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Comment by hueving | Hacker News Reader

What's the point? Now you know someone opened your bag. What does that help with?

When something is missing, you have a better idea if you lost it yourself or the TSA lost it for you http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/13/us/airport-luggage-theft/

Your luggage is touched by more than the TSA when going to your destination.

How to open a suitcase with just a pen, leaving no traces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5mvvZl6pLI

"I love crypto; it tells me what part of the system not to bother attacking" - Drew Gross

What good does that do?

"You stole my sweater!" "No we didn't."

They aren't going to replace the sweater. And if you're packing cameras or other valuables in checked luggage, you're a fool.

I have had items stolen from my luggage and been reimbursed by the airline.

What's the point in knowing the NSA is monitoring everything you say and do?

I'd rather know. Ignorance is bliss and all that, but I'd rather know.

I think the question is more—if you start by assuming they've seen in your bag, then what does gaining evidence to become more sure of that hypothesis get you? And, in contrast, what can you do with the information that at least this time, they didn't look?

Because, in the end, it's still an invasion. I always assume it will happen, but there's some small comfort in knowing this time it didn't.

Especially, as it is, that I find the security theater of the TSA both absurd and to be a gross and unnecessary invasion of privacy. But I am faced with the alternative of simply not traveling, and being forced to choose between the two... well, like I said - to me, anyway, there's some small comfort in knowing this time, at least, some dignity remains.

I realize it may be illogical, but emotions often are.

But you're only setting yourself up for disappointment by expecting them not to look. They are very explicit that they randomly screen bags so getting upset when they actually do it is pointless.

The lesson is son, never try. -Homer Simpson

He expects that they may invade his privacy, he just gets a nice surprise when they don't.

Nothing to do with being blissfully ignorant. They are explicit in that they randomly search bags. Going through all of this effort to say, "ha! Caught them doing what they said you would do!" seems like a fruitless exercise.

The frequency at which it happens to you is still interesting information, isn't it?

They explicitly claim lots of things. That doesn't make them true.

They also claim their security theater works, they can claim whatever they want.

but it does save you time in not having to look all over to confirm you didn't misplace the missing item

It would be nice to have evidence of tampering in the event of theft or, worse, contraband appearing.

deterrent/dɪˈtɛr(ə)nt/ noun

    a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.

adjective

    able or intended to deter.

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