Unclaimed Baggage: The Store, and How to Avoid Your Stuff Going There
Yeah, so then I remembered flying into Houston once when my bags somehow stayed in Phoenix an extra day. The Houston airport was kind enough to send some guy along to deliver the bags, but when I opened them up I was missing a 12-pack roll of film, a carton of cigarettes, and my favorite pair of green silk boxers. Yup, someone stole my undies – and granted, I wore them as night shorts, but who could guess that just from a pair of boxers?
So, want the lowdown on Lost Baggage, the store – and how to prevent your Calvin Kleins from ending up there? Read on.
Unclaimed Baggage Center – The Store
The Unclaimed Baggage Center, a.k.a. “The Land of Lost Luggage”, is located in Scottsboro Alabama. Not only do they have a men’s, women’s, and children’s department, they also carry eyeglasses, CDs, cameras, painting, and the ever-needed teeth whitening creams, forty-carat emeralds, and a cowboy hat signed by Mohammed Ali.
Seriously, the labels in this place read like a who’s who of designers, with wacky things in-between like I can’t begin to describe. The Unclaimed Baggage Center even runs a contest that asks you to tell them what an odd item is and what it’s used for to receive an Unclaimed Baggage souvenir t-shirt.
Does the store live up to the hype, though? Well, you’re likely to receive a lot of mixed answers on that question, but before you decide to tightly pack a carry-on and head to the hills (literally), remember that the Unclaimed Baggage Center is, first and foremost, a second-hand store. Unlike the ritzy and sometimes glitzy items they house, their store is as simple and âÂ?¦ well, flea-market you can get. It is, simply, a warehouse.
As for selection, you can grab up some of their better finds online, at www.unclaimedbaggage.com – or try to identify some of their more interesting items at www.unclaimedbaggage.com/interestingstuff.html
How to NOT Lose Your Luggage
Don’t worry, you’re not alone if this whole thing has you a little creeped out. If you want to make sure that your unmentionables don’t become part of this “lost world”, take a few simple steps to keep you from losing your luggage.
1. Get some sturdy bags – I know, after the cost of airline tickets, buying a bunch of luggage is the last thing you want to spend money on. Most of the lost luggage floating around the airports comes from bags that have literally busted at the seams. We’ve all seen how those baggage handlers throw stuff around – if your fabric bag can’t handle the pressure, it will burst right open and you’ll be lucky to recover half of your items. The best materials are heavy-weight leather/faux leather, canvas, and the ever-durable plastic. Avoid luggage with pockets, as these can get caught on stuffâÂ?¦ not to mention the unavoidable urge to stuff one last thing into your bags by just using the pocket, an invitation to some unscrupulous bag handler.
2. Know your destination – When you check your bags in, double-check the tags that are on them. Anywhere you’re headed will have a three-letter identifier (the same ones that are on your airline tickets). Make sure that the tags on your luggage match your ticket.
3. Know your itinerary – Print out a quick list that offers which cities you’ll be in on what dates. Obviously, don’t include addresses or anything identifiable like that – but at least the airport can forward things on and you’ll have a better chance of recovering any lost luggage.
4. Make it stand out – When I traveled a lot (and after learning the woes of lost luggage), I brought along two pieces of luggage: pink camouflage canvas bags. Seriously, they weren’t for the fashion statement. How many pink camouflage bags are you likely to see coming around the belt, though? Moreover, how many would-be thieves are likely to spot it and say – yes, I want to be noticed with these things! The point is that if you can get luggage that really stands out, you also reduce the risk of someone mistaking your bags for their own.
5. Use some common sense – Okay, seriously now âÂ?¦ that 40 karat emerald that I mentioned being at the Unclaimed Baggage Center? It really existed – they really had an expensive jewel in their hot little hands after some airline traveler lost it. Anything that means something to you – whether it’s expensive, precious, or just of sentimental value – shouldn’t leave your side. Most airlines allow you two carry-on bags, which should be more than enough to hold your best-loved possessions.
And, well � if your luggage still gets lost, count yourself among the ranks of Lynn Anderson (who reclaimed her diamond-studded belt buckle from the center) and Mrs. Bing Crosby, whose half-finished needlepoint project wound up in the Unclaimed Baggage Center. You can always look there as a last-resort.
