Got a cite on that? That’s a rework of a classic joke about smuggling wheelbarrows. And generally, Doonesbury is a lot smarter than that.
Check out Snowblind and you will see it isn’t that uncommon.
It’s been years since I had someone check my luggage tags. I try to avoid putting expensive stuff in my checked luggage but sometimes there is no way around it. I mark my luggage with florescent yellow duct tape on the handles and a stripe on every face. So far I’ve never lost luggage but my job requires frequent air travel so it’s just a matter of time. I look at it the same way I look at computers, make sure you can recover from the inevitable crash.
Am I the only one here who has had to show their baggage check to claim their stuff? Happened to me once, and once only, at Sea-Tac in the early 90s. All the passengers were being checked when they left the reclaim area and the surly guy doing the checking was rather snotty with anybody who was not anticipating this and having to search through pokets for the stubs.
I’ve had to show baggage claim checks consistently in Las Vegas, and in Santo Domingo. Sporadically at La Guardia… never anywhere else.
I cut up a brightly colored plastic grocery bag into a colorful sash and tie it around the handle of my suitcase. Easier to spot on the carrousel (plastic makes a stiffer bow-tie then fabric) and when I remove it my suitcase looks all chic and respectable again.
As for the OP; like ethelbert suggested, maybe even thieves feel a bit icky about going through someone’s elses luggage. Who knows what they might find: smelly socks, dirty underwear, supplies of Tampax and heady French cheese?
I’ve had to show claim tags maybe twice - once at BWI, and one other time (I forget where).
I’ve had to show my tags several times at LaGuardia and St. Louis.
Wow, what a great idea. They should put those on every bag!
[/Homer]
The Burbank, CA airport checks luggage tags. Freaked me out the first time I went through; I was very glad I hadn’t lost/tossed 'em.
And there is one reason for that dear Bricker: there is no such thing as “cheap” luggage here. You know how we Dominicans are, specially the ones that live stateside, we bring a year worth of gifts to the family, and it is not rare seeing someone bringing small (and even middle-sized) appliances and somebody dragging a dozen large suitcases with gifts. Getting away with one of those is like early Xmas. 
Minnesota’s main airport (MSP) used to (back in the 70s) check tags on every bag that left the carousels. The carousels were actually blocked off from the rest of the area, and you had to go past a security person who would match the tags. Today? Walk in off the street and take your pick of luggage. Including the oversized ones that are left in a special, unsecured, out of the way location.
In my experience you always have to show your tags at LAX, but on my recent vacation I don’t think we had to show them once…not when leaving the cruise ship, nor after either of the two subsequent trips by train.
I didn’t read the OP as implying that this actually happened, just that it was a Doonesbury cartoon, which could very easily incorporate an old joke/ urban legend.
:smack: :smack: :smack: :smack:
I forgot…Xmas.
The Luggae Bandits always show up big time at Xmas.
Grandparents with gifts, etc.
I meant “Luggage Bandits”.
Carry on.
Curious; I flew in and out of Burbank twice a week for six weeks and no one ever checked my tags. It must be a sporadic thing. Considering the carrousels are right next to the sidewalk (it’s a really small airport) I’m not sure how you’d even keep someone from grabbing a bag and walking off.
The only place I’ve ever had baggage tags checked was Sky Harbor International (Phoenix, AZ) and BWI. I’m always leary about flying through LAX with anything of value, as they’ve had a lot of problem with theft. The worst, bar none, in the continental US though, is the Miami and Orlando airports, stealing dive gear and golf clubs (which is instantly recognizable and quite salable on the street or online) from travelers passing through to foreign destinations. Yeah, that makes me feel really secure about keeping bombs off of aircraft when any slick-haired loser can walk into the handling area and make off with $4,000 of gear. :rolleyes:
Stranger
They might cut them off, depending on how far they are hanging. I tied curly gift ribbons to mine last time I flew, and they cut them shorter, so I didn’t see the bag right away. Now, I wrap bright pink tape around all of the handles, so I can see it no matter what side the luggage is sitting on.
Recognizable by their huge dreadlocks.
Zip ties. Everywhere.
Also, many colored electrical tape. Or some of the silver mirrory tape that I saw at Wal-Mart the other day.
~TygerD