Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

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Jimbob
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Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Jimbob »

Reading a recent topic on BKK Carousel arrival times has prompted me to recount an embarrassing experience in picking up the wrong bag from a carousel as a reminder to other travelers.

In August it took sometime to get to the carousel on from the gate and the bags were already offloaded onto the floor. Being in a hurry I grabbed my black drag bag, one of only a few bags left, and quickly headed for the train It Ah no waiting, its about to depart, great time being made up. I got off the train in town and walked to the hotel but the bag didn't feel right. On closer inspection, Oh Shit, not mine! When I then picked it up the extended handle it fell off and the zip was starting to fail. I bundled it to a taxi as it was useless to carry it on public transport. Hours later because of the 6 pm traffic I arrived back at Suvarnabhumi airport. Thai Airways luggage department were expecting me but not the state of the bag. After some haggling I paid half of the damaged bag cost to Thai Airways to replace the other customer's damaged bag so I could get my bag and arrived back at my hotel six hours after I first arrived in BKK.
I just saw the brightly coloured 'Aldi' store strap around the bag and assumed it was mine. (I am sure they have sold some hundreds!) I now carefully read the luggage ID and have other unique bag markings.

I told my daughter the story and only two months latr she picked up the wrong bag from Melbourne airport and took it to her hotel. It eventually cost her $200 in Taxi fares. It's not so uncommon to pick the wrong bag as her husband admitted of once doing the same thing.
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Re: Is that your bag sir?

Post by uncle tom »

When you buy luggage, don't choose a black one - you'll find find yourself in the midst of the scrum staring intently at almost every bloody bag as it comes round the carousel..

If you pick one that's a bright canary yellow, you can stand at the back of the crowd and wait patiently.

Aside from that, add some tell-tale markers to your bag to make it unique, and always check that tag..
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Re: Is that your bag sir?

Post by migrant »

uncle tom wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:21 pm When you buy luggage, don't choose a black one - you'll find find yourself in the midst of the scrum staring intently at almost every bloody bag as it comes round the carousel..

If you pick one that's a bright canary yellow, you can stand at the back of the crowd and wait patiently.

Aside from that, add some tell-tale markers to your bag to make it unique, and always check that tag..
My wife bought a pinkish suitcase (her stuff, not mine). On a recent trip to Chiang Mai I grabbed the odd colored case off the conveyor. "That's not ours" she said. "Who else would have that color, has to be ours" I replied.

She then mentioned she tied a small ribbon on the handle and this didn't have it. I asked if it could have fallen off and she said maybe. We waited another 10 minutes and our, I mean her, bag came out 3 down from the identical other one.'

Usually we have luggage tags, ribbons, etc but this was the first travel of a new bag, and domestic, so I didn't think about.
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Gregjam »

I get annoyed when my wife is always wanting a new shiny suitcase as my trusty old American Tourister bag is still sturdy after many years travel. It is not black and like a little kid I have put numerous stickers on it over the years. Easily recognisable by these and the travel scars, never a problem. I even have my name in stickers although some letters have come off over time. It's not just you who may pick up the wrong bag, being at the receiving end of your bag being picked up by someone else is not good either. When you are travelling onward it may mean missing a flight if the stuff in your bag is important, particularly when you are going to work.
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by oakdale160 »

I too have done it, not from carrousel but took the wrong one from the overhead rack. I realised before I got to the gate and the agent took it off me and i went back for correct one. I have now painted with acrylic paint a sign on both sides
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by handdrummer »

I've got an 15 yr. old, cheap black carry-on from Walmart. I painted a big silver X on the front and have never had any problem identifying it or anyone taking it. Even thieves wouldn't want that bag. Luxury luggage is an advertisement for theft.
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Big Boy »

I remember watching somebody walking off with my bag at Glasgow Airport. I ran after them and said they had my bag. It turned out I was correct, but the other guy's bag was identical, and arrived on the carousel soon after. Smiles and apologies, but so easily done.
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Nereus »

Big Boy wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:58 am I remember watching somebody walking off with my bag at Glasgow Airport. I ran after them and said they had my bag. It turned out I was correct, but the other guy's bag was identical, and arrived on the carousel soon after. Smiles and apologies, but so easily done.
Brave man to do that at Glasgow Airport. I guess it wasn't a woman, or despite your size you would probably have ended up on the deck! :shock:
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Big Boy »

The majority of Glaswegians are nice people - they can't help their accents.
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Re: Is that your bag sir?

Post by ahandpatsy »

uncle tom wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:21 pm
If you pick one that's a bright canary yellow, you can stand at the back of the crowd and wait patiently.
I have a canary yellow case and somebody took it by mistake at Birmingham 6 months ago !
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by PET »

Big Boy wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:57 am The majority of Glaswegians are nice people - they can't help their accents.
Yo be totally honest I seldom understand what they say.
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Big Boy »

PET wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:44 am
Big Boy wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:57 am The majority of Glaswegians are nice people - they can't help their accents.
Yo be totally honest I seldom understand what they say.
LOL, I used to go up there regularly to run training courses. Communication used to be fine between us until we stopped for a break. Once they were talking to each other, they all seemed to put on their Rab C Nesbitt heads on, and I was cut completely out of the conversation by their broad accents. Break over, everybody started talking English again.

:offtopic:
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Re: Baggage at airports: Is that your bag sir?

Post by Jimbob »

Yes, Scots carry a lot of baggage about their dilect.
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