You do know that if you do call in an unattended bag that the airport then basically closes. No flights take off etc....for about, minimum of 4-6 hrs.
And if its at the area past the checkpoints, what's the problem with unattended bags anyway? They already have been screened....our DHS/TSA put their "its safe to travel" stamp of approval on it.
Sarcasm??
Use common sense - do not report bags of folks who are likely 10' away from the bag or zipped into the bathroom. Especially past the security check points.
By 'folks' if you mean WASPs who look like harmless grandmothers, sure, NP.
After the security check point I would not care in any case and before the check point I would not have issues unless I saw someone purposefully leaving it behind. And even then, I want no contact with police ...
How do you define 'purposefully'?
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Well, I looked online and it appears that in a majority of cases this is what happens:
1. Security is summoned. They stand next to the bag and in a loud voice say 'Is this anyone's bag', several times.
2. Security, getting no answer, takes the bag and rolls it away to some undisclosed area.
3. This is usually the case when the bag has been security screened. I don't know what happens in the 'unsecured area', but I see bags and stuff there too, but, oddly, it doesn't seem to be a concern.
What the official policy is, IDK, I couldn't find one on 'what they should do'.
In this case the person was a foreigner, was non-Caucasian, was speaking in a foreign language on his cell phone and looking around furtively. I don't know why no one else was not alarmed but I sure was. They had just played the 'report unattended bags' announcement. What's an infrequent flier to do?