Stand clear of the closing doors

August 11, 2013 5:42 PM

I Left My Camera Bag on a Train We surveyed the area and figured out which direction to take for about 2 seconds, but as soon as we were about to move out along the platform, it hit me…“Where is my camera bag?”
posted by ThePinkSuperhero (17 comments total)

A feel good story that does feel good. It is simple, understated and reassuring. It is not a story about Ireland or the Irish but it does make me proud of the folks who welcome me on a regular basis.
posted by rmhsinc at 5:52 PM on August 11, 2013 [2 favorites]

It's not that the world has any shortage of honest, decent people who would, on finding your bag, not only never even consider stealing it or anything from it but try to protect it and get it to you. It's just that that's probably not who's going to be the first one to pounce on an unattended bag. People who are quick to spot unattended bags and are moved instantly to act on it usually aren't those people, they're the other kind.
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:09 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Pretty much my worst nightmare. I compulsively check myself and my stuff constantly because of stories like this.
posted by nevercalm at 6:13 PM on August 11, 2013

Most people are fundamentally good. While rdiving her from Texas to Florida to start her freshman year of college, My daughter left her wallet at a roadside rest area outside Pensacola and we didn't even notice it missing untile the next day, halfway down the penninsula. I'd been back in Austin for 2 days when it arrived in the mail, with cash & everything intact. There was a note saying where they found it, or we never would have known. Of course I sent a profuse thank you card to the return address. Little kindnesses are the glue that holds civilization together sometimes.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:22 PM on August 11, 2013 [12 favorites]

It's just that that's probably not who's going to be the first one to pounce on an unattended bag.

Considering that we've been trained to treat them as grenades, I'm not surprised.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:43 PM on August 11, 2013 [7 favorites]

Nice story. I've had strangers return my lost items before, but I've never posted an ode to them like this. Kudos all around.
posted by salvia at 7:00 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Well that will teach his sisters not to trust him with their passports. What were they thinking? The only people that will ever touch my passport are me, and immigration officials.
posted by charlie don't surf at 7:26 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

I did a lot of support for digital cameras when they started becoming mainstream and one of the things I strongly encouraged was for people to keep an image on their camera with their phone number and name and maybe their email address. Some cameras even allow for a custom start up image and this identifier was perfect for that. I heard back from several people that their cameras were returned thanks to that information.
posted by Mitheral at 7:34 PM on August 11, 2013 [7 favorites]

Sweet story, thanks for sharing. Nice to have some examples of the best bits of humanity in face of the overwhelming news coverage of the worst.
posted by Athanassiel at 7:39 PM on August 11, 2013

I liked his photos, too--makes me want to hire a decent amateur photographer to accompany me & my kids on vacations.
posted by not that girl at 7:44 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Well that will teach his sisters not to trust him with their passports. What were they thinking?

Based on my judgement of the pictures that accompany the story, my guess is that they were likely thinking something along the lines of "I'm a minor, so it's probably best if my older brother keeps track of the important travel documents since mom and dad aren't on this trip with us."
posted by dogwalker at 9:25 PM on August 11, 2013 [2 favorites]

Here's hoping those girls someday get to see the joy they delivered.
posted by cccorlew at 9:42 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

TL;DR: trainruns, but brings bag back by a commodius vicus of recirculation from Howth and its nasty environs.
posted by forgetful snow at 11:37 PM on August 11, 2013 [2 favorites]

The bullfighting pic is my favorite. Joy!
posted by surplus at 3:29 AM on August 12, 2013

There’s no one on the train other than the driver, and he can’t stop the train.

OH MY GOD PLOT OF SPEED 3?
posted by nathancaswell at 6:24 AM on August 12, 2013 [2 favorites]

my guess is that they were likely thinking something along the lines of "I'm a minor, so it's probably best if my older brother keeps track of the important travel documents

I think I like that even less, since he left the two minors behind while he went to retrieve the bag with the passports. I can imagine many trouble scenarios when a minor might need their passport in hand.

BTW I am totally serious about nobody touching my passport. I read some cranky writing from Debido Arudo that foreigners in Japan do not have to show their passport on demand by the police. So I have actually refused to show my passport to police in Japan when I was stopped at random in the street. They didn't like my refusal, but they didn't press me on it either.
posted by charlie don't surf at 4:55 PM on August 12, 2013

This spring (2013) I got a plain envelope with a narrow bump in it and no return address, postmarked from a part of the country that I had not been to in at least 2 years. So out of the blue as to seem suspicious, even.

Turns out it was a USB stick that went missing long ago, and it had finally made its way back to me via an address in a CV. Thanks, unknown French dude. I wish you had put your return address on it, as this is the best I can send for a real thank you, besides doing the same should I find someone else's stuff in the future.
posted by whatzit at 11:26 AM on August 13, 2013 [3 favorites]