Airport baggage handler explains why you should never tie ribbon on your suitcase
Each person's got their own way of making their baggage stand out when they jet off for a holiday.
Some might use a specific padlock or sticker on their luggage to give it a subtle feature, while others might go all out and splash the cash on a bright coloured suitcase to make it easy to spot on their travels.
As long as you're not one of those with their name scrawled on a black bag that blends in to almost anything, you won't have too much trouble at baggage claim.
However, there's one thing you absolutely shouldn't do to your belongings before a holiday.
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As much as it is an irritating feeling to pull the wrong bag off the carousel, after sitting aboard an hours-long flight and waiting to get through security, you shouldn't tie a ribbon on your bag to make it stand out.
Why do people put ribbons on luggage?
Ribbons can be a small yet simple identifier, while looking quite stylish when done neatly.
In theory, this would make your usually camouflaged black bag easy to pick out and repel anyone from accidentally taking it off.
But according to airport personnel, this could be one of the worst things that you could do, as they've advised that you cut the habit out immediately.
How can the ribbon do more harm than good?
A baggage handler from Dublin Airport named John has revealed that having a ribbon on your bag, though cute, can stop it from being put on the plane at all.
As you can imagine, showing up to your getaway destination, wherever it is in the world, is an unreal feeling that could easily be spoiled by finding out that your things didn't make it there.
The airport worker spoke to RSVP Live about why people should aim to stop tying ribbons on their luggage, saying: "Ribbons people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall.
"If the bag can’t be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight," he explained.
John added: "Take old stickers off the bag, it can cause confusion with the scanning process.”
What else should you avoid doing when travelling?
John also advised people to put your wheels up on your bag to avoid it getting damaged, while adding that there's a sweet snack that you should also avoid packing.
Bizarrely, you should not bring Marzipan on holiday, for any reason.
It's said that the almond, sugar, and egg-based paste is considered to have the 'same density' as certain explosives.
Just a few things to remember then, and if you don't follow these guidelines, don't be shocked if you end up being questioned by airport security.
Happy holidays and all that!
Topics: Holiday, Travel, Community, Plane Etiquette
Joshua Nair