Feds Putting Weapons in Citizens' Luggage?

[kalian]

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/6/11/102750.shtml

American travelers are finding blades planted in their luggage, and it looks as if federal workers - make that employees - are culpable.


"The question I have is, 'What's the point of tossing items into people's suitcases?'" David Grindle of Bloomington, Ind., told the Herald-Times. "Is the TSA doing this on purpose in an attempt to catch someone else? I wish I knew."

After Grindle and his family returned from an airline trip to Florida, they found wire cutters in one of their bags, along with a note that said a screener from the Transportation Security Administration had inspected the suitcase.

The family immediately thought of Dorrine and George Theodore, also residents of Bloomington, who found a knife with a 10-inch blade - and a note from the TSA - in their luggage after they flew home from California last month.


...more...
And notice the news source...

[Eric J in MN]

1. maybe in the middle of their trip, the bag flew open

maybe in the middle of their trip, the bag flew open and something flew inside..


or maybe not

[indepat]

2. Maybe they are testing methods for use in criminalizing the enemy,

i.e., those who would speak out or question the policies or actions of those who control the levers of power.

[punpirate]

3. Here's a simpler explanation....

Luggage going through checks is supposed to be unlocked. If an inspector has to get into the bag, there are going to be tools to do it. If they're in a hurry and drop whatever tool is in their hands while searching, then forget to remove the tool after sending it along, guess who finds the tool later?

Years ago, when I worked on cars for a living, I use to leave tools in customer's cars. Don't see why that's not just as likely on an assembly line process such as baggage handling.

[salin]

5. Possible explanation. But isn't it odd

that it happened two times - to people living in a city of 70,000 - 100,000 (when counting college students.) Unless this is a common occurence... seems pretty strange. What are the odds?

[punpirate]

6. I imagine it's fairly common...

... just not reported very much. It could easily happen in one city if there's just one dufus in the crew checking the luggage.

What I find more disturbing was the story from months ago of a lawyer in CA who'd flown from the SF to the LA area who'd had some anti-war placards folded up in his luggage, which was checked. When he arrived and opened his luggage, he found a notice that the TSA has checked his luggage, with a somewhat threatening handwritten marginal note that his politics weren't appreciated.

Besides, if the real purpose were to plant weapons in luggage, why weren't those people detained and held? They, instead, found them when they got to their destinations.

[salin]

7. I don't buy its just "chance" - given that only two stories

have shown up on this - within a short period of time - both involving folks from a relatively small college city. Either more stories or the two stories happening to people in different locations.. the coincidence just makes me go hmmmmmmmmm.

At the same time it doesn't sound like a 'set up' - or as frightening as the example that you cite.

It does leave me scratching my head, though ... and thinking... pay attention, take note for future reference - if needed.

[salin]

4. Not a news source thing... read about these two cases in the local

paper (Bloomington, Indiana). This story did not originate with NewsMax.