I left my Nikon bag with all my photo equipment (which my wife had given me for one of my best birthdays ever) at the FLL airport security check point terninal B by accident on Jan 5th 2008 at around 8:40am. I was carrying way too many things and just spaced out in the chaos that forms there (shoes, coats, backpack, computer out, etc. I even remember placing the video camera back into the camera bag, and then leaving without it - I think I left the bag either at the rollers (in the tray) or on the floor.... don't worry I've already kicked my self several times for such stupidity.
Make a long story short, when I went back for it about 20 minutes later, it was not there nor at the TSA lost and found. After lots of phone calls and letters, it takes a miracle to have TSA review the video tapes of that day and it might now be too late. I have filed claims with TSA, Sheriff of Broward County, and home insurance... but just in case, if anyone comes across these serial numbers, please let me know or call police...
Nikon D200 serial #3141788
Nikon 18-200mm VR Lens serial #2101234
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 Lens serial #414019
Nikon SB600 Flash serial #2282700
Could be time for a D300? And some duct tape to keep the next kit glued to your side....sorry that that horrible airport experience. Glad I no longer travel like that myself
My Nikon D200, 70-200, 17-55, and Tok12-24 were stolen from my car in the hotel parking lot in Vegas late in 2007. I understand precisely how you feel about the loss, and it's even worse because you're responsible for it. My condolences.
On the bright side, you now have a golden opportunity to buy the D300! This is very good news indeed, and will make you very happy. "Every cloud has a silver lining." The D300 is such a major improvement over the D200, it's not even funny. But you'll be grinning like an idiot (I still am) once you see what the D300 does for you.
This goes for laptops too. I travel a lot on the airlines and have heard of passengers having their laptops stolen from their baggage in the overhead while they're sleeping.
Just this week I got funny looks as I took mine to the lavatory with me to ensure it didn't leave my sight.
When you filed a report with the Sheriff's Department, did you include the serial numbers? If so, they can probably enter them in a national database (FCIC/NCIC) as stolen. This means that if someone tries to sell them at a pawn shop they will come up as stolen and police will be notified. Also, if someday someone gets stopped by police for whatever reason (maybe arrested for something else) and that person has the equipment on him, the officer could verify if they are stolen by checking the serial numbers on the national database. It's not that law enforcement will be actively looking for your equipment, but if they do come accross it someday they will know it belongs to you if the serial numbers were entered into the database. If you didn't provide the Sheriff's Department with the serial numbers when you filed the initial report, you can contact them again and probably have them include the serial numbers in a follow up report. Be persistant about getting the numbers entered though. Sometimes call takers at large law enforcement agencies are a bit busy and are overwhelmed with calls.
pandorf wrote:
This goes for laptops too. I travel a lot on the airlines and have heard of passengers having their laptops stolen from their baggage in the overhead while they're sleeping.
Just this week I got funny looks as I took mine to the lavatory with me to ensure it didn't leave my sight.
Well, next time just check it's still there when you come back from the toilet! Much more convenient and if it is missing, well, where can the thief go?
snegron wrote:
When you filed a report with the Sheriff's Department, did you include the serial numbers? If so, they can probably enter them in a national database (FCIC/NCIC) as stolen. This means that if someone tries to sell them at a pawn shop they will come up as stolen and police will be notified. Also, if someday someone gets stopped by police for whatever reason (maybe arrested for something else) and that person has the equipment on him, the officer could verify if they are stolen by checking the serial numbers on the national database. It's not that law enforcement will be actively looking for your equipment, but if they do come accross it someday they will know it belongs to you if the serial numbers were entered into the database. If you didn't provide the Sheriff's Department with the serial numbers when you filed the initial report, you can contact them again and probably have them include the serial numbers in a follow up report. Be persistant about getting the numbers entered though. Sometimes call takers at large law enforcement agencies are a bit busy and are overwhelmed with calls.
This kind of experience is always a disaster but you are not talking about pictures...
I remember another experience: I was in NY (in fact in Briarcliff Manor, not far from NYC), and it had been snowing... landscapes were just wonderful. I took pictures with a cheap pocket film camera and at the security check in Amsterdam, back to Europe, I took the films out of my pockets, passed through the gate and forgot to take them back. I just lost approximately 70 pics forever and I assume there must have been some wonderful pics among them... To me it was a much bigger loss than equipment. What you lost is quite some money, but that can be recovered or forgotten on the longer term... the only "positive" thing about this otherwise very bad experience.
I hope you'll find a solution and be a happy shooter again.
really sorry to hear that... I had my macbook stolen a couple years ago, barely weeks after I bought it.. from a plane.. well found out later there was a program that would help recover your laptop, once it was connected to the internet.. really wish cameras had some kind of homing beacon, or low pulse signal that would help people find them..
One thing I learned, once I got another laptop, I immediately loaded that program... so, although there's not much you can do to help recover your gear, you've learned never to drop your gear like that...
you should also register the serial #'s at photo.net, they have a stolen gear forum registry.. good luck, and believe in karma... nothing good will come to those thieves that took from you...
bellyface wrote:
really sorry to hear that... I had my macbook stolen a couple years ago, barely weeks after I bought it.. from a plane.. well found out later there was a program that would help recover your laptop, once it was connected to the internet.. really wish cameras had some kind of homing beacon, or low pulse signal that would help people find them..
One thing I learned, once I got another laptop, I immediately loaded that program... so, although there's not much you can do to help recover your gear, you've learned never to drop your gear like that...
you should also register the serial #'s at photo.net, they have a stolen gear forum registry.. good luck, and believe in karma... nothing good will come to those thieves that took from you......Show more →
