If she had time she could have gone out to the nearest Target and bought a suitcase and some rubbermaid plastic boxes to put her expensive lotions in to get them home.
Another option is a small Igloo ice chest like at Walgreens, CVS or a grocery store.
Anything that will hold up to having luggage stacked on it.
Duct tape it shut.
Worth $20 to get hundreds of $$ of purchases home.
Thinking she didn’t have a couple of hours before her flight to do this.
I usually have a TSA lock on my suitcase and I’ve had my suitcase opened (paper notice inside) every single time. I’ve never had anyone cut my lock though.
I almost wonder if having a lock makes TSA more likely to check your luggage… :-?
@beerme, good ideas, but you are correct, we had no warning of the new rules. They had literally been imposed overnight. I had heard the announcement of the restrictions on the morning TV news shows, but many had arrived at the airport without hearing the change in rules. Much confusion and frustration! That is why I fully expect rules to change at any moment and try to stay loose when flying!
By the way, OP, no question is “dumb” as regards TSA or foreign country security rules. I find a new variation almost ever time I get on (or off) a flight. I suppose that is supposed to counter act predictability?
If TSA wants it, they will get to it. Every time I tried to bring honey from HI, they opened the damn jar!!! It is obvious that they looked in - there is a fingerprint on the cream honey. I now buy 3 jars… one is sacrificed to TSA, the others make it OK.
Ok, so which one of you was carrying on the 20 lb lobster?
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/06/26/a-20-pound-lobster-impresses-security-at-logan-but-its-no-record-breaker
Returning from Italy 2 weeks ago we were told (by cruise line) that electronics brought into the aitplane passenger compartment must be charged or they would be subject to confiscation-- presumably because of the threat of bombs made to look like batteries. But no one checked them.
If your suitcase has a zipper, locks and zip-ties are pretty much completely pointless, as anyone with a ball-point pen can get into your luggage and close it back up with zero evidence from the outside that it has been opened:
Hmmm, never know how easily and invisibly zipped & locked luggage could be compromised with no trace. Wow!
One of my bags was cut by foreign TSA agents last year. They did not cut the lock. They cut the slider (easier I guess but I could not use the lock again with that bag). They did not cut my bags this year (I just got back from my overseas vacation a week ago).
US TSA agents left a note when they opened my bags.
I usually put things that may catch TSA agent eyes in the outer pockets of the bags (razors, lotions,…) hoping that they will not be opened.