Chances of theft for checked bags
May 24, 2017, 4:29 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2002
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My hideous fluorescent metallic green Samsonite has never been grabbed in error.
I have never seen a matching bag at any airport due to, I suspect, its hideousness.
The photo above offers a good tip but only works if your name is Anne Dewhurst.
I have never seen a matching bag at any airport due to, I suspect, its hideousness.
The photo above offers a good tip but only works if your name is Anne Dewhurst.
May 24, 2017, 4:31 pm
#17
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I stood there in disbelief as the guy next to me grabbed it off the carousel, set it down, looked at it with his wife, then pulled up the handle and prepared to march off - with my bag.
My bag is now a compromise between your two examples: I stencilled a large, bright lightning bolt on the front and back.
May 24, 2017, 7:43 pm
#18
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Theft of bags happens occasionally. But most people want to retrieve their own belongings and don't want to take other people's bags, which may be heavy and generally contain items which are not that valuable. Some airports require arriving passengers to present their luggage tags before they can walk off with bags they have collected. But at most airports there is no real way to prevent someone taking your bag unless you arrive at the belt first and stand right where the bags are sent out and pay close attention to everyone.
I (white) walked up to the baggage carousel without difficulty. A traveling companion (Chinese) was stopped by an official and required to show a claim check before being allowed to enter the roped-off area around the carousel. Neither of us was checked upon exiting the area, they were only seeing if the person checked baggage, not matching the bags to the ticket.
May 25, 2017, 1:34 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Not sure what airline you fly and how you exit the plane and get to baggage. I'd say that unless you are doing international I have yet to not beat my bags to baggage claim. Thus the solution is simply, get off plane and get to baggage before the bozos and crooks. Stand near the main offload belt, tag your bag so you can make it easily out.
May 25, 2017, 5:27 am
#20
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Not sure what airline you fly and how you exit the plane and get to baggage. I'd say that unless you are doing international I have yet to not beat my bags to baggage claim. Thus the solution is simply, get off plane and get to baggage before the bozos and crooks. Stand near the main offload belt, tag your bag so you can make it easily out.
May 25, 2017, 6:03 am
#21
Join Date: Apr 2011
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My bag was stolen at PDX in 2010. The airport poloce called me later that night as they apprehended the criminal. Was a husband wife team and they found 9 bags in their car.
Got my bag back and the only thing missing were my uderwear. Was creepy.
Got my bag back and the only thing missing were my uderwear. Was creepy.
May 25, 2017, 6:41 am
#22
Join Date: May 2009
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I have a garish bright orange bag that I'm fond of, picked it up at a TJ Maxx type store years ago. I stuck some fluorescent green Velcro handle wraps on it plus a few other tags. Stands out quite well and I've yet to see its twin anywhere either.
May 25, 2017, 6:48 am
#24
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Theft-or accident removal? About 10 years ago, we returned from a trip out west. I pulled my wife's blue Samsonite from the belt at BWI-along with my luggage. Drove home-about 45 mins. Got into the house about 11:30pm. Didn't check the answering machine. Next morning, had a call from SWA that I had grabbed someone else's blue Samsonite-identical to Mrs. Vker's-except for the label of course. I returned it immediately. Now, I check the tag. Every. Single. Time. I don't care how sure I am.
May 25, 2017, 9:19 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Houston
Posts: 8,956
Theft-or accident removal? About 10 years ago, we returned from a trip out west. I pulled my wife's blue Samsonite from the belt at BWI-along with my luggage. Drove home-about 45 mins. Got into the house about 11:30pm. Didn't check the answering machine. Next morning, had a call from SWA that I had grabbed someone else's blue Samsonite-identical to Mrs. Vker's-except for the label of course. I returned it immediately. Now, I check the tag. Every. Single. Time. I don't care how sure I am.
May 25, 2017, 10:02 am
#28
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In the 70s and 80s, most medium and large airports had people checking bag tags before leaving the baggage claim area. I guess the minimum wage job was deemed "too expensive" to prevent a few bag thefts -- kind of like how most banks no longer have security guards there.
May 25, 2017, 10:25 am
#29
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In the 70s and 80s, most medium and large airports had people checking bag tags before leaving the baggage claim area. I guess the minimum wage job was deemed "too expensive" to prevent a few bag thefts -- kind of like how most banks no longer have security guards there.
May 25, 2017, 11:54 am
#30
Join Date: Oct 2016
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I picked my brother up from the airport a couple of years ago. He too is a frequent flyer and had, at the time, a non-black suitcase. We grabbed "his bag" and walked out the door. About halfway home we got a call from the airline saying they had his bag. Woops. We turned around and went back to the airport. Sure enough, he had grabbed someone else's non-black suitcase. Color was similar but they looked sufficiently different to me.
