The One TSA Mistake That Could Cost You Your Phone
Let’s face it — losing your phone at the airport is a modern-day nightmare. And unfortunately, it happens more often than you’d think.
Travel pro and TikTok favorite Tiffany (you may know her as the seasoned jet-setter from Pittsburgh) is sending up a major red flag for fellow travelers. Her advice? Don’t make this one mistake at TSA — or you could kiss your phone goodbye.
“The thing I’m absolutely never doing when I’m going through TSA — I am not putting my phone directly into one of the containers,” Tiffany warned her 297,000 followers. “It’s always going in a zipped pocket in my bag.”
It’s not paranoia — it’s practical. Tiffany says she learned this lesson the hard way. After casually placing her phone in a TSA bin, she was quickly warned by an agent.
“The TSA agent looked at me and was like, ‘You don’t like your phone?’ And I looked at him like he was a little crazy and I said, ‘Yes,’” she recalled. “He said, ‘This is the fastest way to get it stolen.’”
Yikes. Apparently, phones are the number one item swiped at security checkpoints. Why? Because they’re often left out in the open — and in the hustle of grabbing your shoes, belt, and boarding pass, you may not even notice it’s missing until it’s too late.
The Odds of Getting It Back?
While there is a chance you could recover a lost device, it’s slim. According to the TSA, about 100,000 lost items are recovered each year — but that doesn’t guarantee yours will be among them.
They do recommend labeling your electronics with contact info, especially laptops. If your device is unclaimed after 30 days, it will either be wiped or destroyed to protect your data.
Avoid the Chaos — Do This Instead
Tiffany’s golden rule? Keep it zipped.
“Always make sure your valuables are zipped up [inside] your bag when they go through the scanners,” she urged.
A simple habit that could save you from a stressful start to your trip.
Safe travels — and may your phone stay exactly where it belongs.
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