Thiefs at Ezeiza

[Out for Flesh]

It is a visual and psychological deterrent that hopefully drives the thieves to pilfer from some other bag. As a protective barrier, it would not slow down even the dumbest of thieves but it might double as a dental damn.

One would hope the individual opening the bag with a box cutter is outside of security.

A recent survey in a Spanish consumer rights magazine showed that wrapped bags are three times more likely to be opened by thiefs. Not surprising. Be it true or not, for a thief it has the smell "what is this guy trying to protect?"

Cheers!

[Ramprat]

That pastic wrap gets into to the wheeles and pulls with strong electic motors. They will chew up you bags making little piece of all your stuff fast. I would never use that stuff. From a pro that seen the bags after chewing.

Ramprat

[Jackson]

Greetings Everyone,.

I moved the last several pages of discussion regarding "Bringing computers and electronics through customs" to another thread in this forum titled "Bringing computers and electronics through customs".

http://www.argentinaprivate.com/foru...ead.php?t=4896

This "Thread Splitting" process is not perfect, and it's possible that I may have inadvertently moved / did not move a few reports. If you find that your own report was also moved / not moved, please don't take it personally.

Thanks,.

Jackson

[Wild Walleye]

I've never used the plastic wrap; however, what's to stop someone with a box cutter from slicing it open in 5 seconds and busting into your bag? The wrap I saw looked like saran wrap, not kevlar. I'm not sure I see the value of the wrap other than if your bag is overpacked and your zipper or latch is broken.

Please enlighten me.

Is exactly what it is. The paperwork is in fact the guarantee. It is essentially an insurance policy on your bag. $0.02 worth of saran wrap, wages for the wrappers (as opposed to props for rappers) and some promotional materials. At US$10/ bag, if they only get stuck paying out a couple hundred bucks per hundred bags, they are raking in the cash.

It is a visual and psychological deterrent that hopefully drives the thieves to pilfer from some other bag. As a protective barrier, it would not slow down even the dumbest of thieves but it might double as a dental damn.

One would hope the individual opening the bag with a box cutter is outside of security.

[Lucas90]

I've never used the plastic wrap; however, what's to stop someone with a box cutter from slicing it open in 5 seconds and busting into your bag? The wrap I saw looked like saran wrap, not kevlar. I'm not sure I see the value of the wrap other than if your bag is overpacked and your zipper or latch is broken.

Please enlighten me.

As the guy who set this last round of posts running, I've just made my return trip and decided to use the plastic wrap service at EZE this time (I think it was 40 pesos for one bag) They gave me some paperwork that looked like it was some sort of a guarantee but I haven't studied that yet. You're right though about the penetration value of the wrap (if you'll forgive the expression..). They were a number of Argentinians on my onward connecting flight to LGW who'd all had their bags wrapped. Saw a couple of chicas pull their bag off the carousel and they had the wrap off in seconds (couldn't see what they were tearing away at it with, but more like keys or nail files - glad I didn't meet them in the boliches I visited..). The other snag with the wrap is that your bag's a lot harder to identify when it comes of the belt, if there are lots of wrapped bags all coming off together. I saw someone lift my bag off the carousel (and put it back on again) even before it reached me. These same chicas had tied some coloured ribbon to the handles of their bags which might be a good tip to get round that.

Incidentally, EZE obviously had a bad feng shui for me this trip as I got pulled by the customs on my way to the gate from the check-in. Full bag search and off came all the plastic wrap I'd taken time out to have done (I had nothing of any interest in the bags and they had the wrap re-done at no charge) I guess there's another thread somewhere in AP about customs checks on exit so I'll take a look there when I've got more time. Incidentally my bag is of the long service beaten-up variety with a token padlock, so nothing there to attract a bag thief.

Needless to say it was just at EZE where I had the problems - all the rest of the trip went great (thanks to AP) so I'll try to fill you in on some of the happier adventures further along.

[My Former Name]

I've never used the plastic wrap; however, what's to stop someone with a box cutter from slicing it open in 5 seconds and busting into your bag? The wrap I saw looked like saran wrap, not kevlar. I'm not sure I see the value of the wrap other than if your bag is overpacked and your zipper or latch is broken.

Please enlighten me.

[Wild Walleye]

Nice! Maybe WW we fish in argentina some time. I have the total dorado in corrientes on tap. I own my own boat (specifically built for flyfishing) and 4WD truck in corrientes with my fishing partner, a great local kid I have known for years. We fish the parana river, as well as two iberas not far from Goya. I live in the fly fishing mecca in the US but grew tired of the skinny silver fish (trout) a while back. Argentine dorado totaly ROCK! The key to fishing in argentina is getting the shill middlemen out of the loop. This gets rid of gringo guide and outfitter pricing. In fact, Rioman and I are heading north this Saturday for 8 days of dorado delight. If you are in town, maybe you could drop by jacksons clubhouse tonight at 8pm. I would love to meet you brother. I will only be staying till 9pm as I have other chica fishing plans for 10pm. "You will and forever be a fine fisherman" WW. Happy Mongering All. Toymann

I am stuck in sex prison and won't be wetting a line for a while.

[Toymann]

Nice! Maybe WW we fish in argentina some time. I have the total dorado in corrientes on tap. I own my own boat (specifically built for flyfishing) and 4WD truck in corrientes with my fishing partner, a great local kid I have known for years. We fish the parana river, as well as two iberas not far from Goya. I live in the fly fishing mecca in the US but grew tired of the skinny silver fish (trout) a while back. Argentine dorado totaly ROCK! The key to fishing in argentina is getting the shill middlemen out of the loop. This gets rid of gringo guide and outfitter pricing. In fact, Rioman and I are heading north this Saturday for 8 days of dorado delight. If you are in town, maybe you could drop by jacksons clubhouse tonight at 8pm. I would love to meet you brother. I will only be staying till 9pm as I have other chica fishing plans for 10pm. "You will and forever be a fine fisherman" WW.

Happy Mongering All,

Toymann

[Wild Walleye]

Composite rods. I hope we are talking flyfishing

Is there another kind?

[Wild Walleye]

Stronger, lighter, less friction. I'm thinking about getting a composite prosthesis.

[Jackson]

Composite rods. I hope we are talking flyfishing dude. Always nice to meet a fellow angler. Tight lines brother.

Happy Mongering All.

Toymann

Toyman,

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest bit to learn that you were the inventor or the world's first line of composite sex toys, specially crafted for the "high intensity" user.

Thanks,

Jackson

[Toymann]

Composite rods. I hope we are talking flyfishing dude. Always nice to meet a fellow angler. Tight lines brother.

Happy Mongering All.

Toymann

[Gato Hunter]

Can you bring a starter pistol into EZE?

If you travel Domestically in the US you can pack a starter pistol, track and field style. The TSA considers this a firearm and your bag will be tracked, receive special treatment and personally handed off to you at the airport by airline personnel. No airline wants to be responsible for a lost "firearm"

The starter pistol can even be unopened in the package right from Walmart, or better yet Target.

This is popular with photographers traveling with lots of expensive gear. Google it for more info.

[Wild Walleye]

I worked in the aviation industry for years. I knew many bag throwers.

If you don't want your bag to get broken into never use a lock. The TSA locks are a joke, and are a sign of something valuable inside.

Also what bag would you go through, a nice shinny and new Samsonite, or a shitty bag that's 20 years old and no lock?

I fly about 100k miles a year with a suitcase I have had for 20 years, no lock. I don't pack anything I want to lose either. I have never had anything missing from this bag.

I used a new bag twice two years ago and I got stuff jacked at LHR.

Nice luggage and a lock are two excellent indications that there might be something good inside.

I try to never check a bag. Between my carry-on computer bag and a small suit bag, I can pack for a week without doing laundry. If I go longer, I do laundry. Over the years, I have whittled down my typical traveling gear.

In my computer bag / carry-on (at all times, even when sitting in the closet at home) I have:

-shaving kit in a sandwich sized baggie (with a few 1st aid items too)

-air / car computer / cell phone charger / adapter (can charge comp & two cells at the same time, anywhere)

-ipod, noise canceling headphones, adapter so I can plug it into hotel sound system or tv, extra batteries and any other adapters, cords, etc.

-extra world phone, local argie phone, prepaid cards.

When I hit the road, in goes laptop, files, notebooks, etc.; dress shirt, clean underwear & socks. Everything else goes in my suit bag. If it doesn't fit, I don't really need it. Grab my passport and I am out the door.

If I have to check a bag I try to avoid putting anything, the loss of which would have a detrimental impact on my trip, in the bag. One key element is 'can I replace 'X' where I am going and what will it cost?' I try to make sure that whatever I need on 'day 1' (if I have meetings the day I land, whatever) is carried on so if something is missing.

In general, they are looking for small, high-value stuff ipods, cameras, jewelry, my used boxers, etc. The human brain will usually gravitate towards the nicer bags with the expectation that the owner has more stuff that he / she would want or could sell.

The older bag trick still works, but not as well, when you go into places known for particular activities (I. E. Fishing and hunting) In these cases you are stuck putting some stuff in your checked bag (I suspect that keeping one of my tactical knives in my carry-on might draw undesired attention.

At least in the US, it is highly unlikely that an airline employee will mess with a properly checked item marked 'firearm.' One of my fishing buddies that likes to use his very valuable bamboo rods packs them in a rifle case and does the paperwork for a firearm to prevent tampering. Me? I prefer my composite, 4-piece rods which, conveniently, I can still carry on. My reals go in my carry-on too.

[Gato Hunter]

I worked in the aviation industry for years. I knew many bag throwers.

If you don't want your bag to get broken into never use a lock. The TSA locks are a joke, and are a sign of something valuable inside.

Also what bag would you go through, a nice shinny and new Samsonite, or a shitty bag that's 20 years old and no lock?

I fly about 100k miles a year with a suitcase I have had for 20 years, no lock. I don't pack anything I want to lose either. I have never had anything missing from this bag.

I used a new bag twice two years ago and I got stuff jacked at LHR.