Before your next flight, if you're worried about your checked baggage being opened, inspected--or stolen from--just pack a gun.---

I learned this today after reading this testimonial%uFFFDpost%uFFFDand%uFFFDconfirming here that it's true. If you declare a weapon in your checked luggage, a%uFFFDTransportation%uFFFDSecurity%uFFFDAdministration%uFFFDofficer will inspect the bag in your%uFFFDpresence, lock the case, then give you the key. Now locked, no one will be--enjoy the pun--rifling through your underwear.

I hesitate to call this a TSA failure, since they have a tough and important job--and gun owners are%uFFFDparticularly well-organized and squeaky%uFFFDwheels--but it is bizarre. Naturally, TSA would object to my headline, that locking your bag somehow makes for "safer" travel, since it seems to imply that a TSA inspector might steal from your baggage.

But it happens. %uFFFDAccording to Newsweek, it's happened perhaps as many as 67,000 times since 2003 when TSA took over inspecting baggage.%uFFFD

YIKES. I didn't know that either!

I don't think I need to worry about this since I own almost nothing of pawnable value (except maybe my laptop). But if I traveled with expensive equipment, I'd give it serious consideration.%uFFFD

Hat tip to @mjaune on Twitter for the original link. %uFFFD