Crime in PC
 

Has anyone ever had anything taken from them in the PC?

I usually leave my briefcase/laptop and jacket in one of the cubby holes or next to my chair in the PC. I often leave my boarding pass and cellphone on the table in front of me. I only use the lockers if I am going to be leaving the PC for more than an hour.

Lately though, after reading a story about smugglers that place contraband in sleeping pax carry-ons on intl flights and then snatch the bags from them after (or if) they clear customs, I have begun to be more conscious of the security of my belongings.

The inclusion of the PC in Priority Pass has also increased my awareness of this issue. This is not a reflection on the members of Priority Pass, but if utilization of the clubs increases it seems that thefts or other crimes may also rise. With more people using the clubs you add many of the elements criminals look for, including increased opportunity(more people), the ability to avoid detection and escape(crowds, less ID required for entry). It also stands to reason as the number of people entering the club increases, so does the number of potential criminals.

Should flyers be concerned about the security of their belongings in the PC? Or, should I just relax, and go back to my old way of not worrying about having my things stolen? Has anyone been the victim of a crime in a PC(or on an airplane for that matter)?

(BTW, I saw a coach pax take a pair of those CO headphones from the empty seat in front of me on Sunday. I gave the woman a nasty look, but figured I would wait until the pax in those seats arrived before I said anything. Turned out that the couple in those seats didn't speak English and slept the entire flight. Should I have confronted the lady or told an FA?)

jh

First of all, whether I'm in the UA Int'l FC Lounge, CO PC Club, or any other Star Alliance Lounge, I always keep a close tab on all of my belongings. My laptop and backpack are either always with me or are in my view.

Just because you're in a special "airline" lounges that everyone there won't be prone to committing crime.

Furthermore, with regards to those CO headsets.....get over it! Let the poor schmuck get those useless CO headphones. I have around 9 pairs of these useless headphones that, thankfully, I didn't have to pay for. CO has an endless supply of these. The FA's can easily get you additional headphones if you needed them. (If these were the nice "noise-cancelling" headsets...then that might be of concern....but it's not....)

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SFnFlaGuy

Interesting point you bring up. I usually leave my carry on bag & coat in one of the storage rooms (but always keep my purse/ticket/wallet etc on my person). I've never really worried about them, but when asked by the CO check in agents 'have your items been in your possesion the whole time', I do (untruthfully) answer 'Yes'. I suppose someone could slip something into my bag during the time in the PC, or walk away with my stuff!!

How are the PC lockers secure. Do they have locks and keys, or must you bring your own? Are they free of charge? Thank you.

Locks????? LOL.. its a wide open area that is seldom used.. I hardly ever see any bags in those things including mine.. I usually keep mine in close site although I do admit when I'm in one of those cubby holes online; I will leave it unattended to get a drink or use the rest room which isn't the brightest thing to do, but short of packing it all up again, is there a choice.. and NO not getting a drink or not using the rest room is not a choice in my book LOL

As for the head sets; I think you are wasting your time worrying about it.. this is a definite case of MYOB.. I mean who cares.. the FA will give them some if they want them.. these things are a dime a dozen. I too have these in every drawer at work, in the house and in every cubby hole in every travel bag I own.

Some PCs do have lockers. The newest one in EWR has them for free (if you can find one with the door still attached http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ) DEN has them as well, but I believe you have to pay a quarter for the key.

The lockers in the LGW PC are secure. Each has a key and lock and are available free of charge. There are even US and UK-type power outlets inside so you can recharge your cell phone/laptop while you wait for your flight.

The IAH PC requires a credit card in order to get a locker key, if you neglect to return the key you are charged $20

After the Enron, Worldcom debacles everyone should realize that there are thieves EVERYWHERE. They go where the money is and they are in ALL airports in droves. It is not very common, but things (computers etc.)have been stolen from PClubs...esp in the hubs.

I have been over the headsets since the couple took their seats and went to sleep. I think we all have more pairs than we could ever use. More than anything, I was embarrassed to witness the woman's behavior.

My point is/was that CO sells those headsets either in the price of the ticket or individually. Is a coach pax taking a headset from someone's seat in FC any different than coming up the aisle and swiping a drink or meal? Many of us have often have too much to eat or drink, does it mean that someone should take our food or drink from us without asking? The fact that any of the items in question might be of little value doesn't fully address the ethical dilemma.

Just two ear pieces.

jh

The lockers that I use most often are in AUS. These are to the left of the cubby holes and are free of charge.

I like to fly into AUS in the AM, leave my carryon and sometimes my briefcase in the lockers, and then pick everything back up in the PM when I leave. A few weeks ago I made the mistake of showing up at 6:45 to board the 7:00+/- flight(I had already checked in several hours earlier) to IAH to discover that the PC was closed. There were a few tense minutes until they located someone on the radio who had a key to the PC.

jh

The lockers in DEN give back the quarter when you reinsert the key. I've often wondered what the point of requiring a quarter is. I guess it's some sort of "deposit" to prevent people from running off with the keys and leaving their carryons inside!

I have always recognized that a number of thefts occur in the airport concourse.

(I have never had anything taken, but it always makes me nervous to lay my wallet, money clip, watch, computer, etc. out for someone to possibly swipe while I go through security. This is one of the few areas that TSA has improved. Before, I would make sure that the people in front of me had cleared the metal detector before placing my items on the belt and walking through it myself. I didn't want to get stopped behind the accomplice, while the thief made off with my stuff.)

On the other hand, I have always felt secure inside airplanes and in the lounges. This is partly because these are controlled environments and partly because you just can't -- mentally and physically -- be on guard all day long. You know the feeling, skating on to the plane as the door closes, "whoo, I made it."

And, I have to admit, that I figured that a computer or cell phone, etc. could be easily replaced. Items like this tend to be upgraded so often, that it seemed like it wouldn't matter too much if they got "upgraded" a few months early (and I could explain the loss by saying that the item got "enhanced" while traveling on CO).

Then, with being locked out of the PC, and leaving my cell phone in a car a few days later (thankfully I carry a spare and the service fedexed the left phone to me), I realized that the theft or loss of the these items could severely disrupt my business.

Even though I back up my PowerBook, I realized that being separated from the information on it for even a few hours could be a serious problem. Not to mention the potential data security issues that the loss of a computer or phone creates. (When you start to think about just the information that ends up on your phone -- call log, phone book, codes, saved mail, voice notes -- you realize how threatened confidential information is.)

Generally, I have tended to view locks and security measures as a nuisance and as a sign of personal failure. No one locks their houses or cars in the town that I grew up in, and I still don't lock my doors unless I am going to be gone for a while. As a person concerned with ethical behavior and right actions, I have always felt that faith in others is important to personal character. In politics, I learned a more practical version of this belief: suspicious people are usually suspcious themselves. So I have been really wrestling with this issue during the last couple of weeks.

On the other hand, I have an obligation to my clients and partners to maintain the security of our projects. It is hard not to see the lax security we have at our office and on the road as being uprofessional, and I can certainly see how our reputation would be damaged by the theft of confidential data. At the same time, I have turned down requisitions for a shredder("what do we have to hide") and once got in trouble for asking a politician "why would you do that?" (he took it as an implication that he was crooked while I was trying to break the ice by poking his self-importance) when he mentioned that he had his office "swept for bugs."

Where do people stand on this issue? Am I being paranoid, or am I being, as cops say, "stupid." Do I have too much faith in others, or too little? Has anyone on FT ever been robbed on a plane or in a lounge?

jh

I saw a guy get his carry-on bag stolen from the luggage storage area at an IAH PC a couple of years ago. They paged everyone in the club that had a similar back to double-check to make sure they had the right one. About 30 minutes later, Houston Police arrived and took a theft report. The victim didn't look very happy.

Probably her own headset didn't work (it has happened to my wife) and she simply took the extra one from an empty chair.

From the little plastic bag that the headsets come in:
I used to keep my house unlocked, until an unknown woman from a neighbor barracks employed by my landlord stole a pair of binoculars in 1992. In 1995, at a different house, a burglar attempted a break in while we were at church. Only a simple hook inside the door (severely bent) saved us. Three houses later, at a very remote mountain top location, we keep two dogs fenced inside our yard and always lock up.

I used to keep the car unlocked until 1998 when someone stole a pair of my wife's sunglasses and destroyed the glove box, from the church parking lot next to my office. Now I keep all doors locked while driving, too, not so much for carjacking protection (that's never happened in the CNMI yet--though like seatbelt wearing it's a good habit to get into for driving in certain cities in the mainland) as for roll-over and passenger ejection protection purposes.