To be quite upset over how my baggage was treated

[Honeybee85]

Came back today from a lovely holiday in my home country in Europe with DS. We spent a month there, seeing family and friends and enjoying the feeling of being home. Was happy to go back to Asia as both me and DS missed my DH and our own house and cat.

After I came home, I started unpacking my suitcase. I discovered that customs has been searching it by the disrespectful mess they made of it. I bought several packages of my favourite toothpaste from back home, all of them were opened and my toiletries bag was covered in toothpaste inside. They appearently opened the jar of fish oil capsules I brought back as well since they left it open and I found capsules shattered over my belongings. Thankfully none of it leaked on my newly bought shoes or clothes. Threw away the toothpaste and the fish oil capsules as I hate the idea to put things in my mouth that they have obviously been touching.

What upset me the most and what feels like a somewhat misogynist joke, is that somebody appearently went trough my underwear as well and took the beautiful red lace thong from my favourite lingerie set and put it inside the toothpaste covered toiletries bag.

I understand they have to check luggage for safety reasons but this treatment of my stuff feels so disrespectful! I would be upset about having to throw away the toothpaste and fish oil capsules but stop thinking about it after an hour but the underwear thing just makes me furious. DH will make a complaint on behalf of me to the airport (as he speaks the local language and they will probably take him more serious then me, him being a local).

You sure it was customs?
I had things stolen from a bag going through Lisbon.

I complained because it’s a massive security risk

Nothing was missing as far as I can see.
So it seems it really was a security check.

Usually airports will tag or sticker your luggage if it has been a security check, to inform you the bag has been checked and nothing found.
Sounds more like attempted theft but they didn't find anything they were looking for?

Customs should put an official notification on or in your case if it's been opened so be prepared for flat out denial and where to progress your complaint to because if it wasn't customs then it's a massive security issue.

Did you take photos?

There were some brand new very expensive shoes inside with price tag still on it, a tablet and perfumes from quality brands still inside their box.

I’d say interesting stuff to steal as quite easy to sell.

I was about to say yabu until I read the bit about your thong that's not just wrong but a bit creepy and very🤢(not envy). Definitely complain

@MilkTwoSugarsThanks

No I didn’t. My reaction was anger, then eeeewww so I thew away the toothpaste and fish oil capsules and then grabbed all my panties/thongs to immediately put them inside the washing machine with the toiletries bag.

You’re right, I should have but didn’t think of it.

What country are you talking about?

Sorry, too outing to mention countries.

Let’s say both countries are safe, corruption seems hardly existent and you wouldn’t expect such treatment in neither of them.

I don't think you really needed to throw away the toothpaste and capsules. But you're not unreasonable to be upset about the state of your luggage! I hope the complaint is taken as seriously as it should be. A baggage search doesn't need to leave your case in such a mess and the moving of the thong is really creepy.

The last bit is gross. I can understand the toothpaste and capsules being tested for drugs though.

Countries are really outing? Do they have two inhabitants each? pfff.

Why have you decided it was customs? You mentioned checking bags for security - that's usually not a customs role (there are exceptions, but in the main). Then there's the possibility of attempted theft by baggage handlers or similar airport workers.

How could naming the countries be outing?

@damnthatanxiety

I don’t want to mention it as I am not from the UK, I regulary post here and mentioning my home country and my current country can indeed be outing in combination with my unusual personal situation!

@Damntheman exactly this!

I wouldn’t even open a topic if it was ‘just’ the toothpaste and the fish oil capsules. I would be annoyed and forget about it.

It’s the moving of the thong that is very creepy - and exactly the reason I threw away the toothpaste and the fishoil. I don’t want to use it anymore, after I know some creep has obviously been touching it.

How strange that they managed/bothered to get the seals off the toothpaste.

I don't think you really needed to throw away the toothpaste and capsules.

Each to their own but I can't see myself taking fish oil capsules that I knew some unknown stranger had had their hands all over. Thanks, but no.

It’s the moving of the thong that is very creepy - and exactly the reason I threw away the toothpaste and the fishoil. I don’t want to use it anymore, after I know some creep has obviously been touching it.

They will have gone through you stuff and taken out anything they wanted to test/x-ray. It's probably more likely that the thong got dropped or caught on the stuff they took to test and they thought that it had come from the toiletries bag when they tipped the contents out so that is where they put it back it, rather than it was a misogynistic joke or creepy pervert playing with your pants.

I think it's more likely it was searched in your home country. If they didn't put the tops back on the toothpaste on properly, the pressurised air in the hold could have caused them to come off. Have you ever noticed after a flight that when you open your toothpaste or a tube of cream that it starts pouring out when you take the lid off even though you haven't squeezed it? The same with the capsules, they likely exploded from the air pressure.

Also, they might not have even opened the toothpaste and capsules, just tested them with a sniffer. They could still explode from the air pressure if they were unopened. It's not uncommon.

However, if that is the case, that would mean the thong was moved before you flew.

It's still not nice to have happened but hopefully you might feel a bit better that it's unlikely it was a deliberate act.

I'm in a travel group and a few days ago a member posted that three of her bras had been cut with scissors and shampoo had been poured over the contents of the suitcase.

She was flying from the US into Manila.
It was definitely deliberate.

Put forward a complaint - it probably won't come to anything but if no one ever complains when these things happen they will keep happening. This has maybe happened to several other people and if customs get tons of complaints they won't really be able to claim they aren't doing anything and that everyone else is lying.

The other (and probably more effective) thing you can do once you've lodged a formal complaint is put this on SM. I don't know if customs have a Twitter account (probs not, haha) but you can shame the airport for how they conduct their customs screening and see what they say.

The situation does sound very odd and you're not BU to be weirded out and angry!

Panties? (not envy)

Not sure I understand. Was your luggage not locked or had it been broken into?

That happened to me once, years ago, a few years after the Twin Towers. Customs had checked my luggage and some opened suncream ruined a couple of items.

I agree it is the disregard for personal possessions which is the most upsetting., I get that the staff are busy, but it's horrible opening your luggage to find that your possessions have been mistreated.