Camels in Australian airports

[ozzy72]

They are the bane of the international traveller, with their unhappy knack of sending luggage to the wrong destination or else returning it to the carousel beaten, bent or bust.
But an Australian baggage handler has capped all that by opening a passenger's bag, donning a 10ft-long camel costume he found inside and frolicking on the tarmac to the bewilderment of passengers.
Twenty minutes after he checked his bag in at Sydney airport David Cox watched in disbelief as a figure in his costume appeared outside the boarding gate.
The 34-year-old marketing executive was off to Melbourne for a football game where Alice the camel was to feature in the half-time entertainment.
Mr Cox said he was sitting beside a floor-to-ceiling window at the terminal when a child said: "There's a guy with a moose head." When he looked up he was astonished to see Alice the camel behind the wheel of a baggage cart, zipping back and forth between the terminal and the plane.
"I was flabbergasted. My jaw dropped to the ground," Mr Cox said. "And it wasn't just the one run; it must have gone around a couple of times."
The security lapse is now the subject of a full inquiry by an internal investigations team at Qantas, which is already under fire amid allegations of baggage handlers removing passengers' belongings or inserting items into their luggage.
Alleged Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, who faces possible death by firing squad in Indonesia after being caught with 4.1kg of cannabis in her luggage, has claimed airline baggage handlers in Brisbane planted the drugs.
Mr Cox said that Qantas had dealt with the camel incident promptly, but it raised concerns about airport security.
"It's the kind of larrikin thing that an Australian would do," he said. "But given the current situation, particularly with Schapelle Corby, and the issues of airport security and privacy, and your luggage remaining secure, it's obviously a poor decision."
Geoff Dixon, the chief executive of Qantas, said the handler was identified on closed-circuit television and faced disciplinary action that would probably see him dismissed.
An embarrassed Qantas reimbursed Mr Cox for dry cleaning costs, and has made sure Alice the camel arrived in Melbourne in time for today's match.

[Craig.]

funny and worrying at the same time:)

[beaky]

Ditto Craig's comment, but what's this about the death penalty in Indonesia for smuggling grass? You've got to be kidding!!!:o  If someone did plant that, they no doubt knew the possible penalty, so if that was some sort of joke, it's truly a sick one. Nothing wrong with a little practical joke, but that's unspeakable...  

[Craig.]

Rotty. It is punishable by death to bring in any illegal drug, into indonesia. There have been numerous cases of "wrongful" convictions of foreigners with drugs. Sadly these people dont bother to read up on local laws, then expect their home country to just bail them out when they get caught. I must say though with this new case, any trial for that australian woman cant be considered fair. People dont plant these drugs for a joke, when its airport workers they know full well the penalties for getting caught, and thats why with countries like that, they plant it on unsuspecting travelers.

[Hagar]

LOL I can see the funny side of that but the general situation is quite frightening. Some countries do indeed have a death penalty for drug smuggling. In the case of Singapore this is made quite clear in big red letters on the immigration form every passenger has to fiil out while still on the aircraft so nobody could claim to be unaware of it.
The Penalty For Drug Smuggling Is Death

Baggage handlers never had the best reputation but it's a worrying thought that someone could plant drugs in your baggage.

[Katahu]

Baggage handlers never had the best reputation but it's a worrying thought that someone could plant drugs in your baggage.

It's a good thing I put a Master Lock on all my luggage (including my duffle bag) during plane travels.

[Craig.]

Locks mean nothing to some of the baggage handlers. They have tools to get into most sort of locks. I go on the idea though that its a deterrant as it will take long to get into a locked bag there by making it likely to get caught.

[SilverFox441]

The lock only has to send them to somebody else's bag...they'll go the easy route and target the unlocked one.

[Pinchaser...]

oh, i thought this topic was gonna be about duty free cigarettes... darn.

[ozzy72]

Hungary has introduced a sort of cellophane thingie, its like a giant roll of the stuff and you put your luggage on a spinning plate and can wrap your luggage to prevent interference. They have several at Ferihegy airport and magically theft from luggage has become almost non-existant.
Oh and my rucksack normally gets a couple of yards of paracord to secure it properly

[Craig.]

Sounds like a pretty good idea. Dont know if i like the idea of unwrapping my luggage the first day though.

[Hagar]

I remember when I went to Singers they sealed my small case with a banding machine. The band went through the handle on the suitcase so it would be impossible to open it without cutting it. The only problem with that idea was when I wanted to open it myself. The only thing I had with me capable of cutting it was inside the case.

[ozzy72]

You'd be doubly buggered now Doug as you can't have so much as anything sharper than a crayon in your hand luggage

[ozzy72]

Wet ones at that Pete