FTcadence

Of the 52,000 travelers who pass through the TSA's security checkpoints at Logan ever day, many leave something behind in those gray, plastic bins.

In a 'lost and found' room at the airport are full carry-on suitcases, canes and walkers, cell phones, laptops, keys, jewelry... Someone even once left behind a half pound of ground beef All of these items are tagged in the hopes of a reunion with their owners.

After 30 days, high-value items (including electronics) are sent to the TSA's DC office where they are wiped and given to other government agencies to use. Clothes are donated to vets/the needy.

http://www.whdh.com/story/26001416/l...l-of-surprises

I've been lucky/careful enough never to have left something accidentally behind, but I was curious to learn about what happens to items that are lost.

TSAPressSec shared a link to the story on Twitter, so H/T. I wanted to share it here.

goalie

Imho, they should be donating cell phones to places like battered women's shelters as there are plenty of agencies which will wipe the phone and program it to only being able to only dial the shelter and 911 as opposed to giving them to other government agencies

tigeros

I went through a United Lost and Found area back when TSA use to hand over lost and found items to their baggage service room when the items were left behind in a United terminal, and my god. So many baby seats, strollers, crutches, canes, and heck, they've even left behind shoes (sometimes both, or just one)

flyaxa

Well, I hate to say it...but I am one of those who left something behind at Logan. On Dec 22nd, we were passing through the US Air checkpoint and I left my laptop behind...at least I am almost certain it was left there. I have a scan safe bag, so I never take the laptop out, however it got pulled for a random swab. The agent took it out of the bag and examined it. I was leaning over, tying my shoes and he said "OK, you're all set" The bag was zipped up and I took it and left, as we we're running to catch our flight. On our flight (out of the country) I realized it was missing.

TSA Logan Lost and Found has a phone number, and I left a message with all my pertinent info. I haven't heard anything back yet, but does anyone know where the actual Logan TSA Lost and Found is located?

lskohn

Oof. If no one steps up here, check the TSA website - I believe it gives a phone number for Lost and Found and when I used it several years ago, the generic person who answered gave me the local airport contact info. They weren't trying to hide it, at least back then. Good luck!

FliesWay2Much

Knowing the TSA like we do, the sequence of events as you've described them sound suspicious. I would immediately contact the airport police (even from overseas), explain what happened, and ask them to pull the video tape of the checkpoint at the time you were there. Is there anything on your laptop that allows you to interrogate it or locate it (like the application on an iPad or iPhone)?

CX HK

Electronics of high value are probably swiped by TSA agents themselves more often than not...

flyaxa

Thanks all! Back in the States now. Left another message with TSA and they got back to me. I couldn't answer their call but they said I should contact MassPort (which I have already done.) Unfortunately I don't have any tracking sort of apps on the laptop, but I will contact the Massport Police to report and request they pull the tape. Not sure how long they keep them, however. Everything was backed up. Just a little worried what data someone could mine.

LoganTSO

TSA Boston Lost & Found is located at the State Police Troop F barracks (or Building 11 as we call it here in BOS) on the 3rd floor, which is the local headquarters/field office for BOS and it's spokes (i.e. the other commercial airports in Mass.)

flyaxa

TSA Logan representative left a message. They do not have my laptop. I spoke with the MA State Police at Logan and I need to go to their office (hour and a half drive) if I would like to file a report.
Is it even worth the drive in?

Also, on a side note...as I think back...both my daughter's and my laptops were both pulled for "random inspections." Not sure if that is normal or not. I wonder if the screener and the person who inspected/swabbed the laptops could have been working together?

xSTRIKEx6864

May be worth showing up and asking to check the lost & found yourself?

LoganTSO

As I said above, MA State Police Troop F (the MSP troop that oversees Logan and other Massport properties) and our local TSA office are in the same building, so I recommend filing the report there and using the lobby intercom which connects upstairs to TSA and asking for Lost & Found and the Customer Service & Quality Improvement Manager (CSQIM) and see if she can check CCTV and have it burnt to disk before it's erased in a few weeks.

As for a TSO taking it's possible but unlikely, IMO, because the checkpoint lanes and search tables are covered at multiple angles by CCTV cameras. More likely the thief was a passenger.

Furthermore, it could be at Massport Lost and Found, TSA Lost & Found only covers items lost within the confines of the checkpoint, anything outside the confines of the checkpoint falls into Massport/State Police's jurisdiction.

Craig

Last week I left my Macbook and iPad on the conveyor belt at Logan. I was asked over for a bag search, so I put my shoes back on, filled my pockets again, and went over. Ten minute discussion over some duty free I had, which I ended up surrendering. Plane deadline getting close, and I just forgot to pick up computers (yeah, I know).

Discovered they were missing from my briefcase when I got to Maine, in a town with no cell phone access. Eventually got their number, called, got called back, called again with a detailed description. Got called back again 'we have located your items, please call again to make arrangements'.

Later in the week, back through Boston, picked them up from (as stated above) State Police building. Very friendly guy. Showed ID, signed form, walked away with items. Parked illegally in their carpark. People on phone also very helpful, so I'm quite impressed. As I am with getting TSAPre most flights, even though I'm not a US resident.

Section 107

At DCA/IAD they auction off items not claimed from the lost and found. Very recently someone left a Lamborghini Aventador and never came back to pick it up. Someone else picked up a very nice car for only 25% of original list price from the auction.

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...21&acctid=4408

edcaya

Was gobsmacked to see that someone had left a Breitling Chronomat at security. MWAA make no claims regarding its authenticity, but if the top bidder walks away with it for $4k or less, they're getting a bargain.