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Lost Belongings

Say you've planned a trip to Hawaii for months, years maybe. You did everything right...compared prices, checked the best time to visit weather-wise. But then, disaster. Seems your luggage didn't make the trip with you. Do you ever wonder what happens to your skis and suitcases when they disappear into the travel void? Do you imagine some pilot wearing your favorite sweater? Well, we decided to do some detective work and find out where these things go.

Lost Belongings

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So say you've planned this trip to Hawaii for months, years maybe. You did everything right, compared prices, checked the best time to visit weather-wise. You've shopped for just the right bathing suit and got your carefully picked stash of novels for the week. But then, disaster. Seems your luggage didn't make the trip with you. Or, maybe, in the rush to make a flight on time you left your address book at a payphone or forgot your carry-on with your camera and that perfect pair of sunglasses at the gate. Next time you're at an airport look around. There are thousands of people in transit and each of them is schlepping a ton of stuff. The security checkpoint really nails this point home, just look at it. You're only supposed to have two carry-ons but here's the guy in front of you with his whole wardrobe, his laptop, brief case, cell phone, and sack lunch. When you've got this many people carrying this much stuff, you're bound to have a few items go missing. Do you ever wonder what happens to your skis and suitcases when they disappear into the travel void? Do you imagine some pilot wearing your favorite sweater? Well, we decided to do some detective work and find out where these things go. We talked to Carl Bridgers, who works at the LAX lost and found. Listen to what he had to say...


Savvy Resources:

Now, here's an interesting way to take advantage of other people's abandoned stuff at airports. There is a store, actually an Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama where you can shop for a variety of lost items at discount prices. They sell clothing, cameras, jewelry, skis, portable CD players, you name it! This is where all the unclaimed, lost items found in airports around the country goes to rest. It's a bargain hunters paradise. And now you don't even have to travel all the way to Alabama to check it out. The Unclaimed Baggage Center has a web site where you can browse and shop from anywhere in the world. The site even sponsors games where you're shown pictures of lost items, and if you guess correctly what they are, you could even win an "Unclaimed Baggage" T-shirt.

To link up with the Unclaimed Baggage Center, visit http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/.



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