Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?

[denis555]

... How would I know if it was without my knowledge???

I have often wondered when I have been asked this.

Should they have said "Could anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?"

[Avitor]

... How would I know if it was without my knowledge???

I have often wondered when I have been asked this.

Should they have said "Could anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?"

Ah! That would put a toggle around their ankles wouldn't it! So to speak. :cool:

[PAXboy]

As I understand it, the question is whether you have left your luggage unlocked and unattended - even at home. It may be that someone in the household has placed something in the bag with the intent of retrieving at the other end and if the item is detected, then it is you that gets caught.

This could be a dishonest member of your own family, a friend or friend of a friend. If you have been visiting people in one country, someone in their house may have secreted an item after you have packed the case but before it was locked. The item might be insignificant, it might be drugs, it might be explosive.

The question is, perforce, not to determine if anything IS in your bag but only to cover the legal backsides of all concerned. Not your backside naturally(!) - as you will always be held liable for the contents of your luggage.

[denis555]

Understood.

Actually my comment was a bit tongue in cheek as I'm sure they mean 'Could Have' rather than 'has'.

[philbky]

Forgetting the words used, the responsibility for baggage security in one particular scenario gave cause for a great deal of debate at many security conferences in the 1990s, in the light of Lockerbie and, to my knowledge, is still an anomaly - more so today in the light of point to point Lo Co carrierss.

A passenger is asked if they have left their bag unattended - the form of words seems to vary. Inevitably the passenger will say "no" as they don't want hassle and most have packed the bag and closed it before heading to the airport.

Some years ago I flew with a Lo Co into the UK to transfer to another flight within a couple of hours and picked up my bags. I then checked in with a different Lo Co and was asked the question. Given my knowledge of the potential problem I answered "yes -it's been in the hands of our friends at xx"

Look of consternation on the face of the agent followed by call to supervisor followed by thorough search of bag.

Tried this again a year or two later when changing between two flights on the same Lo Co. This time just a shrug and "that'll be fine sir".

The legality of responsibility in this matter is clouded but the pax should - in the opinion of a lawyer giving a presentation on the subject - always declare if the bag has been out of his/her control - so really the question should be "have your bags been left unattended or have you checked them in on a previous flight since you packed them?"

[denis555]

Good point Philbky

About 5 years ago the hotel in Morrocco where I stayed collected my baggage on the morning of the flight to load onto the coach early.

It was out of my sight for about 2 hours so when I picked it up at departure I gave it my own thorough going-over.

Nothing amiss then, but I did sweat thinking about my fellow passengers bags which would be on my flight to LHR.