Packing a suitcase for air travel is already stressful enough. But what if you open your bag after a flight and find it completely rifled through?
That’s exactly what happened to TikTok user Meg DeAngelis (@megsdeangelis), whose video has racked up over 515,700 views as she shares her bizarre airport security experience.
What happened to her checked baggage?
“So I get to the hotel, I open my suitcase, and I’m like, ‘[Expletive], there must have been some crazy turbulence on that flight that I just didn’t notice because why is my suitcase so shaken up?’” DeAngelis says, showing her messy luggage.
At first, she brushes it off—maybe things just got tossed around. But then, she spots something unusual.
“Then I see a clump of hair in the corner of my suitcase,” she states.
She immediately starts freaking out. But after a moment, she remembers she packed hair extensions in her checked baggage.
That should’ve been the end of it. But when she looks closer, things don’t add up.
Her extensions were in a bag—but now that bag is covered in holes.
“I’m like, there must have been a mouse or something,” she says, but things still seem suspicious. “First of all, how did the hair get out of the bag? And why is there holes?”
A note clears things up
Then, DeAngelis finds a baggage inspection notice stuffed inside her laptop.
“Basically, that’s a letter saying the airline searched everything in my bag,” she explains.
She has one question: Why did security completely destroy her things?
“Why would you rip open the bag like that? It’s a Ziploc, you could just unzip it!” she says, holding up the mangled plastic.
She also states her extensions now are completely matted, leaving her with nothing to do but send a very specific curse to whoever went through her bag.
“I hope your pillow is always warm,” she concludes. “I hope you forget your headphones tomorrow on the train. And I hope you confess your feelings to your crush and they ghost you.”
Is security allowed to physically check baggage?
Yes, airport security agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are authorized to inspect checked luggage.
During these inspections, TSA officers may open bags to ensure compliance with security regulations. If they do so, they typically place a notice inside the luggage to inform passengers of the inspection, just like DeAngelis showed in her video.
However, if your belongings are damaged during this process, you have the right to file a claim with the TSA. According to the TSA, you may file a claim if your property is lost or damaged during the screening process.
However, it’s important to note that while the TSA conducts these inspections, airlines are generally responsible for your luggage during transit.
The United States Department of Transportation states that airlines are responsible for repairing or reimbursing a passenger for damaged baggage and/or its contents when the damage occurs while the bag is under the airline’s control during transportation.
To avoid having your bag physically checked, experts recommend not packing items such as electronics, battery chargers, iPods, and the like.
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments, users suggested the reason why DeAngelis’s bag was physically inspected her bag is because she checked her laptop.
“Girly pop, if your laptop was in your luggage then they are going to search,” said one user.
“Put your laptop in your carry-on,” suggested another similarly.
However, another user shared a similar story with no mention of electronics.
“They did this to my dad,” they wrote. “They unwrapped and broke all of the ceramics. He was headed home after attending my grandmother’s funeral. That’s all we had left of her. Never seen him cry so hard.”
@megsdeangelis getting a padlock asap
♬ original sound – MEGS
The Daily Dot has reached out to DeAngelis and TSA via email for comment.
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