Wedding Woes

Some people are idiots. A story about checking luggage.

I would like to state for the record that I almost never check luggage. It is for reasons like this. But I had to. No way I could pack a carry on with clothes for me and the boy for 4 days. Anyways.

So we flew to WA on Thursday night and the flight go in at 12 am. When we got off and to the baggage claim all the bags were already unloaded (there were like 30 people on the flight). Mom's suitcase and the Pack'N'Play were there. No sign of our suitcase. So I file a claim with the baggage office. So here's the sucky part- because I was flying on a free pass, I am not entitled to any monetary compensation (so no money for tolietries). It's now 12:30 am and nothing is open near the airport. We finally found a 24 hour Walgreens so I got some stuff.

I spend half the morning calling baggage in Seattle and Phoenix trying to determine if my bag left Phoenix and if it was ever received in Seattle. Nothing.

And around noon, baggage calls and some douche had taken the bag. But he's a hour from the airport, has no car, and can't bring it to the airport till the next day. They give me his phone number and I call him. I really wish phones had a way to trigger a punch in the throat for the caller. I got the bag and the guy genuinely felt bad about taking it, so he gave me $120 to cover expenses.

But seriously, who takes a bag? Don't you check the tag to see if it really is your bag? I always do this on the rare occassions I check a bag.

Re: Some people are idiots. A story about checking luggage.

  • WzzWzz member
    2500 Comments 250 Love Its Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    wow. at least there was a happy ending, and you got your bag.

    but really, i agree with you. with all the fricken sercurity measures, you would think that medlding with the bags would be taken more seriously.

    and you got that free pass from all the travel you do, right? that's messed up that you're not entitled to reimbursement for your bags if they had been mishandled.
  • DG1DG1 member
    Ninth Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper

    Douchey, yes, but it was apparently an honest mistake, since he gave you money.

    This is also why I refuse to buy standard-colored luggage. That blue and white striped thing on the belt? No mistaking that for your black samsonite.

    image
  • PMeg819PMeg819 member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    No, my dad is a pilot and the free pass was an incentive he received from work. I had no status on that airline and we were basically non-revs.
  • I'm actually surprised it doesn't happen more often.  I mean, if I was a bored crook I would show up at the airport and take a bag or two just for funzies. 

    I'm glad he gave you something even if it didn't make up for the hassle.

    But this is why I cover my bag with goofy ribbons.  If anyone takes my bag it isn't by accident.

    image

    I just a friendly gal looking for options.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • WzzWzz member
    2500 Comments 250 Love Its Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    oh. non revs. then this IS a happy ending after all.
  • i was dumb when i got my first luggage and bought black. never again. how many purple bags with cupcake tags do you see? my bags have cupcake or 4 leaf clover tags on them, so a lot more noticeable.
  • A woman took my bag once -- we were both riding the same airport shuttle to the airport. This was in Germany. I discovered it after she had been dropped off at her terminal and I was stuck with her bag, trying to tell the driver (hello, HS German) what had happened, and get my bag and back to my terminal, so I could get back into the country.

    This was the first time I used this bag. The second time was the first time I met Nico and she can tell you how we had to wait on this bag, as it was put on the wrong flight.

    This is H's bad. I have never used it again.
    image
  • I have an autistic level of detaily-ness, and it has always mystified me how people can mistake someone else's bag for their own.  I mean, maybe your bag and the one coming down the belt are both big and black, but when you factor in brand, trim, wear and tear, etc., the odds of two suitcases being truly identical are about non-existent.  And that's before you factor in the astounding variety of luggage tags out there.  I feel like people who mistake someone else's bag for their own are just phoning it in, life-wise.

    On the plus side, DH thinks I'm practically psychic because I can tell that the teal American Tourister garment bag with the red tag heading toward us is NOT our forest green Samsonite garment bag with the green tag.  Even the Woozle can set him straight:  "No, Daddy, that's not our bag.  Keep waiting."
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