On a recent trip, I parked my car at the off-site facility I use, like normal. I got on the shuttle and rode it to the airport, like normal. Everyone else got off the shuttle at the first stop, and I was the last person still waiting to get dropped off. The shuttle driver was carrying the final suitcase down the stairs, when the passenger stopped him. “Can I ask a favor of you?” he said. (Now, I expected the favor to be something like, “Can I get change for a $20,” or something similarly benign. Um, no.) “I just realized I have a knife in my pocket. I don’t want to take it through security, because I’ll get in trouble. Can you take it and put it in my car?” Then he gave the driver a piece of paper with his parking space number and the code to unlock his car, along with an extra $5.
Wow. I have so many issues with this! First off, I know that I live in Texas. But seriously. How can you not remember you have a knife in your pocket?? This guy was obviously a frequent flier, he should have known better! Second, to give someone that you don’t know the code to get into your car? That just seems incredibly stupid to me! Finally, from the drivers’ perspective, it seems like setting yourself up for a host of problems. What if this is the one time that someone breaks into this guy’s car? Guess who will get blamed?? Oh and one more—it seems like a favor like this is worth way more than $5. But that’s just me.
One alternative was to have the driver take him back to the facility so he could put it back himself. I’ve had to do this once before (I left my phone in my car) and it took less than ten minutes. (BTW I tipped that guy $10 because I was incredibly grateful.) Granted, it’s not a great option if you’re running super short on time. It just seemed so weird!
So friends, my recommendation to you is to leave your knives at home. It just seems to make things much simpler.
Readers, what do you think? Is it a weird request, or am I being overly analytical?
always leave it in your check-in bag.
Overly analytical me thinks…
Anyone can forget something (or forget to leave something) in the stress of packing.
Even frequent flyers are human and forget. I have discovered a couple of times an object in the pocket of my jacket that i had fogetten was there. I wonder what TSA does with the collection of multi-tools that I am slowly building with them?
I do agree that it would have been easy for the flyer to return via the shuttle and take care of it himself.
Yeah, been there done that like in the story (pocketknife is attached to my keychain, I was in a hurry admittedly). Fortunately I had remembered it when parking shuttle driver arrived at terminal, stayed on the bus and went back to the lot and my car with him, then back to terminal. I was running part of the time, but made the flight (knife had sentimental value also being a gift from a close relative of mine). I would *not* be giving keys or numbers to anyone though, sorry there’s too much at risk there.
I wonder how much the knife was worth. Perhaps the TSA trash can was the right place for it.
You guys are right–anyone can forget that something is in their pocket. I guess the situation seemed so strange to me because of the way the guy handled it…. I just would never give a stranger a way into my car!
I have periods of time when I am travelling all the time (and am totally into the groove, following my travel systems, remembering everything)…and then maybe a few weeks or a month will go by, and I realize I have completely repressed/forgotten everything I know about packing, driving to the airport, parking, and going through security. One time, I got to security and forgot to take my laptop out (endearing me to everyone behind me). I have certainly forgotten that I have something in my purse or pockets that needs to be removed. Unfortunately, this does not help me to be more patient with others….but nor would it lead me to give a stranger a way to get into my car!
I accidentally smuggled a multitool through security last time I flew. I completely forgot I had it on me until I was boarding the plane. Oops. (And the answer to how I forgot: it’s small, I keep it attached to my keys, and I carry it everywhere, so I don’t even think about it.)