Don't Leave Your Purse on the Tram at the Atlanta Airport

Just don't.

Keep better track of your stuff when you're traveling. Because someone might take it. And even if a nice, honest person finds it and turns it in, you might never be able to track it down.

So, last Sunday I flew to Portland to house hunt (and I flew Delta so of course I had a layover in Atlanta). While chatting animatedly on my cell phone on that tram thing that goes from one terminal to another (because my connecting flight is never, ever on the same terminal), I left my purse on the tram.

Yep. Just got right off the tram with my laptop bag, my phone on my ear, my driver's license and boarding pass in my pocket, and my purse sitting on the seat.

Since I had a two-hour layover, of course I went straight to the bar. After finishing my draft beer (still talking on the phone) I went to pay the bartender and THAT's when I realized I didn't have my purse.

Fast forward: Someone graciously bought my beer (since I didn't have a dime on me). I did a ton of frantic running around asking anyone in uniform to help me. A few hysterical (in in hindsight, somewhat embarrassing) tears were shed. Finally, I realized I had no choice but to head to my gate and get on my flight. I was convinced my purse was gone forever, until I got to my gate and they were paging me! Someone had turned in my purse! Wow, what a relief, right?

It was waiting for me at Terminal D, Gate 15.

Problem was, I was in Terminal A, Gate 27, and my flight was boarding. No time to "dash" over to pick up my purse. No other flights out to Portland that day. I decided to leave my purse and pick it up on my way back through Atlanta on Thursday.

Bad idea. No one knew where it was. I kept getting:
"You just left it there?"
"Who did you talk to?"
"Did you check lost and found?"
"What happened again?"

Airport Personnel (meaning, a woman in a burgundy uniform riding one of those moving cars with the flashing lights) assured me that it would be put in a safe place, and she gave me her cell phone to call her to find out the location of said "safe place". How was I to know she would never EVER answer her cell phone.

The Lost and Found at the Atlanta airport:
1) Needs a better process for "finding" those things that are "lost".
2) Is located in the main terminal outside security so it really only works out if you live in Atlanta, are going to Atlanta on vacation or have a five hour layover.
3) Has lots of numbers to call, but very few real people to talk to.

Fortunately, I have a friend who has a cousin who works for Delta as a flight attendant. She, with her "all access" badge, walked around the Hartsfield Atlanta Airport for about three hours before finally tracking my purse down. How do I go about thanking her appropriately? She doesn't even know me.

So, moral of story. Hang on to your purse.