# Need for locked luggage while travelling? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [August 15, 2024, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741 "2024-08-15T17:23:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/81 "2024-08-19T04:06:08Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I lock my passport (if traveling internationally) in the safe along with my nice watch (if I traveled with it). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sg-Ib5Echns/hqdefault.jpg "How secure is your hotel safe?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-Ib5Echns) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/82 "2024-08-20T11:16:14Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I might use the hotel safe. Is the safe in your room large enough to hold a laptop? Many are not. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/83 "2024-08-20T11:20:39Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Is the safe in your room large enough to hold a laptop? > Many are not. We don’t travel with a full sized laptop. Well, it’s small but a real laptop. My wife and I are debating whether or not to take that, or a tablet on our next trip. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/84 "2024-08-25T17:16:41Z")
I always use a tsa approved combination lock. Sure, it only keeps the “honest” people out but if anything is likely to get stolen from it, hopefully it’s an area that might have cameral surveillance. However, probably the best reason is the locks keep the zippers shut as with rough handling they sometimes slide open. In the hotel we always use the safe in the room if it’s so equipped. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/85 "2024-08-25T22:02:52Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I have TSA locks and use them during the flight. Or really, my husband uses them. I don’t see the point because the luggage is worth more than the contents. In my family, it’s my wife that insists on using luggage locks and I’m the one who doesn’t see the point. (Neither of us use hotel safes; maybe once in the past 20 years.) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/86 "2024-08-25T23:23:04Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > However, probably the best reason is the locks keep the zippers shut as with rough handling they sometimes slide open. You’re the second or third person to say that. I travel all the time and I’ve never had a zipper open accidentally. My experience is that zippers fail in “hard to open” mode, not “fall open” mode. And I’ve had several pieces of luggage wear out and fail one way or another. I wonder if it’s different styles of luggage. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/87 "2024-08-26T08:14:04Z")
Fortunately, I only had it happen once and it was when I was picking up luggage at the carrousel and I had clothing and other items sticking out of the “unzipped” bag. This is years ago as I’ve used locks ever since and TSA approved locks since they’ve been required. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/88 "2024-08-27T13:53:40Z")
OK, so I’m on the last leg of my trip (Amsterdam to JFK), and the hotel in Amsterdam struck me as safe and homey enough that I never bothered to put my laptop in the hotel safe. (BTW the safe was big enough to fit my 14" laptop and looked big enough to fit my 15.6" laptop, which I didn’t have with me. My suitcase and my husband and kids’ all have tight zippers; we’ve checked just 1 bag and I hope it’s not open when we claim it. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2024, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741/89 "2024-08-28T08:52:04Z")
Sometimes it won’t appear open, but then you open it and there’s a piece of paper inside saying something like, Hi, this is TSA (or whatever), and your luggage was one randomly selected for inspection. Or words to that effect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-for-locked-luggage-while-travelling/1005741.md?page=4)