You have arrived at the airport and booked in your luggage and its almost time to go to the departure lounge for your plane. All you are carrying is your camera bag - it's small enough to be accepted as cabin baggage and it's safer to keep it with you.
Here's the security check. You dump your camera bag and mobile phone on the conveyor belt that goes through the xray machine and you walk towards the personal gate. Suddenly someone pushes past you and goes through the detector gate first. You don't want to make a scene so you ignore his rudeness. The gate beeps and a security man asks the guy if he has any keys in his pocket. Of course he has. He pulls them out, embarrassed and tries again. The gate beeps again and he fishes around in his pocket and sheepishly pulls out his mobile phone. He has another go - no beeps this time and he is through.
Your turn - no problems. You walk to the end of the conveyor belt.
Surprise, surprise - no camera bag and no mobile phone - and your plane leaves in 20 minutes.
There wasn't just one rude guy - he had a friend on the other side of the security gate who calmly picked up your camera bag and mobile phone and then left the airport and caught the bus into town. The guy that held you up at the security gate is on the next bus into town so he can share the loot with his friend.
Never take your eyes off your valuables. Even in the above situation - ignore what is going on in front of you and just watch your bag. If you can't see your bag insist that you be allowed to go through to collect your valuables. If you are travelling with someone, go through one at a time with the second person keeping the items that need xraying until the first person is through.
THIS INCLUDES HANDBAGS!: http://www.expat-consumer.com/index.php?topic=34.msg35#msg35
