Friday, February 03, 2006

Does That Include Emotional Baggage?

Who knew that there was such a thing as a store that specialised in selling people's unclaimed baggage? Apparently they buy the bags from the airlines after the statutory period for claim has expired, sort the contents, and sell them at vastly reduced prices like a regular second hand store.

If you thought the airlines were better these days at making sure that people and their baggage stayed together, well the store is huge and takes up a whole city block. That's a lot of bags. It begs the question though, if you lost a bag that had a diamond & platinum ring in it, a huge emerald or a live rattlesnake (all real items that the 'unpackers' found), then wouldn't you try harder to claim your bag?

I wonder if they have to check any sort of stolen goods register? Not that I think the snake might be stolen...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a weird idea. I don't think I'd like someone selling something of mine that I thought I had lost. Fair enough if I had given it away, but not lost it. And I suspect most of the people who unwittingly contribute to the store simply don't know where to call to get their luggage, or perhaps can't speak English.

*medium frown*

Michael said...

One of my best friends picked up the wrong bag at the airport. It contained a FABULOUS chocolate brown ski outfit. I could see her doing the mental calculation in her head on what she'd given up vs. what she'd gained. Then she smiled.