What do you carry on? (thinking about LAX incident)

Reflecting on the incident at LAX yesterday (with prayers for those families that have lost a loved one or are injured)....

Been thinking about what I actually carry "on my person". As a female my phone, ID, money, etc is usually in a purse or bag and not in a pocket. If I were traveling to a cruise destination my papers and info might be in my carry-on. Many of the travelers that ran thru the terminal yesterday in fear of their lives did not carry bags or purses or have suitcases or carry-on. It was a life-threatening situation after all. But after the danger had passed many of their personal items were still where they left them and they still do not have access to the terminal area.

So have been rethinking what/how this might change my travel. Thinking maybe I should wear a fanny pack that contains vital information and also make sure copies of documents, phone numbers and confirmation numbers are on my phone....

just wondering how this will affect travel...

Reflecting on the incident at LAX yesterday (with prayers for those families that have lost a loved one or are injured)....

 

Been thinking about what I actually carry "on my person". As a female my phone, ID, money, etc is usually in a purse or bag and not in a pocket. If I were traveling to a cruise destination my papers and info might be in my carry-on. Many of the travelers that ran thru the terminal yesterday in fear of their lives did not carry bags or purses or have suitcases or carry-on. It was a life-threatening situation after all. But after the danger had passed many of their personal items were still where they left them and they still do not have access to the terminal area.

 

So have been rethinking what/how this might change my travel. Thinking maybe I should wear a fanny pack that contains vital information and also make sure copies of documents, phone numbers and confirmation numbers are on my phone....

 

just wondering how this will affect travel...

A supply of daily medications would be a good idea.

I generally pack all valuable stuff and paperwork in a camera bag or small daypack that I always keep with me. This also works if I'm forced to gate check my roll-on bag.

just wondering how this will affect travel...

It won't really affect my travel much. There's a greater risk of getting into a car accident on the way to the airport than there is that someone will start a gun fight in the airport.

We keep the most important items in my wife's purse.

I think yesterdays incident or if there are more of them might affect security just getting into the airport.

Keith

I carry a travel purse that I can wear cross body. It has phone, wallet, camera, kindle, and key medications. It means I don't have to dig in wheeled carry-on while in transit. If gate people are cranky about single carry-on, I can tuck purse in carry on bag.

As another suggestion, I highly recommend trip-it app. You can email all your confirmations and travel docs to your trip it account and they are accessible on your phone - even without a cell connection.

I carry everything important in my purse...and that purse never leaves me unless it's going through x-ray and then still I never take my eyes off it's location...Even in an emergency I/DH would do everything in our power to grab that purse !!!

All my important stuff, wallet, phone, travel documents, keys, I keep in my messenger bag. They can have all my dirty socks and underwear.

I have passports, jewelry, and wallet in a small purse. I have a personal item (it fits under the seat) that has meds, travel docs for later, emergency food, my water bottle and elec toys. My purse will fit in this bag - so all the important stuff is like a big purse.

I never carry vital stuff (eg. passports, money) in a bag - too easy to lose or have it stolen. But I wouldn't worry about losing it in those circumstances - I know who I am, after all, so I.D. isn't important for that purpose. And if I'm due to get somewhere, they'll find a way to get me there eventually.

When I travel by plane, I always carry a cross-body bag. It has my passport, wallet, airline confirmation, DL and credit card. This leaves me free to pull my carry-on. I always make a copy of my passport, credit cards (front and back), DL, all airline, cruise, hotel, transportation, excursion documents and e-mail them to myself. Should I have leave anywhere suddenly, I would automatically have my purse, and by going to my e-mail, I would be able to print a copy of any other documents. Honestly though, I don't think that would be my biggest worry in a situation like that.

My money, credit cards and passport is in a separate purse and stays on my person. My carry on has mostly my medical needs - my CPAP, my medication, travel paperwork and my camera stuff. My jewelry is in there as well, but I would rather lose that then my life.

There was a guy at LAX complaining because he ran out and left his carryon, ticket AND his wallet. Why his wallet wasn't in his pants pocket is a mystery to me but he said they wouldn't let him back in to get this stuff since he had no ID. One of the catch 22s.

Everything we absolutely need is in my purse.

LuLu

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When I fly, I always check a bag and carry everything essential (including all travel documents needed for the entire flight, cruise and return flight) in a purse. No way that purse gets left anywhere, for any reason! :)

 

There was a guy at LAX complaining because he ran out and left his carryon, ticket AND his wallet. Why his wallet wasn't in his pants pocket is a mystery to me but he said they wouldn't let him back in to get this stuff since he had no ID. One of the catch 22s.

He was waiting for or just finished TSA. He put his wallet in his bags when going through the scanners. Much safer than in a bucket.

He was waiting for or just finished TSA. He put his wallet in his bags when going through the scanners. Much safer than in a bucket.

Ah, that explains it. I just couldn't think why he would leave his wallet out. Regardless I really think there should have been better follow up with the passengers. NO ONE should have been wandering the airport all night wondering what was going on. You'd think they would have taken his particular situation into consideration.

Everything we absolutely need is in my purse.

 

LuLu

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I'm thinking a cross body bag/purse or hook-on fanny pack is the better way to go---probably would never need to be evacuated from a plane but if my purse were on the floor might be more difficult to grab. And they always say "your hands must be free". Hubby always has his wallet, passport/id, phone in his pockets but that's easier for men!

It "probably would never be necessary" but that's what everything thinks and occasionally the worse does happen.

We care all our Doug's...

Seems like things like this happen more at schools then they do at airports where there is a high presence of security. I won't change anything after this incident.

I'm surprised nobody said they keep their essential ID in a money belt when traveling. Even without an incident like a shooting, there are so many distractions in crowded places like airports and cruise ports, and pickpockets know that. I like money belts and cross-body bags.

And like others, I email copies of important travel documents to myself (I have a dedicated gmail account just for that).

I carry everything important in my purse...and that purse never leaves me unless it's going through x-ray and then still I never take my eyes off it's location...Even in an emergency I/DH would do everything in our power to grab that purse !!!

In the unlikely event of an emergency such as occurred at LAX, I would worry about my life more than my purse. Did you notice on the videos shown on TV that some of the people who were fleeing the airport were idiotic enough to be hauling their roller bags with them?

Makes one wonder about people's reactions to emergencies. I assume that the same people if they had to evacuate an airplane would try to get their stuff out of the overhead luggage storage.

DON

I would change nothing about my travel habits or what I carry and where/how I carry it (unless forced to by a change of law). If I thought about changing something every time an idiot causes something (be it opening fire in a TSA checkpoint, trying to light a foot on fire, explosives in underwear, etc.), I'd never travel anymore or I would only travel on private transportation and totally wrap myself in impermeable bubble wrap.

I am more worried about what Draconian measures will come into place - will metal detectors now be put outside the terminal??? Go back to the restrictions LHR had in place after a London bombing - NOTHING but one piece of reading material allowed on the plane….

As for cranky GAs and carryons - if the airline says one bag, it's one bag, not one +a personal item; some airlines do have this rule - it's up to you to read up on it, not just assume you'll be waived.

Yes, I use TripIt (I have the Pro version) for all my trips. Makes life easier when I travel.

Here is a great article that I think every traveler should read. It's geared toward plane travel (and written "to" men because it's a "men's" website :rolleyes:), but I think the premises hold true for any person or any sort of travel including cruising, or just being "out and about".

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/07/30/how-to-survive-a-plane-crash-10-tips-that-could-save-your-life/

The most important part, IMO is the section titled "Overcome the Normalcy Bias With an Action Plan"

It won't really affect my travel much. There's a greater risk of getting into a car accident on the way to the airport than there is that someone will start a gun fight in the airport.

Yes!

I first flew from LAX in 1958, and there hasn't been a shooting there before or since, until this one.

Hysteria will not provide any answers.

Yes!

I first flew from LAX in 1958, and there hasn't been a shooting there before or since, until this one.

Hysteria will not provide any answers.

Unfortunately, the TSA is big on capitalizing on hysteria...