The first time I saw this in the central hall at Nikola Tesla Airport, I stopped in my tracks. I've traveled quite a bit. Across the USA, Italy, UK, India, Nepal, and various way-stations in between. I had never, ever seen a machine that wrapped your luggage in plastic before.
I'm particularly thrilled by this photo -- which required multiple visits to the Belgrade Serbia Airport -- because it shows the machine in action. I'd seen the machine sitting there with its attendant many times before, but somehow never quite believed that anyone actually used it. This is proof that people do!
My assumption, which could be utterly wrong, is that some Serbs headed abroad, this machine makes perfect sense. Perhaps this is their first time. Perhaps they want to put their best foot forward. Perhaps they think if their luggage is scuffed, it would look old and tacky. Perhaps they have no idea that we travelers in the West consider scuffs a badge of honor, showing that you've been there, done that, and sold the t-shirt at a garage sale already.
10 comments:
You haven't traveled much in Eastern Europe, apparently :) Russians, especially, love to wrap their luggage. Such machines are available in Canada an in other countries but if someone uses them, chances are... they are from Eastern Europe.
They had this in Budapest airport for years. BTW if you live in sponsor, flying to budapest can save you 300-400 USD / ticket ;) and it's closer than BG!!
I've traveled hundreds of thousands of miles and have never purchased this plastic luggage wrap. Figure customs may open baggage at any time so why bother. My luggage gets dinged, torn, etc, and I have bought dozens of suitcases.
I have seen plenty of plastic wrapped pieces, however, arriving from all over the world so folks are making money from the process!!!
LOL! So naive. :D
Read there - Sigurnosno pakovanje prtljaga - Safe luggage packing/wrapping.
a) I don't think people here like scuffed luggage/anything else
b) When airport security services/ customs/ anti-terrorist-drug trafficking services search some bags, they DO OPEN them, to see what's inside. Plastic wrap prevents them to random check your luggage (too much effort needed :D). But if their dogs keep barking on your luggage, they'll cut the plastic and get inside. Anyway, when they get inside, they might find your jewelery, or other stuff they like ;)
Obviously some other people had bad experiences, and these guys had good sense for business, so they started that wrapping machine business. Also, I saw these things on Domodedovo (Moscow) airport.
My favorite are the ones that offer a variety of colors. I heard that these appeal to people who have experienced or known someone who has experienced shattered luggage syndrome.
I agree with Anon 09:05 am who mentioned flying into Budapest. For some reason it is always more expensive to fly into Belgrade. Budapest is also probably closer to Sombor. The fancy new highway makes the trip a breeze.
They do this in South Africa as well :)
What nobody mentions is that the plasic also prevents thiefs from rummaging through your stuff.
Think I remember seeing this in Bangkok too.
We've had that machine for ages and it's used to secure the contents of the suitcases, so that they don't open up when thrown around. It is not always applied, only to suitcases that look like they will fall apart when not handled gently.
South African airports have them too. Sorry, Yankee Doodle.
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