[Sam Kapasi]

Yesterday.

I've lost it all. My mind, marbles, mobile phones by the bushels, documents, money and more. Never lost an iPod. I guess it is a matter of priorities.

In an earlier interview here

Sam Kapasi on Bloomberg UTV - YouTube

I say the truth, that in case of a fire I'd save my iPod first. I've had that one iPod for 4 or 5 years now, right when the first 160GB was released.
Yes I carry 160GB of music with me everywhere, never leave home without it.

And so it came to pass that I was to fly to Delhi for a few hours. The morning flight was on Kingfisher, it was my e-book reader, my iPod, my new headphones and I.
Time passed super quick and before I knew it, I was in Delhi.

While talking on the phone I unzipped my bag (same bag you see in the video) and starting putting all my stuff back in.
I was distracted and busy and I could have sworn I put all the gadgets back in the bag.

Finish my meeting and have a 5pm flight back to Bombay on Indigo. Board the flight, unzip my bag and take out the Ebook reader, my headphones and...
And my eyes widen a little.

There must be a mistake somewhere. I don't feel the familiar touch of my iPod. Startled I proceed to empty out the bag on the seat much to the amusement of everyone around me.
Bits and bobs, wires and cables and all kinds of stuff out of my bag. No iPod.

I unzip every little pocket and go through it over and over again.

The moment where you put your hand inside the compartment or pocket of the bag, don't find what you're looking for and a minute later you do it again, praying that it magically appears in the same pocket where it wasn't there a minute ago...

No iPod.

I'm thunderstruck, upset and quite in shock. I proceed to call the driver of the car on the odd chance that it fell out in the car. I'm pretty sure I didn't leave it on the Kingfisher flight, because i took everything else.

Sir you have to switch your mobile off...

I want to bang my head somewhere.

When I land in Mumbai I make a few frantic calls.

No iPod.

I don't want to talk about it anymore. I walk around with a thundercloud over my head. Grudgingly I begin to admit to myself that I may have left it on board. Now there is certainly no way I would get that back. No, there's no chance of that happening.
Still I email a colleague, giving him my seat number and flight details and request him to visit Kingfisher at New Delhi Airport and try his best on the odd chance that...

he visits New Delhi Airport, meets the Kingfisher supervisor.

Ladies and Gentlemen, fasten your seat-belts. I have my iPod back. Thank you Kingfisher!

Talk about living a charmed life.

Thanks for reading these little stories. I hope they help you get back what you may have forgotten on board someday.

Love,
Sam

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

.... there was no way for me to get onto that flight without proper ID.

Since we are sharing tips and tricks here -- i've heard that the above is not entirely true.

You CAN get onto a domestic flight without ANY photo ID.

You need to go to the airline/ticket office thats usually located just outside the airport, they will ask you some questions (or something like that*), and will write & stamp something on your printed out e-ticket, which should enable you to enter the airport. I think they might charge you some money as well?

* Sorry I don't remember the details, but thats because i never forget to carry my ID

cya
R

PS - Watch me jinx this.

[noopster]

^^ That may well be true but at Indian airports, the airline staff are not the only ones who check your ID. The CISF guys almost certainly won't allow you entry without valid ID.

[cityvic]

My Cousin has lost his iPod 80gb thrice in KOL-DUB Emirates Flight.Whenever he goes abroad he manages to loose one.

[sindabad.sailor]

Well I had a funny incidence recently.

We had gone to singapore on vacation. My wife was wanting to buy some trendy shoes for our daughter aged 1 and half. I am sort of conservative on shopping and did not like the idea of buying some 2-3k Rs. worth shoes for my daughter since she would soon outgrow them.

Unfortunately my wife too shops very few things and hence she didn't take my philosophy in right spirits mentioning I should have readily said yes, given the fact that she doesn't buy like her friends buy. To cut the story short, we bought them.

The flight on way back was next to empty and my daughter literally explored each and every vacant seat, with us running behind her.

At Mumbai airport I filled in landing cards for parents first and asked them to clear immigration and wait for us at baggage belt. We followed later as I took time filling cards for 3 of us remaining. Now at the belt we couldn't find parents. Then it struck me that they would have gone at the opposite side after immigration. So went there and found them and was back at belt in 5 minutes.

In the mean time the airhostess whom my daughter had given tough times in the flight was returning home and saw my wife and told that we have forgotten THOSE shoes in the flight and she has given it to security so we can have them back. Now it was payback time for wife.

Then I contacted ground staff who assured she would help us out. I also had a 42inch LCD with me on which customs guys were eyeing. After 10 min one man came asked us to clear customs whom we told that we forgot something in the flight and would do so once we receive.

After another 20 min the guys there got impatient and told me to clear customs and wait just after that. Since the TV was costing less than 25K, I didn't pay duty.

We were waiting for another 20 min when someone from the airline came and asked what was the seat number where we forgot the shoes. I had to explain why we couldn't remember since daughter sat almost in all rows. He said he would bring them in another 15 minutes.

In the mean time one person in civilian clothes asked me if I paid the duty on the tv on my trolley. I was pissed enough to ask him to mind his business. I made a blunder coz he was the highest ranking customs officer at the airport.
So it was my time to payback. He almost dictated that I pay the 30% duty. I was about to explode on wife as the chain reaction was started by her insistence on buying those shoes that couldnot be let go.

I somehow managed to convince him why I shouldn't be charged customs.
At last after about 1.5 to 2hours we got THOSE shoes back. In the mean time driver waiting at parking and parents who had gone out prior us were fuming at me for making it so late.

Fast forward a week. We took daughter to routine check up. I was in sort of hurry. We just rushed back from the hospital to venue where I had to deliver some sort of lecture on career in merchant navy. I obviously had switched off my cell. After the lecture was over, while walking back to car we realized that we had lost those shoes again. Another war at home.

On monday when i was cycling back from swimming, i received phone from the nurse at the hospital that she found some nice shoes which she thought were ours. And how difficult it was for her to find my number from the admission records of my daughter right after her birth (she actually dug out one and half year old forms).

In the mean time my employer had asked me to come to London for an assessment and my wife was pestering me to take her along as her sister lives there. I just rushed that off lying that I don't have an approval. Then she kept pestering that I should ask for such an approval. I just cut the talk by saying i will. All this was in the earlier week.

Now I came back home excited to tell my wife about finding those shoes. I just told guess what, I received a phone and they told me that they have got it an I will get it home today evening. I went for shower there after and when I came back my wife was sitting with a biiiiiiiig list. I asked what it was and she told me that since company had got IT (thinking got approval to take her along to uk) she has taken from her sister a list of things to be taken to London.

Not to mention that I took 35 kg luggage for 20 hours stay at London. Since then those shoes are never out. My father rather suggested we keep them in showcase.

Rgds.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by noopster

^^ That may well be true but at Indian airports, the airline staff are not the only ones who check your ID. The CISF guys almost certainly won't allow you entry without valid ID.

ID is only required for e-tickets. For airline issued (and printed) tickets, ID is not required. E.g. the booklet kind of tickets we used to have in 90s .That stamp and authorization magically turns an e-ticket into such ticket.

[noopster]

Hey Netfreak that's a good point. But I've sometimes booked tickets last minute and only had them printed at the airport (airline office just outside does it with the correct PNR). But even then you need an ID to get in the airport.

[Rehaan]

^ Thats because they do not bother notarizing or stamping that e-ticket for you -- its fresh outta the inkjet printer.

@ Netfreak - thanks for filling in the gaps!

[mayankjha1806]

Excellent thread, and as usual a great one from Sam.

We have lost our baggage a few times, once while flying out of Boston back to India got very late to get to reach Logan and once completed check-in i got into the aircraft with my trolley only to find it completely full and there was no space for keeping my trolley. The Air hostess tried putting it at few places but everything was full, so finally she recommended to take it to be put in the belly.

Like an idiot i agreed not realizing that the belly is the usual place all the checked in luggage go, and it would have taken someone decent amount of time to get the trolley to the belly. The flight left me not realizing that the trolley is still at Boston. After reaching Chennai i did not find the trolley and raised a complaint with Lufthansa and they said they will call once the trolley arrives (It seems the trolley had gone to Dubai) and i will have to take it from customs.

More than the lost trolley the contents were important, It had an SLR Camera ($500) and 2 Lenses ($450 + $300) and i was worried to get it cleared at customs, which eventually was very smooth sailing and got everything back in same condition as i had packed.

[vnabhi]

@sindbad.sailor---that was hilarious! So the moral of the story is never to buy expensive shoes for an infant!

[nvdisdesi]

My sister was coming back from the US a couple of years ago. She left her laptop in the US at the X-Ray Machines. No mention of it anywhere. We get home, and ask her about her new laptop she bought. She looks at her carry on and just then realizes that she left it somewhere at US. We call the airlines and they told us they would call us back within 24 hours if they can locate the laptop. Five hours later, got a phone call that they located the laptop and were sending it with a flight attendant, and to meet her at their office at the Delhi Airport.
Another story, same sister.
We were at the Singapore airport this time, and since we had like a 6 hour layover we decided to catch something to eat. I forget what she had but want to say burger king for some odd reason. Anyhow, we ate, were merry, i had a beer or two, and started walking to the gate to board the plane. We are getting called again to board the flight, you know how they do it, last rows first. When we start getting up, she informs me that she thinks she left her carry on at the table where we were eating. I'm just like GREAT. Singapore airport is HUGE. I ended up RUNNING across the whole airport for the suitcase, ran back, just on time, made the flight. Darling sister didn't even inform anyone on the plane that i went to get the suitcase.

[rm_arjuna]

We have stores at airports and have 3-4 instances of people leaving behind their belongings every week , ranging from sunglasses , phones and files / bags .

these articles are deposited with airport lost & found dept.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

In an earlier interview here

Love,
Sam

Sam, you mentioned about the scosche solar charger in the video. I have been eying one for sometime now and was hoping for a genuine feedback.

Thanks,
Jag

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Kindly avoid quoting videos within a post as it inconveniences our handheld users. Thanks !

[manaa45]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

June 2011

I'm on an Indigo flight to New Delhi.

I love Indigo. One big problem is that when you want to eat one of their delicious Junglee sandwiches, you must poke around around your backside till you can locate your wallet while the rather pretty stewardess waits there, smiling.

Little Off topic but I too love Indigo. I was travelling from Chennai and my wallet was in my huge purse which was in overhead bin. I felt hungry and ordered sandwiches, the stewardess served me and was very kind to let me pay later, later which never came. She just forgot about it but I had remembered the amount which was to be paid so while disembarking I just handed her the money and the look on her face was of great relief. This was the moment when she instead of me had forgotten something.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by manaa45

She just forgot about it but I had remembered the amount which was to be paid so while disembarking I just handed her the money and the look on her face was of great relief. This was the moment when she instead of me had forgotten something.

Ah well, that evens it out a little bit.

More often than not it is "Sorry Sir, I don't have change, I'll get back to you" and then everyone forgets and the passenger gets off the plane.