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"Did you pack this yourself"- What happens if you say no?

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"Did you pack this yourself"- What happens if you say no?

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Old Jul 6, 2015, 5:47 am
  #1  
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"Did you pack this yourself"- What happens if you say no?

I had to bring some samples for a trade show. Not had enough time to open up and have a look. What would happen if I told them I had not packed or even looked in the bag?

I did have a experience of this in AMS when I was travelling for business and was asked if it was my laptop I was travelling with, as it had the company name stamped on the bottom of it I said not, it was a company laptop. I was then asked if someone from the company may have put a bomb in it....
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 6:43 am
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LOL! I always remember the comedienne Jo Brand tackling this subject. When asked this question by a security guy at an airport she was traveling from she said, "No, I let some fat B'stard of Middle Eastern origin pack it for me". This was of course a joke!!
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 8:01 am
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Originally Posted by El Splod
LOL! I always remember the comedienne Jo Brand tackling this subject. When asked this question by a security guy at an airport she was traveling from she said, "No, I let some fat B'stard of Middle Eastern origin pack it for me". This was of course a joke!!

Or "No I employ a professional bag packer"

Not ones to try on a TSA agent I suspect...
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 8:32 am
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"Has your baggage been under your control at all times since you packed it?"

"No. In fact, a guy I've never met before took it from me, locked it in a compartment I had no access to for at least 30 minutes, spent many of those minutes on the phone speaking a language I don't understand, and finally gave it back to me after demanding that I give him money. In other words, I took a cab to the airport."
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 11:01 am
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I can't remember the last time I was asked this question. Is it even asked any more?
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 11:34 am
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Years ago I flew home from San Juan after a cruise. If you've never taken a cruise before: The night before it ends, you put all of your packed, locked bags outside your stateroom door and they're offloaded en masse, then you typically reclaim them landside at the port. Dozens of ships -- many holding thousands of passengers each -- sail out of San Juan during the Caribbean season. So when I got to the check in counter at the San Juan airport, I answered the "Have your bags been out of your control?" question honestly. After all, I figured, they'd know if I lied. Almost every single person passing through the airport that morning was coming from a cruise ship. Wouldn't you know that apparently I was the first person who ever answered that question honestly? They had no idea what to do with me, even after I explained that almost every single bag they checked -- day in and day out -- had been out of the passenger's control.
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 3:57 pm
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I wonder how they reacted.

When a suitcase is given to checkin people, and it's gone through the wall, its no longer in the passengers control, so anything could be placed in the bag, especially the thousands that are unlocked every day.
Rather pointless questions to be honest
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 12:24 am
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Originally Posted by adambrock
I can't remember the last time I was asked this question. Is it even asked any more?
Not in the US; however, I was asked this question in TLV in November and MAD in June.
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 1:40 am
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Many years ago I was on a business trip in the Netherlands. I was a speaker and when I finished I was given a small package by my host (whom I knew well).
I was in a hurry, so put the package into my bag and ran for the train to AMS. The bag went through the scanner at AMS and raised eyebrows.
The security agent asked me if I been given anything and I dutifully responded "yes". Seeing the look on her face, I continued "That was the wrong answer, wasn't it?" She burst out laughing and we opened the offending package, which turned out to be a lead-crystal paperweight (the lead blocking the X-rays in the scanner).
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 5:49 am
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Originally Posted by adambrock
I can't remember the last time I was asked this question. Is it even asked any more?
We were asked what I consider the old set of questions, including the "did you pack it yourself" question, a week ago in Athens. I don't remember the last time I was asked in the US.
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 6:20 am
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I am asked the question every time in Europe (usually United or Lufthansa). Apparently "No, my wife did." is acceptable.
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 9:19 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by adambrock
I can't remember the last time I was asked this question. Is it even asked any more?
I've been asked it in Europe several times over the past year (FRA and CDG IIRC). Used to get asked in Asia as well, but the past few times to Japan and Thailand, they seem to have moved past the most inane questions.
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 9:28 pm
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Originally Posted by FonzieBone
I am asked the question every time in Europe (usually United or Lufthansa). Apparently "No, my wife did." is acceptable.
Which is kind of funny, as the whole reason they started asking that question was the woman whose boyfriend or whatever placed a bomb in her bag...
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Old Jul 7, 2015, 10:18 pm
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in 2011 was asked in GVA-US but not in YVR-US
did online checkin for GVA
i only remember because i chose not to check in online for YVR
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Old Jul 9, 2015, 12:55 pm
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"No. In fact, a guy I've never met before took it from me, locked it in a compartment I had no access to for at least 30 minutes, spent many of those minutes on the phone speaking a language I don't understand, and finally gave it back to me after demanding that I give him money. In other words, I took a cab to the airport."

LOL
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