Originally Posted by
username
If you observe the checkin counters, nobody "races" to the end of the belt to look. A slow walk will do.
I still have to get there before my luggage does. I did not say "run" - conveyor belts are a slow business. But certainly if I pack up my documents, wait for friends to check in or do anything other than race my bags to the monitor, I'm gonna miss it. Even if I have to crawl to the monitor on my knees, that's still a race.
Come to think of it, some agents do remind you but they never just say "看行李". Usually something like "please ensure your bags pass through inspection". If the agent just says "看行李", then the agent certainly has a huge attitude problem - especially the agent would know you are not local and might not be familiar with the procedure.
I was holding an Australian passport with a HKG place of birth. I think I needed more than a mere "看行李". A hand motion towards the end of the check-in island is necessary for me to comprehend the instruction as well as a verbal explanation, neither was given.
There could also be a language issue since the word "看" can mean the literal watch or look, which you said you did or the broader "look after".
True but I needed to know to what extent do I needed to look after the bag. Maybe it's a bit idiotic for me to understand that all I have to is to just see the luggage has dropped off to the conveyor belt. But I didn't think to ask (not knowing what the consequences are ex ante).
Reading your comments and reactions, I get the feeling that there might be other personality issues involved. I am guessing you felt "furious and embarrassed" because you did not pay attention to what your girlfriend was paying attention to then you were proven wrong.
Getting caught up by the baggage screening isn't anyone's fault. TPE security might have a security alert to check all aerosols that day. I'm only unhappy at how it was handled.
Certainly I shouldn't be blamed for failure to 看行李. The monitor might as well not been there if the agent didn't care to explain what's it for. I also reckon she should have been briefed on the aerosol alert that day by management and be asked to pay more attention to it.
On her part, my Girlfriend was a frequent Taiwan traveller (having travelled there at least once a year for the last three or so years) as well as other airports and she was confused by the system as well. There were some other spots during the trip were she physically yanked me into the right queues, stops or exits, the fact she didn't backs up her own statement she didn't understand this either.
The agents can be short with people but what you described is so off the norm - either you had a very bad agent or other factors were involved (stress, language issue, etc.)
Wasn't just me that day. When I was getting my exit stamp voided another EVA agent ran buy to stop another KA passenger from passing passport control. This one was lucky.
Then again - outsourced agent of local airline - I can only blame my own carrier (KA).
Since "race" was obviously an exaggeration, I think other words such as "victim", "confiscate", "stormed off", "tore into" were all in that category.
race - not run, dealt with above
victim - what other term to you propose for me and the other KA passenger who got caught up by the aerosol alert and were inconvenienced? Certainly neither of us were actually attempting to blow up the KA plane that day.
confiscate - literally confiscated - the agent took my first BP and clipped it into the log book. My entry and my BP wasn't the only one, but I can't say whether the others were confiscated for baggage screening reasons. A fresh one was issued after I completed the re-inspection.
"tore into" "stormed off" - the tone in the phone ("爲什麽你沒有看行李?" was the second line used after identifying me (word-for-word transcription - why is she asking this question after the fact except to be accusative?)), and her attitude during the walk back (certainly no apologies for my inconvenience, not even a word of concern). The agent was noticably angry.
She too is caught up by the system, but she has no right to be angry when she has neglected to fully explain the monitor to the passenger herself.
Like it or not, it is the procedure they use. I am sure in your 15 years of travel, you have seen the world is different everywhere and do not expect everywhere to be like HKG.
Sure I don't expect the same. Some other airports (BKK and some of the PRC ones I think) have pre-screening. Also even in HKG, SYD or other airports with post check-in screening, I can imagine an aerosol or some other alert can occur. I'm just unhappy about the supposed "omission" I made for failing to 看行李 and the way the EVA agent dealt with the inspection.