Theft risk in Australian airports

[juddles]

G´day peoples, just interested in other people´s experiences and/or feelings regarding the chance of getting robbed whilst sleeping airside in an airport.

This curiosity was triggered by posts in another thread about overnighting in Melbourne airport, where some people voiced their opinion that they would never sleep in a public area for fear of having their stuff nicked.

The members of this forum have done gazillions of visits to our airports. I just want to know has anyone ever had stuff stolen? I would have thought that the chance of theft in an airport is minimal (despiite the sometimes presence of those Jetstar bogans). I doubt in this age there is too much area that is not covered by cameras.

I am not a fan of falling asleep in an airport, but only for fear of missing a connection.

Has anyone here actually ever been robbed??

 

[SeatBackForward]

I assume you mean - aside from being robbed by the airlines themselves?

But back to topic, interesting question - what about theft of baggage from the unsecure baggage claims area at Domestic airports?

 

[juddles]

SBF, that is interesting too, but I wanted to suss out just the theft from sleeping/transiting pax issue. I suspect that it is one of those things that everyone is worried about but effectively never happens.

 

[markis10]

I have had a notebook stolen from the QP in 2008 in Melbourne.

 

[juddles]

Markis, can you give more detail on how it happened. Were you asleep?

 

[markis10]

Markis, can you give more detail on how it happened. Were you asleep?

No, I took a phone call from my partner after setting up the laptop in the business centre under a CCTV camera that lasted 6 minutes, went to get some pizza from around the corner, came back and it was gone while I was still on the phone.

 

[juddles]

That upsets me as I have had the belief that in a lounge I was fairly safe from the fleas of society.

 

[juddles]

And BTW, I would have gone ballistic at the lounge (QF?) if they told me their security cameras only capture 6 minutes. The cheapest camera system these days should cope with 24hrs high def+

 

[SeatBackForward]

And BTW, I would have gone ballistic at the lounge (QF?) if they told me their security cameras only capture 6 minutes. The cheapest camera system these days should cope with 24hrs high def+

I think Markis was saying it was a 6min long phone call...

 

[ozmille]

and someone walked out of QP with an iMac so, I need to be more careful I think, I just leave my stuff lying around when going to get food and drinks

 

[juddles]

I think Markis was saying it was a 6min long phone call...

That makes far more sense. But did they have footage of the theft then??

 

[simongr]

I frequently leave my iPad on the dining table at MEL/SYD... and laptop and iPhone... Mind you this is the J lounge

 

[harvyk]

That upsets me as I have had the belief that in a lounge I was fairly safe from the fleas of society.

The problem is that all the flea's of society need to do is part with the entry costs of a QP membership (or just purchase a one time visit from ebay) and they have instant access. The QP \ J Lounge (and even the F Lounge although getting access is much harder) is not some secret society where by members have to be vetted. All you need is a small amount of cash your willing to part with.

Alternatively, it is possible to simply walk past the lounge dragons at the right time and look like your with someone, do it right (and not too often) and you'll get in without parting with a single cent of your own money.

I've even had a friend who did not have QP membership get into the QP when he said to the lounge dragons that I was already in the lounge and was waiting for him (sort of true, I was expecting him to give me a call when he got to the entrance, needless to say I was most surprised when I looked up and saw him standing there)

As for stuff stolen, no, but I am relatively careful with my stuff and make sure I can always keep an eye on it.

 

[Rebekkap]

I would have thought that the chance of theft in an airport is minimal (despiite the sometimes presence of those Jetstar bogans). I doubt in this age there is too much area that is not covered by cameras.

I'd be more worried about the F passengers than the Jetstar peeps: Rich people more likely to take lollies from children: study - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[juddles]

Rebekkap, I enjoyed your link, but relating it to lounge behaviour is a very very long bow indeed!

 

[Rebekkap]

Rebekkap, I enjoyed your link, but relating it to lounge behaviour is a very very long bow indeed!

We're talking about theft in airports, the OP said he was worried about the Jetstar bogans, I reckon if rich people are more likely to steal lollies from children, they're more likely to steal iPads left sitting around airports too

 

[juddles]

We're talking about theft in airports, the OP said he was worried about the Jetstar bogans, I reckon if rich people are more likely to steal lollies from children, they're more likely to steal iPads left sitting around airports too

I´m the OP. My question is if anyone has been robbed while sleeping/hanging out in an Australian airport. The Jetstar bogans comment was tongue-in-cheek. The rich/upper class entitlement higher-likelihood-of-theft angle is interesting, in a lounge sense, but I am more interested in the blatant theft from poor weary travellers who fall asleep at gates, etc. Has this happened to anyone??

 

[Rebekkap]

I´m the OP. My question is if anyone has been robbed while sleeping/hanging out in an Australian airport. The Jetstar bogans comment was tongue-in-cheek. The rich/upper class entitlement higher-likelihood-of-theft angle is interesting, in a lounge sense, but I am more interested in the blatant theft from poor weary travellers who fall asleep at gates, etc. Has this happened to anyone??

On a serious note, no, this hasn't happened to me or to anyone I know. Then again, as a woman who's mostly travelling alone, I would never fall asleep at a gate. And I keep a very close eye on my belongings at airports, both inside and outside lounges.

 

[serfty]

I have regularly slept at NZ airports¹. There's a sort of backpacker feel to it, but with that comes a sort of golden rule of not touching others belongings - probably a result of dormitory style accommodation.

Having posted that, I do take precautions, removing all valuable items from view and removing one end of my shoulder bag² strap an looping it around the structure of something solid, generally the metal parts a bench seat I may be lying on. There's no way it then can be moved without making a noise that I would be alert to, even with earplugs.

This web site has a little information on security: How to Sleep in the Airport

¹ Arriving Midnight/1am at AKL with a 6am/7am departure leave little time for cost effective navigation to a Hotel, sleep then back, especially if you have lounge access to shower and breakfast.

² This would be my only luggage.

 

[markis10]

I frequently leave my iPad on the dining table at MEL/SYD... and laptop and iPhone... Mind you this is the J lounge

My notebook was stolen before segregation was put in place, the spot is now ironically the notebook working bench in the J lounge.