Sep. 28, 2008 - Is Baggage Theft a Sign of the Economic Times?

Baggage Theft 

      A few months ago I told you about the problems at McCarran airport with the theft of bags off the carousel.  I told you the story about the girl in town for the America's got talent contest and how her bag was stolen.  Now I have a few more stories to tell you.

     We have a new Number One on the Continental Corporation radar.  Las Vegas has the most stolen bags in the Continental system.  We have had 35 bags stolen this month and the month is not over yet.  For the last few months we have a new scanning system and the bags are scanned as they come up the belt to the carousel.  So we know for sure the bag is here in Las Vegas and has been scanned to come upstairs.  

     So now to my stories.  I have been trying to be very observant the last little while.  I have spotted a person that I keep seeing show up in the baggage area.  He comes in with 3-4 Smart Carts and gets the quarters for them.  Hell I even saw him sell one to a lady today for the three bucks they cost.  (he did put their baggage on the cart for them.)  I think he saw me watching him and went out a door.  I just knew he was going to come back in.  So I went into the other carousel area and in he comes again with some more carts.  He looked up and saw me, shoved the carts in and ran out and down the escalator two steps at a time.  Would he have also stolen a bag had he not seen me?  I will never know, but if I prevented a theft today I will follow him again.  Continental is not the only one in Las Vegas to have bags stolen.  Two of Southwest and one American bag was found in the restroom after they had been gone through.  A Continental and two United bags were found in a dumpster in downtown Las Vegas. 

     My friend Matt works for Smart Carte.  He sometimes goes upstairs in the upper parking garage to pick up carts that had been left up there.  One day he saw a man pushing one of the carts with a couple of bags on it.  He did not think too much of it that day but a few days later he saw the same man in different clothes.  He again had bags on his cart.  Matt asked him about it and the man got agitated and said quickly they were his.  Well in the parking garage there is not only an elevator but a stairwell.  Up where they were, no one uses the stairwell when the elevator is much easier.  Matt looked in the stairwell and the man had made himself a little fort with the bags he had taken and a nice bed of the things found in the bags.  Needless to say thanks to Matt the gentleman no longer houses himself in the stairwell and does not steal bags.  

    I have told you before about my friend Bob Ball who works night shift in the baggage service office. He is just beside himself over these thefts and is bound and determined that we are going to end this. He would like us to become very stealth, be provided with bullet proof vests, and a long telephoto lens.  He wants to have a test bag with a certain mark on it.  Then an agent goes up to the second level with the camera and takes a picture of anyone who takes the bag. (It will have a GPS in it.) Of course we will have a cell phone to call Metro police while we try to follow the person. 

                                            
                                           BOB

   The whole point to this post is thefts from the airports all across the US is up.  I believe it is a sign of the economic times.  People tend to take from those they think have more than them when times are tough.  Make sure you get to the carousel and get your bags.  Something else golf clubs do come up on the carousel here in Las Vegas. 2 of the stolen bags were golf clubs and they are easily pawned.

    Please pass this on to anyone who travels.  Let me know what you think or tell me stories you have had on your travels. 

Update on baggage theft

While I was formulating this story Las Vegas Review Journal did a story on the baggage theft problems.  You can read the whole story of the interviews and whats going on here:

Las Vegas Review Story
 

A few things I would like to point out in the story:  It says for you to take inventory of what you have in the bag and that is probable a good idea but keep in mind about the only thing inside of a bag that is covered by an airline is clothing.  No electronics, no jewels, no medications.  It is important for you to make a police report and there is always an office for the police in an airport.  With the police report you maybe able to claim the things not covered by the airlines on some other insurance you may carry?

I would love to hear about your experiences with baggage issues.

Apr. 23, 2008 - McCarran International Airport

Oct. 3, 2007 - Whats New at McCarren Airport

Car Rental Booth no longer at Airport

While in the middle of baggage claim there used to be all the car companies where you could get your paperwork out of the way before going to get your car. Then you would step out door ten and catch your favorite shuttle. Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise, Avis and all the rest. This is no longer the case. Gone are those areas and in their place is construction. They are doubling the size of the baggage claims where your bag come up. As Las Vegas becomes more of a travel destination and more flights come in, the claims can not longer hold all the bags.

SO where are those booths now? You will still go out door ten and cross to the same area, but instead of all those brightly colored buses you will find one big white bus with the name McCarren Rental Car Center on it. There you will be taken to a new facility that houses all of the companies.

Is this more efficient? I have heard the lines at time in the new building can be long. There is no longer 2 places to register but the new baggage claims will be nice.

So just remember after you get you bags. Proceed out door number 10 and get on the shiny new buses and get your car at the new building.

Nov. 27, 2006 - Second line of Defense at McCarran Airport

There is a another line of defense at McCarran airport.  Dogs that have had extensive training for explosive detection.

Cagney: A female Golden Retriever.  Cagney underwent TSA National Explosives Detection Canine Training program at Lackland AFB Texas.  Cagney arrived in  LasVegas on July 26, 2003.

Spike:  A male Belgian Malinois.  Spike had the same training and arrived in Las Vegas on February 25th 2005. 

Bengel: A male German Shepard.  Training was done at the same place.  Bengel arrive in Las Vegas on Oct. 10th 2003.

Aenny: A female Belgian Malinois .  Anney did training at Lockland AFB Texas, Aenny arrived in Las Vegas Aug 26th 2005.

Cora: A female German Shepard.  While Cora's training was done at the same place, she was orginally assigned and worked at Baltimore /Washington airport for three years before coming to Las Vegas in June of 2006.

These dogs are often seen with their handlers sniffing their way through the airport.  The handlers of course do not want you to pet them.  They are working dogs.  The handlers do have cards with all of their information on them that they pass out especially to the kids.  I guess I am just a kid at heart, because I collect these brave dogs cards.

Do they have these dogs anywhere else?  Do they have collectors cards?