Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-07
Things That
People FORGET
In The Air

- lines companies whose slxyroutes cross and
k~ cross America have finally conceded that human
nature Just changed absentm minded person
apt to lose things in airplane as he is in street
car, train taxi
Since their inception the air transportation lines have
anticipated great problems but one which would
addition of lost and-found department wasn't
considered very seriously by the who pioneered the
nations winged travel.
How can traveller lose things in an airplane ?"
they asked when the subject brought up "A passen
ger lot less baggage than he would on train
steamer and there's steward hostess 10 help
him account all And he can't drop articles out
of the window the way he would on bus or in street
because airpane windows don't open
Yet passengers do lose things and leave them
behind in airpanes Everything from false teeth and
toupecs jewey have been forgotten by absent
minded air travellers in numbers that of the
lines have established Woodworking losandfound depart
mens The and who this branch of travel
service put in fun day and night at this job of finding
overlooked property
In the past two years for example the lost and found
bureau of United Air Lines has returned to approx
matey 2S72 articles which have been left behind in the
planes at arports traffic offices This figure amounts
544 per cent Of articles reported lost during the
period.
Some of the items most commonly reported missing
found the of their frequency books
keys pipes and tobacco wearing apparel pens and pencils
cameras brief cases and dolls The most valuable single
item recovered consisted of box of ewelry worth
$4,000 which left behind by passenger at airport
terminal But not always the articles handled by
this department be gagged by their monetary value Such
things love letters baby shoes manuscripts and
worn rag dolls brought appreciation
than many articles of genuine cash value that have been
restored their
One woman, who lost pair of baby shoes which
found and returned to her wrote in to say:
They sons first and, he also is first
inclined to be sentimental about them" The writer
grateful for the service
Another air passenger, to whom some minor article
returned, wrote TO say that he did not value the
nearly much the that his of
having lost anything his extensive travels during the
past IS years had been preserved by the return of the
item.
passengers have missed them Just recently, a wallet
containing $3.50 the passenger terminal at
Salt Lake City. New York was notified as to the name
Of the passenger found on the ofod and his forwarding
address in San Francisco obtained The wallet
tanning the money delivered to him the next
plane following Francisco
In another case Uniteds department found some keys
with miniature Ohio license plate attached a letter
went forward to the State of Ohio the license number
traced and the keys returned 90 the owner
in a subsequent letter 20 United Lines he
garded the whole transaction something Of miracle
When a article Of real value discovered and no
report OF it's received Uneds department really
passenger who boarded coast-tocoast flight on ono
occasion, $500 womans diamond ring found
Of Uniteds Manliucrs. Letters every woman
passenger who had Travelled the plane bat they did
result In locating the owner waiting.
the Lost and Found department wrote 10 every
had Travelled the plane Eight months after the
lost ring found letter received from who
sent in the proper identification who that
looking everywhere the ring except on the
plane because he had believed have been lost
there.
Uniteds system is almost automatic in its operation
Supplies Of lost found kept Of Uniteds
and traffic Offices When passenger reports
article lost lost form Is filled and copies
every station through which the passenger has
flown Chief passenger agents all then
conduct search Of their stations hangers Steward
asked they any knowledge concerning the
lost article Reports Of the chief passenger agents then
forwarded into Chicago, which copy Of the
original report Thus complete record is kept. The
same applies 70 any article which is found Even then.
United sometimes unable 10 accord
ngy must hold articles which later might claimed But
general under system are recovered
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