Musings on Holiday Thieves

Vacation theft tactics come in waves, go in and out of fashion I think, and, of course, it is always the staff that get blamed and the holidaymakers who are either responsible or, if the victim, never think to apologize for their accusations.

Every few years it seems the arrival bus scam gets popular and this seems to be one of those years. Opportunistic: You find yourself on the airport bus on the way to your hotel.

 

When the bus driver and guide are (deliberately ) distracted you grab a random suitcase off the bus, take it to your room or, get a bellhop to do that, keep what you want and dump the rest in some bushes. 

 

Bar convo with other guests about their travel/arrival days...  Here this year, the bus finished its run, went back, guide and driver talked to other resort bellhops with a description of the missing bag (I take photos to feed my stream of consciousness fetish but now I have a real reason). The thieves in this case were caught in their room with the bag open and its owners right behind the security folks and the bellhop who remembered the bag and where he had taken it. I would buy a ticket to that. 

 

That story started a discussion and someone else had one from a few years ago. Clogged airport and long lines at incoming security. You get your stuff after it comes through the scanner, mill around a bit and then go to the scanner and grab a likely-looking bag as it comes out of the machine and off you go. Empty it and dump all but the cash, which most people carry in purses or bags. Grabbing wallets too obvious apparently. 

 

Then came security cameras. But a third discussant said last year someone grabbed her bag, she went after them, made a fuss got it back. Best bit: The thief later showed up at her resort claiming it was an accident.

 

We contributed lots of memories of people raising a loud stink about staff stealing jewellery etc and then not saying a word when it is found under their socks in a drawer or some such thing. Mildly embarrassed when asked why they were wearing the ring or whatever again a day later. 

 

Only personal story we could contribute was re. the time a plane load of Brits arrived and, true story, their plane had the luggage meant for another and it had theirs. Airline of course wouldn't let them raid the luggage on their plane. 

 

They stripped the hotel shop of every item of clothing. Also the one next door. But it was an isolated resort halfway between Veradero and Havana so that was it. 

 

Dumb or drunk or both they then started stealing anything any of the other guests had left on their patio furniture to dry. Then wore those clothes in public the next day. 

 

That was just about the most entertaining day I have ever had in Cuba. Much as I, surprisingly, love the floor show at the Tropicana, that was better.