fact that the baggage was inspected, you will learn from a neatly open lock and a form with a search protocol that is necessarily glued to the baggage that has undergone this procedure. If at first TSA equipped only expensive suitcases, now most manufacturers all over the world put locks certified by the Transport Association on their products. It is possible to distinguish such locks from others thanks to a special diamond-shaped sign and a serial number next to the abbreviation TSA. Some sources indicate that the system developed by TSA operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel. However, every year the geography of countries where they inspect luggage with TSA keys increases. For example, last summer, our employee upon arrival in Ukraine took his new suitcase with unwound film and an open combination lock. Well, the “greetings” form from Turkish customs officers from Istanbul, where the luggage was in transit. The protocol indicated the reason for the inspection - suspicious spilled liquid inside. It turned out that the road had leaked a little shower gel. Everything else was safe and sound, but this trifle could have cost a spoiled suitcase if it hadn’t been TSA.
Mark Ryden takes care of our products to be functional and serve you for many years. Therefore, we use only high-quality materials in the production of our backpacks and bags and install combination locks certified by TSA. You can be sure that the lock on your backpack or bag will not be damaged during a search if you pass them in the luggage at the airport.
TSA combination lock instruction manual for Mark Ryden backpacks
