The number of people planning to travel overseas is expected to soar in the coming months with regulations likely to be relaxed across the globe.
With millions rushing to get on planes every year it is not surprising many personal items end up in ‘lost and found’ after being mislaid by passengers.
There are some bizarre and unusual objects that have been left at airports across the world, according to the car rental and airport transfer experts Stressfreecarrental.com.
These include:
- a toilet seat complete with the cistern in the UK
- a karaoke set and bongo drums in Australia
- a 15kg boulder which a tourist unsurprisingly had rejected by security chiefs in Ireland
- some rare Rhino beetles left on a plane in America. These were found and returned to the sender a few weeks later - but had sadly died during that time.
The firm has also revealed a list of the most likely items that people leave behind on their travels.
A spokesperson for Stressfreecarrental.com said: “With a plane to catch whether for business or pleasure, everyone travels with belongings and sometimes things can go missing and end up in lost property.
“Our guide highlights some of the most common items which are lost with some handy tips on ways to keep them safe, or should they go missing, to enable them to be more easily identified and returned to you following your journey.”
Here are top tips from Stressfreecarrental.com to keep property safe on a journey:
Keys: keep a spare set of keys at home or with a relative or friend in case you lose them, to enable you to have a fall back option if necessary. Key finder apps are also now popular for travellers.
Mobility aids: These are some of the most common items to be mislaid, which is also quite surprising when they are so necessary for people who use them. Such items include walking frames and canes. It is useful to imprint a name and address on these items.
Clothing accessories: Sunglasses and belts go missing in abundance at airports. It may be that travellers have been rushing to get changed while waiting for their flight and accidentally leave these sorts of items behind. Belts must normally be removed by passengers to transit security checks and it's easy to forget to get them back.
Luggage: Smart luggage trackers which can be downloaded to a mobile phone are helping to reduce the amount of luggage that goes missing each year.
Coats and jackets: Attach a business or ID card to an inside pocket to identify the owner if it goes missing. Textile stamps which have permanent ink are also a good idea, but it may be best to seek advice from a dry cleaner on how to use safely without damaging the garment.
Electronics: Laptops and mobiles can go missing very easily in customer waiting areas so it is a good idea to attach ID to a device. Keeping serial numbers of gadgets can also speed up how quickly they are returned.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
