I recently wrote about all the fun my friends and I had on our trip to Denver. As great as the trip was, it started on a sour note.

At the TSA security checkpoint at O’Hare (ORD), my friend Jason’s small bag was flagged because the security agents thought they recognized a water bottle. While the agents looked through his bag, only to find the item was a book, Jason’s bigger bag went through the x-ray machine and, presumably, was waiting for him. Unfortunately, when the agents cleared his small bag and Jason went for his other bag, it was nowhere to be found.

Jason notified the agents, who checked the video and saw a man take Jason’s bag. The man was not identifiable, though. A further check discovered an abandoned bag, which looked somewhat similar to Jason’s. Presumably it was the mystery man’s bag, although no identification could be found. It contained a suit and a few other articles of clothing.

Fortunately for Jason, his lost bag only contained clothes. His valuables were in his smaller bag. Still, this presented a major inconvenience, not to mention the loss of some of his favorite shirts.

Although he repeatedly contacted O’Hare, Jason’s missing bag was never returned. It is entirely possible the man made a mistake and grabbed the wrong bag; however, since it contained Jason’s info, there is no excuse for the mystery man not returning it.

The security process can be a bit chaotic, especially when a bag is flagged. Your bags can easily be separated or out of your sight. Still, this is a good reminder to keep your eyes on all of your bags and have identification on each. The system should allow you to remain in visual contact at all times with your bags, but since for now it doesn’t, everyone should always be careful.

— John Wroblewski, online writer