Airport No

[MissRose]

I would never watch another person's bag in an airport nor would i trust anyone to do the same for me!

[ClaireC79]

That's true, it's just always been a standard part of life - to the point that you don't notice the 'do not leave your baggage unattended' signs and announcements, but I think we would notice if they weren't there.  Same as the lack of rubbish bins in train stations.

I always remember being aware of bomb threats when growing up (to the point that my nursery school was evacuated) but I don't ever remember being scared just kind of accepted it as part of life

[IndianInlaw]

Does anyone remember the lady several years ago, who was convinced by a stranger to leave her baby with that stranger and go get a boarding pass or something?

This was at a bus station.

Fortunately the baby was recovered.

[MrsO]

leave her baby with that stranger and go get a boarding pass

Who does that?! 

[Twik]

leave her baby with that stranger and go get a boarding pass

Who does that?! 

Something even worse/stupider happened in my town.

Mother, baby and a "male friend" (not sure if was a boyfriend or someone she knew) were in a mall. The mother wanted to go see something in a store, so she gave the baby to male friend, and told him to wait outside. Nothing wrong there.

Apparently, male friend quickly got bored, and wanted to go into a store himself, so he asked a passing stranger if they'd hold the baby for a minute.

The whole thing was on security videocamera, fortunately. On the tape, you see the handoff to the stranger, who, as soon as male friend turns his back, walks straight out the exit with the baby.

The good news is that the baby was recovered in a few hours. Whether the male friend survived the wrath of Mom when she got back is unknown.

[Brentwood]

leave her baby with that stranger and go get a boarding pass

Who does that?! 

Something even worse/stupider happened in my town.

Mother, baby and a "male friend" (not sure if was a boyfriend or someone she knew) were in a mall. The mother wanted to go see something in a store, so she gave the baby to male friend, and told him to wait outside. Nothing wrong there.

Apparently, male friend quickly got bored, and wanted to go into a store himself, so he asked a passing stranger if they'd hold the baby for a minute.

The whole thing was on security videocamera, fortunately. On the tape, you see the handoff to the stranger, who, as soon as male friend turns his back, walks straight out the exit with the baby.

The good news is that the baby was recovered in a few hours. Whether the male friend survived the wrath of Mom when she got back is unknown.

I wonder why the mother didn't just carry the baby into the store with her.

[Shortcake]

leave her baby with that stranger and go get a boarding pass

Who does that?! 

Something even worse/stupider happened in my town.

Mother, baby and a "male friend" (not sure if was a boyfriend or someone she knew) were in a mall. The mother wanted to go see something in a store, so she gave the baby to male friend, and told him to wait outside. Nothing wrong there.

Apparently, male friend quickly got bored, and wanted to go into a store himself, so he asked a passing stranger if they'd hold the baby for a minute.

The whole thing was on security videocamera, fortunately. On the tape, you see the handoff to the stranger, who, as soon as male friend turns his back, walks straight out the exit with the baby.

The good news is that the baby was recovered in a few hours. Whether the male friend survived the wrath of Mom when she got back is unknown.

I wonder why the mother didn't just carry the baby into the store with her.

I thought the same thing! I also wondered; if the male friend was tired of holding the baby, why didn't he just take the baby with him into the store to look for the mother?

[Twik]

Probably because the mother wanted to have both hands free - maybe to try on clothes or something? And it appears "friend" just got bored, and wanted to get the baby off his hands for a few minutes.

Both of them were probably thinking, "But I'll be right in and out, nothing could happen in that short a time."

[Shortcake]

Probably because the mother wanted to have both hands free - maybe to try on clothes or something? And it appears "friend" just got bored, and wanted to get the baby off his hands for a few minutes.

Both of them were probably thinking, "But I'll be right in and out, nothing could happen in that short a time."

Very good points! It is sad how quickly things can happen. I am glad the baby was recovered.

[TychaBrahe]

This happened about twenty years ago, but still....

My grandparents took my sister and I and my two cousins to Tahiti for a cruise to see Halley's comet.  Cousins and grandparents lived in Atlanta.  Sister lived in Chicago.  I lived in LA. 

We fly home.  Sister is changing planes in LA.  I collect my baggage and escort her over to her new terminal.  I decide to buy her breakfast.  (Sophisticated college sophmore treats high school student sibling.)  Since I already had my bag, and there are no restaurants on the unsecure side of LAX except the weird spaceship one, I run my full sized suitcase through security. 

It was only when I was unpacking later that I realized I had my diver's knife in that bag.  This is rather like a military knife, but with a solid metal blade and handle.  The blade is a good four inches long.  As it was solid metal, it must have showed up on the x-ray.  No one said a word.

[Minmom3]

This happened about twenty years ago, but still....

My grandparents took my sister and I and my two cousins to Tahiti for a cruise to see Halley's comet.  Cousins and grandparents lived in Atlanta.  Sister lived in Chicago.  I lived in LA. 

We fly home.  Sister is changing planes in LA.  I collect my baggage and escort her over to her new terminal.  I decide to buy her breakfast.  (Sophisticated college sophmore treats high school student sibling.)  Since I already had my bag, and there are no restaurants on the unsecure side of LAX except the weird spaceship one, I run my full sized suitcase through security. 

It was only when I was unpacking later that I realized I had my diver's knife in that bag.  This is rather like a military knife, but with a solid metal blade and handle.  The blade is a good four inches long.  As it was solid metal, it must have showed up on the x-ray.  No one said a word.

But it was in a suitcase going in the belly of the plane, right, not up in the cabin with you?  I don't think knives are an issue, even NOW, IF they're going in the belly with the rest of the luggage.  An awful lot of divers fly around to dive in exotic locales, and they take their stuff with them (although not the tanks, I'm guessing...  )  20+ years ago, we took Swiss Army knives with us, in our pockets, across national borders and through customs.  Customs didn't blink.  They got their jollies by emptying our suitcases and backpacks that day.  Bleah.

[Midnight Kitty]

It's time for Midnight Kitty to confess to her fellow ehellions:  I watched a stranger's bags in the airport during my recent business trip to the Mainland.  I plead "guilty with an explanation."

My flight was scheduled to leave at 7:00 AM, but there were 8-1/2" x 11" papers posted saying something about the flight being delayed due to mechanical problems and the next update would be at noon.  There are about 150 people in line as the gate clerks tried to get people with connecting flights rebooked on a day when 40,000 Pro Bowl fans were trying to get off Oahu and every seat on every flight was booked.  I was in line for 2 hours.  There were several business people traveling alone in line around me.  After an hour or so, the man behind me asked me to watch his luggage while he used the restroom.  I agreed.  He came back right away.

By coincidence, when I arrived at my destination and boarded the airport/hotel shuttle, the same man was sitting next to the only available seat.  I'm glad I watched his luggage for him.  I know I said "no exceptions," but I guess there is an exception to almost every rule.

Oh, and I forgot to take my pocket knife out of my purse on the flight home - again   Once again, TSA either did not notice it or they did not consider it (or me) a threat to the safety of the flight.  My pocket knife is less than 3-1/2 inches long and the only blade is 2" long.

[Shea]

I lived in Northern Ireland before the cease fire.  Many of the shops had people on the doors checking handbags etc. to make sure no one was bringing in a bomb.  On the mainland (and in NI of course), there were numerous bombings. 

The last couple times I've been in London they still do that in some museums and theatres. I was there a week ago and I had my bag rummaged through (very ineffectually I might add, I think I could have had dynamite in there and they wouldn't have noticed) at the British Library and a theatre.

[AmyJ]

This happened about twenty years ago, but still....

My grandparents took my sister and I and my two cousins to Tahiti for a cruise to see Halley's comet.  Cousins and grandparents lived in Atlanta.  Sister lived in Chicago.  I lived in LA. 

We fly home.  Sister is changing planes in LA.  I collect my baggage and escort her over to her new terminal.  I decide to buy her breakfast.  (Sophisticated college sophmore treats high school student sibling.)  Since I already had my bag, and there are no restaurants on the unsecure side of LAX except the weird spaceship one, I run my full sized suitcase through security. 

It was only when I was unpacking later that I realized I had my diver's knife in that bag.  This is rather like a military knife, but with a solid metal blade and handle.  The blade is a good four inches long.  As it was solid metal, it must have showed up on the x-ray.  No one said a word.

Knives used to be perfectly ok in carry-ons and in pockets.  In 1995 I went with some friends to drop off someone at a major airport.  When I got to the security check, I realized I had accidentally left a large (over 6 inches), serrated hunting knife in my jacket pocket.  It was my boyfriend's jacket and his knife, and could not be confused with any kind of pocket knife.

I stopped at the checkpoint and told my friends I'd just wait for them there.  The security lady heard me and came over.  She looked at the knife and made a show of holding it across her palm.  It was much longer, but she adjusted it until it was roughly "no longer than her palm".  She said "Oh, it's just a little knife". Then she pleasantly sent me through and handed me the knife on the other side.  My friends and I were stunned.  We couldn't believe anyone could carry such a dangerous weapon onto a plane.

Until September 11, nobody thought someone could bring down a plane with a blade.

[LJM]

Until September 11, nobody thought someone could bring down a plane with a blade.

...and now they can't.

 It's now standard procedure to lock the cockpit doors, and pilots aren't going to respond to threads of "let us in or we kill this hostage", since they know a hijacking doesn't necessarily mean just a re-routing of the plane and possibly two or three dead people if demands aren't met.

They could let short swords onto planes now, and no one would be able to hijack a plane with one, because even several men armed with swords wouldn't be able to get into the cockpit.

(Um, note that I'm NOT recommending that they start allowing swords in the passenger compartment. I'm just sayin'...)


The only weak point is if the pilot or co-pilot needs to leave briefly to use the rest-room. But even then-- the only time I've seen that happen, there was a rather burly, bouncer-looking flight attendent standing gaurd the whole time. Even if he had been rushed by six men with swords during the brief times when the cockpit door was opening or closing, they still would have been able to get the cockpit door closed and locked again before the men got there.

In order for a passenger or group of passengers to hijack a plane now, they'd need a way to force open the cock-pit door, while the flight attendants and passengers are trying to stop stop as though their lives depended on it (because they know they probably do.) Not to mention that when there is any sort of disturbance on a plane, it is now escorted to the nearest airport by U.S. Airforce fighter jets.

If there's another terrorist attack or attempt thereof, it's NOT going to be in the form of passengers hijacking a plane.