Air Passengers Left Behind Nearly $1M in 2018

[Bryan Barnfellow]

Apparently TSA keeps track of the cash that gets left behind and remains unclaimed each year at airline security checkpoints. In 2018 this amounted to nearly $1M across the USA, an increase over the previous year. Who does this?!

Chart linked below shows the top ten airports for loose cash...

https://www.statista.com/chart/18250/money-left-by-airline-travelers/

By the way, if you are interested in (arguably) fascinating statistics like these, the link includes a signup for an emailed newsletter. I've been getting it for a year or two and often find something new to learn.

-BB

 

[Sunset]

I always request a pat down instead of the x-ray machine, so I bring some $1 bills to leave as a tip afterwards

 

[sengsational]

I wonder what the mean, median and standard deviation is on the amounts.



I wonder weird things.

 

[LOL!]

I always request a pat down instead of the x-ray machine, so I bring some $1 bills to leave as a tip afterwards

Nice! Sounds like a good way to get your jollies.

 

[FIREchief]

I'm curious how much of that "cash" is loose change left behind in those silly salad bowls that you put loose stuff into. If somebody is in a hurry, they may just grab their keys and let the airport "keep the change."

 

[Aerides]

1M over a year, over the thousands of flights in the US each day...doesn't sound like a lot really. If you told me a single larger airport was raking in 1M in leftovers, I would believe it.

And yes likely most from the bowls, including money clips, loose change, wallets without ID, or clothing with money in the pockets.

 

[GrayHare]

Gosh, I knew I left that million somewhere. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[RunningBum]

I always request a pat down instead of the x-ray machine, so I bring some $1 bills to leave as a tip afterwards

I usually get a $1 stuffed in my pocket or waistband for the pat down. You must be doing something wrong.

 

[cathy63]

According to the FAA, 2.6M passengers fly in the U.S. every day. That's 949M/year, so if my math is right, the average traveler leaves behind 1/10th of a cent. I'm guessing it's only about 1 per thousand travelers who leave change behind and that would be only about $1 per instance. To tie this in with another recent thread, it's only the .1% who abandon their pocket change!

Source for FAA data, which also has many other interesting numbers: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/by_the_numbers/

 

[audreyh1]

Oh gosh, it’s spare change!

 

[W2R]

Gosh, I knew I left that million somewhere. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[MJ]

I don't travel too much but when I do, before I go through TSA, I place all the metal and bulky stuff from my pockets into my small carry-on backpack so potentially nothing gets lost. After I go through, I go to the WC and return it all to my pockets.

 

[CaliKid]

I am surprised it's not more. I wonder how many millions of dollars of bottled drinks, knives, etc... are thrown away at TSA check points each year!? I bet that number is many millions.

 

[Dd852]

I’ve left “things” worth a lot - once I even walked off leaving a suitcase behind. And I’ve left passports. Sigh. Thankfully I’ve always (and hoping this continues) depended on the kindness of strangers. It is funny, but I’m not really absent minded elsewhere, but the stress of security lines brings out the worst in me.

 

[MJ]

I’ve left “things” worth a lot - once I even walked off leaving a suitcase behind. And I’ve left passports. Sigh. Thankfully I’ve always (and hoping this continues) depended on the kindness of strangers. It is funny, but I’m not really absent minded elsewhere, but the stress of security lines brings out the worst in me.

That's another reason why I put my stuff in my backpack. It's easy to watch it and not accidentally leaving a small item in the tray.

 

[CaliKid]

That's another reason why I put my stuff in my backpack. It's easy to watch it and not accidentally leaving a small item in the tray.

Agreed. I put all in my backpack while in line for the Xray. Also, I don't really want to touch the petri dish that everybody puts their dirty hands and stuff in. So many germs in that one little area.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

... I don't really want to touch the petri dish that everybody puts their dirty hands and stuff in. So many germs in that one little area.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 

[jollystomper]

According to the FAA, 2.6M passengers fly in the U.S. every day. That's 949M/year, so if my math is right, the average traveler leaves behind 1/10th of a cent. I'm guessing it's only about 1 per thousand travelers who leave change behind and that would be only about $1 per instance. To tie this in with another recent thread, it's only the .1% who abandon their pocket change!

I have seem enough folks drop coins at checkpoints and forgetting/not bothering to pick them up (sometimes rolling to places were you would likely get arrested for trying to retrieve them) that I can see, over this many travelers, it adding up to at least $1M.