Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
We can't tell from the OP how it was stolen. So an alternative story might be an employee found it, looked around for the owner, then had to continue to go about their job (which may have involved walking around the tarmac) and eventually put it in a drawer at a gate, to be handed to L&F when there was an opportunity to deal with it. Maybe the OP will get a call one of these days?
I was indeed in the air when it ended up at its final resting place. Otherwise, I would have torn the whole of concourse E up looking for it.
Having just watched Murder on the Orient Express, my deduction that it was in a garbage can comes from the following careful observations: 1) it was stationary for so long after moving about for about an hour. If it were left out in the open someone would have found it and likely moved it to a UA desk or the lost and found or responded to the "If found please call xxx xxx-xxxx" message that I set remotely (one can do all of this with the Find My iPhone app); 2) there being no response when I made the phone ring remotely on several occasions; and 3) the GPS location is more in the center of the terminal than where the UA gates are.
I have no idea who stole it. The police did say they would look at tape to see if they could identify the thief.