LJ Idol S8 W32 Open Topic
I couldn’t resist checking the news on television this morning. I heard updates on the Colorado fires and the damaging storms and power outages in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. There was no mention of any airport bombings or plane disasters. Thank goodness!
Only twenty four hours ago I was sitting in JFK waiting for my connecting flight to return home from vacation. I was sitting up against the windows at the end of a long corridor with many gates. Lucky I arrived early because now all the seats were taken and the area was bustling with incoming passengers and people waiting to board. I could see the activity for Gates 25, 26 and 27 on the end. I had my book in hand but was really more into people-watching than reading.
The rather monotonous reminder to passengers to never leave your luggage unattended cycled over the loud speaker every so often. Other announcements notified people of gate and flight changes. People were in various states of composure. Families with little kids in tow, strollers, and screaming babies looked pretty pitiful. Some were moving in line at Gate 25 heading to St. Maarten. Other people appeared to be business type people with briefcases in hand and very focused on where they were going. Some people had a lost look on their faces and scrambled up to the counter for directions or different gate assignments, I suppose.
I noticed one nice looking gentleman of color pulling a dark blue roller suitcase with a medium brown leather man-purse strapped around the handle and a light beige jacket folded neatly over that. He walked near to where I was sitting and parked his luggage at the end of three trash cans near my seat: One for newspapers, one for trash and one for bottles and cans.
In his other hand he held a very large Macy’s shopping bag that was packed full and looked to be maybe one and a half by two feet. My first thought was Gee that looks too big for a carry-on and definitely a lot for one person to handle. Then I figured he was probably not alone and looked about for a possible companion. But he really did seem to be all alone.
I guessed he was about thirty years old and very clean cut. He had neat close cropped short black hair, brown eyes and glasses. He was dressed in a short sleeve maroon on white stripe oxford shirt and khaki pants. His shoes were some type of soft soled brown leather loafers.
He stood by his suitcase and kept looking around especially toward Gate 27 in the corner so I imagined that he was waiting for someone to arrive, but then I remembered we were already through security and he appeared to be packed to go somewhere. I decided maybe someone was coming in on a plane and they would meet up then continue on to another destination.
Then I observed the oddest things happening.
First, the man very deliberately walked over to beside my seat and set that Macy’s shopping bag down in the small space beside my seat and in behind the three trash cans and against the wall. Then he walked back over to his luggage about eight feet away and stood there. I usually tend to give people the benefit of the doubt so I decided maybe he was just setting it out of the way since there were no seats available and he continued to have to stand.
I glanced at the shopping bag and it was topped with a stack of unwrapped disposable diapers and a light green cloth or blanket maybe. I wondered what else was in there. Next, the man backed up a bit from his luggage and appeared to be leaning down ever so slightly looking under the row of seats there along the end. After a few minutes, he returned to his luggage and pawed through the man-purse and retrieved a cell phone. That was when I noticed he was sporting a very expensive looking gold watch and a ring on his left hand. Hmmmm.
He made a call and spoke in a foreign language. He paced during the phone conversation and circled among other passengers who were standing around. He appeared concerned and acted a little anxious. He wasn’t hollering like he was mad but his speech was quite pressured and the only word I could make out was something that sounded like “YahDah” with the emphasis on the Dah.
He talked for several minutes then hung up. He continued to watch towards Gate 27 but he never once looked back at that Macy’s bag. The people arriving into Gate 27 began filling the small space that was left in this area. The man pulled his roller bag and moved towards the back wall as though making way for arriving passengers. When the line of passengers got heavy he turned on his heel and left!
I stood up to try to spot him anywhere down the corridor but he had vanished from my sight. By then the agent at Gate 26 was calling for boarding on my connecting flight. I couldn’t leave without reporting what I had seen to someone! There was a skycap with a wheelchair at Gate 27 so I approached him.
“Excuse me, sir. I don’t know who needs to know but I just saw a man leave a package of some sort over by the trash and he has gone.”
“Oh, he just put it in the trash, you say?” and he smiled.
“No. No. Come see.” I said.
I led him to the corner and pointed out the big shopping bag.
I emphasized again. “The man who was here has now gone. But he left that here!”
The skycap went to the agent at Gate 27 and spoke to her.
I watched, so hoping she would pick up a phone and notify TSA but instead she lifted her microphone and invited “All passengers flying to Santo Domingo are welcome to board.” I could see she was focused on her job at hand and now the skycap had a person in the wheelchair and was leaving the area.
I feared no one would bother to check on that abandoned bag!
The last of the passengers for my flight were boarding. I had to leave. I quickly reiterated what I had observed to the check-on agent at Gate 26. She scanned my boarding pass and motioned for me to board but did say, “I will call security.” So with minimal reassurance and many possible scenarios running through my head, I headed down the jet way to continue my journey home.
I guess I will always wonder what that was all about. Could I have done anything differently? Should I have mentioned it to someone sooner? I didn’t know he was going to leave it- until he did.
Could it really have been an innocent forgetful moment by that gentleman? Did he inadvertently leave his baby’s diapers behind?
Could it have been an exchange of some sort? Did he bring his package but could not find what he was expecting beneath the airport seats?
Maybe it was a test. Maybe it was part of a run-through dress rehearsal to set up an attack.
Maybe it was some other kind of test? Do you suppose the airlines monitor whether passengers actually report seeing something suspicious?
What would you have done?
Only twenty four hours ago I was sitting in JFK waiting for my connecting flight to return home from vacation. I was sitting up against the windows at the end of a long corridor with many gates. Lucky I arrived early because now all the seats were taken and the area was bustling with incoming passengers and people waiting to board. I could see the activity for Gates 25, 26 and 27 on the end. I had my book in hand but was really more into people-watching than reading.
The rather monotonous reminder to passengers to never leave your luggage unattended cycled over the loud speaker every so often. Other announcements notified people of gate and flight changes. People were in various states of composure. Families with little kids in tow, strollers, and screaming babies looked pretty pitiful. Some were moving in line at Gate 25 heading to St. Maarten. Other people appeared to be business type people with briefcases in hand and very focused on where they were going. Some people had a lost look on their faces and scrambled up to the counter for directions or different gate assignments, I suppose.
I noticed one nice looking gentleman of color pulling a dark blue roller suitcase with a medium brown leather man-purse strapped around the handle and a light beige jacket folded neatly over that. He walked near to where I was sitting and parked his luggage at the end of three trash cans near my seat: One for newspapers, one for trash and one for bottles and cans.
In his other hand he held a very large Macy’s shopping bag that was packed full and looked to be maybe one and a half by two feet. My first thought was Gee that looks too big for a carry-on and definitely a lot for one person to handle. Then I figured he was probably not alone and looked about for a possible companion. But he really did seem to be all alone.
I guessed he was about thirty years old and very clean cut. He had neat close cropped short black hair, brown eyes and glasses. He was dressed in a short sleeve maroon on white stripe oxford shirt and khaki pants. His shoes were some type of soft soled brown leather loafers.
He stood by his suitcase and kept looking around especially toward Gate 27 in the corner so I imagined that he was waiting for someone to arrive, but then I remembered we were already through security and he appeared to be packed to go somewhere. I decided maybe someone was coming in on a plane and they would meet up then continue on to another destination.
Then I observed the oddest things happening.
First, the man very deliberately walked over to beside my seat and set that Macy’s shopping bag down in the small space beside my seat and in behind the three trash cans and against the wall. Then he walked back over to his luggage about eight feet away and stood there. I usually tend to give people the benefit of the doubt so I decided maybe he was just setting it out of the way since there were no seats available and he continued to have to stand.
I glanced at the shopping bag and it was topped with a stack of unwrapped disposable diapers and a light green cloth or blanket maybe. I wondered what else was in there. Next, the man backed up a bit from his luggage and appeared to be leaning down ever so slightly looking under the row of seats there along the end. After a few minutes, he returned to his luggage and pawed through the man-purse and retrieved a cell phone. That was when I noticed he was sporting a very expensive looking gold watch and a ring on his left hand. Hmmmm.
He made a call and spoke in a foreign language. He paced during the phone conversation and circled among other passengers who were standing around. He appeared concerned and acted a little anxious. He wasn’t hollering like he was mad but his speech was quite pressured and the only word I could make out was something that sounded like “YahDah” with the emphasis on the Dah.
He talked for several minutes then hung up. He continued to watch towards Gate 27 but he never once looked back at that Macy’s bag. The people arriving into Gate 27 began filling the small space that was left in this area. The man pulled his roller bag and moved towards the back wall as though making way for arriving passengers. When the line of passengers got heavy he turned on his heel and left!
I stood up to try to spot him anywhere down the corridor but he had vanished from my sight. By then the agent at Gate 26 was calling for boarding on my connecting flight. I couldn’t leave without reporting what I had seen to someone! There was a skycap with a wheelchair at Gate 27 so I approached him.
“Excuse me, sir. I don’t know who needs to know but I just saw a man leave a package of some sort over by the trash and he has gone.”
“Oh, he just put it in the trash, you say?” and he smiled.
“No. No. Come see.” I said.
I led him to the corner and pointed out the big shopping bag.
I emphasized again. “The man who was here has now gone. But he left that here!”
The skycap went to the agent at Gate 27 and spoke to her.
I watched, so hoping she would pick up a phone and notify TSA but instead she lifted her microphone and invited “All passengers flying to Santo Domingo are welcome to board.” I could see she was focused on her job at hand and now the skycap had a person in the wheelchair and was leaving the area.
I feared no one would bother to check on that abandoned bag!
The last of the passengers for my flight were boarding. I had to leave. I quickly reiterated what I had observed to the check-on agent at Gate 26. She scanned my boarding pass and motioned for me to board but did say, “I will call security.” So with minimal reassurance and many possible scenarios running through my head, I headed down the jet way to continue my journey home.
I guess I will always wonder what that was all about. Could I have done anything differently? Should I have mentioned it to someone sooner? I didn’t know he was going to leave it- until he did.
Could it really have been an innocent forgetful moment by that gentleman? Did he inadvertently leave his baby’s diapers behind?
Could it have been an exchange of some sort? Did he bring his package but could not find what he was expecting beneath the airport seats?
Maybe it was a test. Maybe it was part of a run-through dress rehearsal to set up an attack.
Maybe it was some other kind of test? Do you suppose the airlines monitor whether passengers actually report seeing something suspicious?
What would you have done?