All,

Last month I made a trip from ABQ to SFO. I had made the reservations online and was unaware that there was a stopover at Phoenix. When the attendant announced that we could get off the plane and leave our belongings on board I decided to get off and stretch my legs, stupidly leaving my belongings out of my control.

My carry-ons were my camera bag with two cameras, four lenses, flash, film, etc. that I had stowed in the overhead and a little day backpack that I had stowed under the seat. In the rush to get off the plane I grabbed everything and disembarked.

As I walked away from the gate I noticed the backpack seemed unusually light. A quick check of the main pocket found that the digital camera was missing. I quickly checked the middle pocket to see if my day-timer wallet was there with all my addresses. It was, but the $105 of backup cash that I had placed in it was gone. The small pocket where I placed a handful of coins and my car keys to go through security had been emptied of the coins, but my keys were still there.

I filed a report with US Air. The theif/theives could have been the cleaning people or it could have been someone who remained on board. Fortunately, everything in my camera bag appears to be in place.

Needless to say, I won't leave my equipment unattended ever again. This was the whole purpose of carrying it on board with me. A lapse in paying attention to your possessions can be costly.