irishguy28

So...you would be prepared to keep the entire contents of your home on public display in your front garden?

Or, if not - what does that statement actually mean?

CrazyCelt

He probably didn't mean that exactly,

I think he probably meant that we shouldn't become too neurotic about it: I was naive (perhaps stupid) to assume my stuff was safe. I think I've learned my lesson.

brunos

You have been lucky.
In my experience, it only takes one theft to become much more careful. Maybe neurotic for a few weeks, but you then just stay cool and careful to provide less opportunities to thieves. Some countries are safer such as Singapore, Japan or Hong Kong, but my wife still got a nice coat stolen in Tokyo.

AlicorporateUK

I admit I've been rather irresponsible (leaving stuff such as wallet, phone etc. unattended whilst grabbing food, for instance), however definitely lucky that I've never had such experience.

G

San Gottardo

Just like nicolas75 I also left computer, phone, etc publicly in the lounges. never any fear that it would be stolen.

Why I felt that there was less risk of my belongings being stolen there than in the gate area?

1) I usually did not go far away from my belongings. To the buffet, to catch a newspaper. When going to the rest room I sometimes ask people sitting next to my things to just keep an eye on them. In the general gate areas, things are farther away: rest rooms, shops, etc. So easier to lose things out of sight
2) Lounges are more confined spaces, more difficult for a thief to get in and disappear and to wander around freely/unnoticed. (I am not saying "impossible", but more difficult). Also lounge staff sometimes have some sort of recollection of who walks in and out.
3) Sure, lounges are not "exclusive" and there is no verification of criminal record or intent at the entrance. But the people who have forked out more money than the general public to i) fly ii) fly in a higher class or iii) enough to get the status to get in have less in commong with the common thief than the public you bump into in the RER station.

Yes, rationally I recognise the risk. But just like nicolas75 I don't worry too much because if I worry about the thiefs in the lounge I would also have to worry about the aircraft maintenance person having done a sloppy job on the aircraft landing gear, the pilot not knowing how to handle a loss of instruments, or the guys in the control tower watching TV while there is low visibility outside and big planes manoeuver around a small space. The first thing has cost >100 people their lives, the second has cost >250 people their lives, the last has cost >500 people their lives. And I still don't think about it. Maybe I am naive.

And where I have experienced the most stealing was when leaving something on the plane inadvertedly ("Sorry Sir, the cleaners have searched the entire plane but not found your iPad" - yeah right...)

To the OP: is the Bose headphone the only thing missing from your bag? No money, credit cards, phones, etc stolen? You're lucky then.

nicolas75

Well, my "front garden" is Jardin de l'hôtel Matignon (Prime Minister Office and Residence), where policemen are standing 24/7

San Gottardo

Hmm... The hôtel de Matignon doesn't have a front garden, just a huge back garden. So you either live in the Hôtel de Matignon (congrats, that's quite an achievement), or something is off. Because AFAIK there is no building in Rue de Babylone whose front is the Jardin de l'hôtel de Matignon, as opposite the jardin Matignon there is only another parc, the Jardin Catherine Labouré...

nicolas75

Actually I live rue de Varenne

(and yes, the Jardin de l'hôtel Matignon is back the PM offices and residence: actually this is the largest private garden in Paris).

San Gottardo

That's what I thought. So your front "lawn" is the cobblestone entrance area of Matignon across the street, not the garden.

Would be interesting to see the policemen's reaction if you actually did put your belongings into the entrance court of Matignon;-)

bodory

People living Cité Varenne actually overlook at jardins de Matignon.

San Gottardo

True. But for them, just for the like the residents of Hôtel de Matignon, it's the *back*garden, not the *front* garden ;-) And hence does not qualify for what irishguy suggested, which was to put one's belongings into one's front garden, i.e. visible for everyone walking by.

Sjondorn

Whoa. I left my things and gaming laptop on the table (or in the laptop area) in lounges and did not have any trouble so far (CDG, AMS, SFO, HEL etc.) - and this isn't the only topic about the issue (for instance there is this one: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...ed-lounge.html). I guess I was fortunate, but this is disappointing to hear.