After luggage theft, will PDX change security measures?
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland International Airport is likely to keep the luggage security measures it has even after six people, including two children, were caught stealing luggage from the airport over the weekend.
At PDX, picking up your bags at the carousel operates on the honor system, which is not much different than anywhere else in the country.
"Some places do have the bag-checking system (but) many, many airports in the U.S. do not," said PDX spokesman Steve Johnson. "Collectively, the airlines here have said we're not going to operate it that way here. But there are many other security measures in place."
Those measures include cameras and security officers.
Passengers like Pat Williams has a security measure of her own – a purple bag with a big yellow happy face on it – after someone took her plain black bag.
"(So I) painted a great big yellow circle and black eyes and a mouth on both sides. So if I see anybody going out with a "happy face," I'm going to tackle 'em," she said.
Airport officials say that's the best thing you can do – not the tackling part – but making your bag stand out and easy to identify.
It usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes for your bag to go from plane to pick-up and most passengers make it there before the bags do.
But at what point are you responsible for your bag when it comes through that little door and onto the carousel?
"I don't know," Johnson said. "I would just be guessing. You're talking about a more legal issue of responsibility, and I don't know what the answer is to that."
Luggage thefts at PDX average out to about a dozen a month, which is out of millions of passengers. So the ratio is pretty low. But airport officials say it's about perspective: If your bag was stolen, that's one too many.
Two people who were accused of the weekend thefts were in court Monday. They were released – for now – because the district attorney's office said the complaint against them wasn't complete. They may face charges later.
The two other adults will be in court Tuesday morning.
it is at a point where I think that anyone caught stealing should have their hands broken ssa as to remind them that stealing is wrong
What is all this? I thought we were still blaming the airport MAX train for luggage theft? It's always TriMet's fault.
Seriously people. it's not THAT bad. Assuming 1 million passengers/month, 30% of them check bags and 12 stolen/month.
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You have a .004% chance of having a bag stolen based on those numbers and in reality it's probably way less if 2 million or more fly/month. I'll take those odds given that a significant update to the process would cost millions, which of course would be passed to the consumers.
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I am an advocate of creating baggage claim areas that are not accessible to the general public and sadly it's a bit late for a "do over" but I really don't recall many security guys at the baggage claim either.
'After luggage theft, will PDX change security measures?'
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Ummm.... Not likely. PDX can pass the buck,
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 "Collectively, the airlines here have said we're not going to operate it that way here. "
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Placating justification,
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"Some places do have the bag-checking system (but) many, many airports in the U.S. do not,"Â
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and point to the 'security measures' they do have in place,
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But there are many other security measures in place. "Those measures include cameras and security officers."
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...and wait for the hubbub to pass.Â
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Because, in the end, it would cost money to increase security around baggage claim. Money that the port is unwilling to spend. It would also cause complaints among travelers who would be slowed by such measures.
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My question actually goes back to the 6 who stole the luggage...Was a search warrant issued for their houses to see if any missing luggage pieces are there? I wonder how many pieces of luggage they have in storage, or did they just toss them or "donate" them?Â
"But there are many other security measures in place.
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Those measures include cameras and security officers."
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Yeah, and obviously they're working fantastically. Maybe it's time to dump the cameras and reassign the security officers to checking luggage tickets. It would seem the airport is in as much denial of the problems, as Trimet usually is.
I remember this being discussed many years ago, with the same sort of resolution.
I've never had anything stolen, usually my luggage went somewhere else anyway and I got it days later. I suppose if it wandered around a carousel unattended at the wrong airport, I was fortunate that it didn't get picked up.
"After luggage theft, will PDX change security measures?"
I surely think things will change very soon. Government hates competition.
Time to put TSA on the case. They can bring in body scanners, ID checks, have everyone strip searched before they leave the baggage area. Oh yeah, they might have time to check the baggage tags too.
The complaint wasn't finished by who??????????????????????? Name and department and why???????
Is this the reporters for written assignment????
I've flown all over the country (and internationally). PDX has a standard procedure and I don't have any complaints. Then again, I always go straight to pick up my baggage and I also make it stand out visually. I write my name all over it in a permanent pen, I put various tape markings on it, or other oddities, where I can instantly recognize it. I do this mostly so somebody doesn't grab it thinking that it's theirs, because most luggage is pretty similar.Â
 @Morticae I always have hovered  over the belt  wary of theft in such a place.
Security will be greatly improved after the mayor or some other big time politician gets their bag stolen
 @Lost River This is all just an academic discussion until that happens and security get tightened.
I remember long time ago you had to wait to get out with your luggage and I am sure people complained about it, but in the long run it is worth it to not get your luggage taken. I would rather wait and prove what's mine is mine.
And as far as getting to the claim area as soon as you can, that is great in theory, but one time I had the worst migraine I could barely get off the plane. It took me a good 30 minutes to work my way to baggage claim area. Thankfully it made getting our luggage easier as we were only ones left. This is in Maui and everyone had taken off.Â
If anything is done to prevent this, it will slow down the process of collecting baggage. Â If this is done, the passengers will scream bloody murder. Â So live with it and try going to the baggage claim area instead of screwing around after arriving at the airport. Â
 @boomer I don't know. The TSA security screening in place already is slowing things down and while I don't like it when I fly, I deal with it. People deal with it and not too many scream about it.
Honor system . . . .Â
Yeah, right. That's workking out so well we might as well sell it for fertilizer.