Originally Posted by
mykidissmarterthanyou
my kid unfortunately didn't take anything out of his carryon and had cash and an iPod stolen, the kid didn't think to put cash in pocket before handing bag over. We will not gate check carryons anymore in comfort because of course once we boarded there was plenty of room as we had insisted. It was a lesson learned, especially for my kid.
Based on that story, I think you should change your screenname lol
All jokes aside, you can try to insist as much as you want. I've seen people try it, then immediately fold when the gate agent barks that they are not boarding the flight unless they gate-check it.
To the original poster: Quelle horreur. So sorry, you had to experience that. I'd probably file a police complaint, and complaint with some other administrative agencies to perhaps help find the culprit.