Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code THORNTON at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/thornton Do you have any stories like this? Travel moments that seemed scary, but actually taught you something? If you want to see more, check out my video of taking Turkey's longest train in winter ➡ th-cam.com/video/5ipPqkCl6hM/w-d-xo.html
This is a perfect example for some stressful situation you will probably find yourself in when travelling solo and off the beaten track. The good thing is, you'll somehow always come out on the other side of these and you'll have learned something valuable and will trust yourself to manage whatever kind of situation in the future.
Oh, Tom! I could feel the panic in my own body, listening to all that happened to you. I've done enough solo travel to know, too, that it multiplies the panic when you're in it alone. This says a lot about the wits you kept about you: instead of shutting down and freezing, you were able to scan the environment for your bag and leap into action. And you came out the other side with expanded understanding, grace and humor (plus, of course, an extremely interesting video). Very impressive.
Tom, my husband and I just found your series. We are Brits, we have lived in Tunis for a year for work. We drove here from Greece via Italy/Sicily and the wonder that is the GNV Ferry. I have just recommended this series to others that have just arrived in town as expats as this is SUCH a great, honest and entertaining series that sheds light on some of the challenges but the many delights of living here. Love it!
google translate app on your phone with french and/or Arabic pre-downloaded (so you don't need an internet connection to use them) then use the "conversation" feature where you can speak English into your phone and it will repeat what you said out loud in french and the person you're speaking with can speak french into it and it will repeat it in English. bam, no more language barriers, ever
Glad that your valuables were not intentionally stolen from you and the story turned out with a good ending. This is important as I do travel solo a lot though I've not been to Africa :)
I'm glad that you also could share the behind the scene stories from your journeys. It's easy to think that traveling always goes as smoothly as you see in the videos but there's always more to it!
What an adventure! And you are such a good storyteller! I'm glad everything worked out well in the end. I had a similar experience many years ago in South America. Although I did end up completely stranded, [no money, no passport, no plane ticket...], what I remember now are the many, many kind people who helped me with their actions or just by being kind. Thanks to these people, it became a wonderful experience.
Phew. Things can seem worse when you’re alone and/or don’t speak the language. Your reflection is perfect. Thanks for sharing what you learned. I’ve lost property in Saudi Arabia and the London Underground and both times they were returned very quickly. Most people are honest and happy to help. All’s well that ends well 🌻
We were in Tunisia in May. Our suitcase disappeared in the Tunis airport, while in the hands of the airport staff. Lost and gone forever. We also saw the Incredible Hulk cop too, when we left via the port. Many of the people who left with us on the GNV ferry to Palermo were going to go do agricultural work in Sicily, where the word is that they are often paid €5 and often less per hour. The landowners know that the authorities will look the other way when the Italian minimum wage is ignored. The ferry costs a small fraction of a flight if you don’t get a cabin. I really felt sorry for them and realized once again how much I have for which to be grateful. I honestly don’t know how I would have acted if I faced such temptation. That said, Tom was arriving from northern Italy, where life is much better. But getting back to the airport; besides the suitcase, the lady at the airport phone company booth asserted that we hadn’t paid her for the SIM card and wanted us to pay a second time until we complained very loudly. Then eventually she accepted that we’d already paid. A nice thing about Tunisia, though, is that prices were so low compared to where I live that we could afford to tip handsomely and turn a blind eye to the smaller surcharges and to tip even when we knew we were being charged the tourist price, without it being painful. (As long as the prices weren’t shameless, I actually enjoyed doing so.) But yes, you will definitely need to be cautious and vigilant.
I've worried about this scenario so I actually do carry a spare card, ID and bank notes around my neck when I travel. It allows me to worry less. I'm glad it worked out for you.
Yes, I think you're exactly right, portering is a big thing at arrival ports in Tunisia (and Morocco, come to that). He no doubt just picked up one too many bags, and was checking with the owners of the other bags that yours wasn't theirs. I know it's very easy to panic in these situations, especially in a new country, and in one where you don't speak the language. But it sounds like the biggest danger was that those people may not have realised they had your bag until it was too late to easily return it to you. So it's a good job you spotted it before it got whisked off to somewhere many miles away! For future info, the old British embassy is now a great hotel on the edge of Tunis medina, and is where I just happened to stay! But the new embassy is in a new area of town on a street called Rue du Lac Windermere. 😄
Geez! My heart is palpating… 😱 This is one reason why I keep photocopies of all my important things. I know photocopies aren’t always accepted, but it’s better than nothing, and some documents have important phone numbers.
We've all had well dodgy travel experiences... I've got an awful story from 15 years ago in San Fran, when I was solo travelling, young and a little naive. This one does sound particularly stressful, but you got it sorted in the end. Great story telling!
Wonderful storytelling Tom, I was gripped. I am so happy your trip wasn't ruined except for the constant request for cigarette purchases. I visited Mahdia a good number of years ago (20+) and it was so peaceful, a little too peaceful so I took a train journey to Monastir on a day trip. I met some students on the train who asked if they spoke in French I answered in English, they learned their English by watching CCTV videos of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets!!!! My French isn't that great but you somehow manage. My flight was delayed by 12 hours so arrived at midnight instead of noon, so also had a problem exchanging Dinar but these are memories that stay with you. I'm eager to watch your train journey next, you now have a new subscriber.
What freaks me out is when you put your bag(s) on the conveyor belt, they begin to go into the scanner, and then you are held up going through the body scanner so your stuff ends up on the other side surrounded by people taking their own stuff off the conveyer and maybe yours as well (intentionally or unintentionally), and there is no way to monitor them. This seems to be what happened here and it happened to me when a guy mistakenly took my hoody with valuables in the pocket as it came out of the scanner. Luckily I got through soon enough to catch up with him and retrieve my item.
I have experienced very stressful situations at border controls, and now this is a new fear that gives me nightmares. The last time I flew, I checked my ID card right after takeoff and couldn't find it anywhere. The last time I saw it was at the airport check-in. I finally found it after landing, it slipped out of my wallet and got under the velcro cushion of the Ryanair seats. The whole flight I thought I was going to land in Sofia without an ID card and be stuck in the airport forever. Luckily I checked my ID card in the middle of the flight, otherwise I would have arrived there with nothing to show at border control.
This Old technique is too fake and not Kind… I couldn’t understand form the video’s Title you Wrote got Stolen, what got Stolen ….!!!! however you watch the video is all about you …. !! You panic and your stressful maybe because your tired and U get form the Boat and you had The Sea 🌊 sickness. we appreciate this Advices although I’ll say to be successful and your video get a Boom 💥 honesty and Transparency is the most important. In the end nothing Stolen from you. Enjoy the Experience keep Positive Attitude in any country you go ✌🏽Peace
Seeing this just reconfirms the fact we Tunisians are still behind when it comes to making sure travellers are well secured and given the best services. English is a dominating language in the world now so it saddens me how at airports, customs and places where travelers need to go the staff don't speak it but instead opt for French a declining language. I can't help but think my country is still clutching to the French language while overlooking the English language. They are a bit silly in this regard since Tunisia has always put a lot of efforts on tourism but I guess it was targeted solely towards the French people when they could've targeted a much more wider range this is why English major graduates till now have a hard time securing a job when they could've been of some help during these situations. Alas this is how it is I just hope they somehow figure it out one day.
Sorry you had to go through that. I know the feeling. I had my passport, money, travel wallet and my friend’s pooled money, all stolen in Bangkok about 15 years ago. I’ve been extremely cautious when travelling since then…. And honestly, it’s a good behaviour when travelling, just to prevent any such unsavoury experience. Good luck and happy travelling!
The exact same thing happened to me once regarding weird queues. So I was in India in Kolkata and wated to go to the Andaman Islands. So there was a 3 day ferry you would take, very cheap, but there was this narrow window, I dont know, wednesday afternoon or something, where you had to be at the ticket office to buy the ticket. So I come there and I kid you not, there was the biggest queue I had ever seen, wrapped all around the office building. And all very local Indian looking people. And at that time I had the exact same idea: Why on earth did I plan on taking this ferry instead of just flying there like a normal tourist? So I just started to queue and I dont know if this is a local Indian thing or just that particular queue, but people were literally pressed up against each other... like zero personal space at all. However after like 15-30 minutes in queue and barely moved at all, this securty guard with an actual rifle hanging over his shoulder walked up to me and started to talk to me. I think he didnt speak any English at all so that conversation was going nowhere so he just gestured me to follow him. So I was getting nervous, was I doing something I wasnt supposed to do? Was this ferry somehow not intended for foreigners or something? So he took me all the way inside the ticket office building, right up to the booth and...there was a gentleman speaking perfect English asking me how he could help me! So apparantly this guard had instructions to give Western looking people a privileged treatment, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable leaving all these people in this enormous queue in the Indian heat, but then again, I would lie if I told that this wasnt actually a godsend :D
"like zero personal space at all" Hold on, was that the first time you observed that Indians have a different concept of personal space? Didn't the buses, trains, taxis and just people on the street let you in on the fact beforehand? 😀How about passengers immediately standing up, retrieving their luggage from the overhead bins and then queuing up to get off the plane, the moment the wheels touched tarmac? Did you fly in on a private jet or something?😂
@@wneo7 No not at all 🤣🤣🤣 Just never had to wait for hours in a queue in the middle of the day in the burning sun in India😄😄😄. And it would have been hours if that guard didnt give me the tourist treatment. But sure, it would have been totally worth it even if I didnt have. It was just a weird situation.
Tom I am certainly not going to laugh at your experience and can imagine the total stress you were going through! Thanks for sharing that and your takeaways
My heart was racing until you got to the part when you spotted your bag and got it back. No overreaction on your part, either. I'm going to be hypervigilant about my important stuff from now on. I've always carried a photocopy of my passport page and a spare phone that's barely useable but my USD are usually in the bag I clutch to myself. And the spare card is a good tip, too.
I always put the valuables as the last item on the conveyor belt. Also I watch the items until it goes inside the machine and wait until then to step inside the body scanner.
I felt little bit same when I visited Marocco with currency and controls. It is horrible to leave all your stuff on the belt. When arriving at airport passport was checked at least 3 times. Luckily people seemed honest and friendly.
I always have a belt bag or a fanny pack or something with all my important documents. It is strapped around my body and when I go through security checks I always look at all the bins to make sure I have all my stuff...
I also had my passport stolen while going through airport security. It's shocking how little the airport security care. I'm glad you got your valuables back. I do think you're being overly charitable to the thief -- a passport is a valuable black market commodity.
I agree. But I also suspect whoever was working the security desk was in on it, deliberately slowing him down until their accomplice had grabbed the bag.
@@nickbrown6457 I think you hit the nail on the head. Plots like this always require a distraction. I think Tom was "sized up" the moment the incredible hulk cop noticed him. Then the x ray people turned a blind eye to whoever got what off the xray belt. I always put the valuable bag on AFTER the big backpack so if anybody "accidentally" picked up my stuff they would get the "dirty laundry" first.
Hearing this story a second time somehow makes me feel 1000x worse. I should have watched this with an Aperol Spritz like the first time I heard it 😅 going to go for a walk to shake off this anxiety
Always have USD on you while traveling is a great advice that saved me many times. One time, I took the last train from HK airport and ended up in a weird station which looked like a mall, but everything was close and I couldn’t find the exists (the whole area was under renovation). The only way to get out from there was a taxi stand (really sounds like a nightmare, but it’s real). I had no HK dollars on me, but luckily they did accept a 10 British pounds I had in my wallet for no reason for many years.
I visited Tunis in June 2023 and was able to use Euros (cash) everywhere with zero difficulty. It would have been a chore to get US dollars, and bring them to Tunisia. Euros were no problem.
Dude, that's a helluva story! There's nothing worse than losing your stuff at the 'airport' or anywhere for that matter, in a strange country. Thank God you dodged that bullet)).
I am not sure this is still valid, but everytime you change in Tunisian Dinars, you must keep the receipt. This is required should you need to switch back when leaving the country (as you said, you cannot take Tunisian Dinars with you when leaving the country). At least it was like this in 2006. Without the receipts, the official currency exchange offices will refuse to change back, thinking you might have bought them illegally.
As a tunisian You shouldnt visit carthage airport cuz he is the worst airport in the country You should visit djerba airport cuz the saftey and security is too high and people in the airport can speak english fluently
Going thro security is my nightmare too. I hate leaving my bag with laptop and watch almost on display and then retrieving them the other side. I can't help feeling English police would have taken your side, if you had correctly named what was in the bag. Stay on high alert, i guess,the whole time.Well done for spotting your bag sailing off into the distance, anyway!
I was mugged on a metro in Prague. It was the evening after 9/11 and I was wearing a jacket with "America" stitched on the back so a band of thugs followed me onto the train. The rest of the populace sat and watched as I was inside the circle, gang robbed and pummelled. I got out with just my passport in my jeans front pocket and the bus ticket back to Switzerland, so yes, "don't keep all your eggs in one basket!" Had to beg (via hand gestures) the luggage storage cashier to give me back my suitcase since I had no money/cc to pay for their services. It was around 10pm, no police anywhere, either in the metro or at the bus depot.
I could feel your panic. Speaking about not putting all your eggs in one basket....when I backpacked in Africa in the 80s, I used a "money -belt" which was basically a slim fabric zippable wallet with straps held around your waist but under your clothes - in this case under the waist band of your jeans and under the jeans belt. This, albeit slkim, could hold some of the most essential items, passport, plane ticket, cash notes, credit card and some keys. I was never robbed - many people used these. I also often hid some cash notes in my shoes while I was wearing them. I also always carried paper photocopies of my passport, in case my passport was stolen, and passport photographs (certified by police)
Great video - though a more accurate title would be "everything taken" not "everything stolen" 1) Screening is a weak point in personal safety. It looks safe but things go missing. Has happened to me. 2) If you have paper US dollars secured with a rubber band rather than in your wallet, you don;t need to take them out of your pocket while you go through the scanner
@@thornton There have to be some benefits to being old ;) Have just had a hack 2.0 moment - instead of a rubber band, buy a carbon fibre money clip, keeps the bills flat and won't set off a metal detector. around US$8 from the usual places. I love your videos, all of them
Hey Tom, first of all glad you visited our entrancingly history-rich country. Most people wonder about the high number of police authority figures that are scattered everywhere around the capital and the north shore side of the country. Well at first sight you might say that it's because of the presidentail palace or maybe the whole violent attempts that happened in the capital in the past years. But there is also the problem of illegal migration, particularly the act of attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe without proper documentation. Which is becomming pretty commun if you askk me, ( these attempts take the lives of plenty people each year ).
Phew heart attack stuff! What a horrible feeling, thank god you spied the straps of the tote bag. I laughed at your storytelling but not at you, I know what its like to have a passport stolen in a foreign country that does not have my country's embassy. I can laugh about it now, but at the time it was horrific. Really enjoying your Tunisia series.
Scary story! Glad it worked out. I have thought about the security process being a weak link where my important belongings are separated from me in a 'black box'. I travel with my wife so we kind of keep an eye on things together. Dont have the first plan on what we would do if we lost everything. Doubt we would both lose it all. I suppose it is OK if one of us has their passport and some money. Wondering...what was stopping you from walking off the ferry and straight into town?
I think I'd have left them with a good neighbour or friend who lives nearby, especially if I'm going to be away for a while, rather than just a short holiday.
I always keep my passport, debit / credit cards, money (except small amounts for everyday use) and tickets in a money belt bag that hangs just in front of my, ahem, junk. Pretty much impossible to be pickpocketed and unless you have wodges of notes, very hard to notice. Much better than a shoulder bag / bum bag / trouser pocket. I've travelled all over with this method and it's never let me down. I would keep the passport/ any paper tickets in a ziplock bag though, it can get pretty moist down there 🤪
@@b.w.9244 Well that depends. If there's nothing in there to set off the scanner (ie little to no metal) then it's fine. So banknotes, ATM cards and paper tickets would all be ok. Obviously you wouldn't have coins in it and you'd hold your passport and boarding pass in your hand anyway. It works, I've done it many times. (A full physical pat down would probably expose it but not in my experience).
Well great travel is all about experiences. And that was one hell of an experience. I do think the bag was probably taken by accident. I always keep copies of everything. Gary Bembridge on Tios for Travellers said once to keep your passport in the cruise ship safe and take a photo driving license ashore as ID. Good advice once you get to the hotel or ship.
Could this happen to me too? I just purchased a ferry ticket from Palermo to Tunis on December 28. In winter there is only one ferry per week for this trip. I’ll arrive at Tunis at 23:30 and my hotel owner/booked on "Booking" will pick me up at the harbor. Going through the immigration at Tunis port seems very complicate. I am a female solo traveler with US passport. Should I fly to Tunis instead? Please advise me if you can. Thanks
Get a travel insurance next time you venture into a country you are not sure how to navigate. 90$ is better than losing your laptop and not being able to check into your hotel etc. Also roaming data even just for the first few days and being able to use instant conversation translation can save you a world of trouble. Glad you made it safely into and out of my country! 🇹🇳
20:30 So they wouldn't take any euro? Kinda surprising given Tunesias proximity to Euro countries, and that you've literally just arrived with a ship from the EU. Been in quite some countries too, and always were fine with Euro (even when that's not the offical currency. They took it just fine in morroco. Obviously exchanged currency all the time but sometimes it's how it is)
I visited Tunisia and Tunis in June 2023 (from an MSC Cruise ship). We used Euros (cash) on our excursion in shops and restaurants and bars etc we did not have to get Dinars and they didnt ask us for US dollars - we had zero problems whatoever using Euros, the businesses even gave us change in Euros.
I am sorry you had to go through this experience. The trolley guy likely was not trying to steal your bag or he would not leave it in a visible spot as he was exiting, but without being able to communicate, it must have been horrifying. If it was taken by mistake, they probably would have gotten back to the seaport to find you. FYI, the conversation at 21:35 doesn't make a lot of sense without context it goes something like this: - Yeah bro - When I got in the car, *unintelligible* was fine (in middle eastern accent) - I don't go there, *unintelligible*, you were standing in front of him. It definitely was not normal to bring someone else into the taxi, but the driver doesn't sound too happy about it either for some reason?
Not laughing at you. This is a personal nightmare of mine as well. I once lost my wallet in the middle of a solo trip through Poland. I had some spare cash in the safe at the hotel, but nowhere near enough to get me through the rest of the trip. I'd bought the final ticket back home but that was still a week and several hundred kilometers away. Luckily somebody found it and turned it in at the restaurant. But the 15 minutes between realizing my wallet is gone and safely getting it back were horrible. They only spoke Polish and Russian, while I only speak German and English. Google Translate as definitely my savior. In Lisbon, I lost my passport at the airport and noticed it during boarding. I ran back downstairs, frantically searching everywhere. Turns out I probably lost it during the security check and was able to get it back in time to make it onboard. But it's wild that they didn't make a public announcement over the speakers or sth. I mean, it's a passport, there's my name in it and obviously I'm going to need it at the airport.
@@CarrieJamrogowicz i have premium too, but just to get rid of the annoying "ad-ads". I accept that creators seek sponsorships for their videos that get them a predictable compensation irrespective of how well the video does.
Knowing Tunisians its very likely that the assumed taxi driver wouldve immediately driven back to the airport to bring back the bag he took by accident as soon as he noticed.. very unlikely that he intended to steal something..
As an American, yes the U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency but it's strange that they didn't want to take Euros, especially considering that you said there was a ferry that went back and forth between Italy and Tunisia. Whatever, lol
Must never ever put passport in your bag. In places like that mistakes are never real, that was attempted theft , but how did they know the tote bag contained the goodies? It could have been something to do with the passport control "help". I wouldn't go to an ATM with a taxi driver in such a place, either.
I think Tom was "sized up" the moment the incredible hulk cop noticed him. Then the x ray people turned a blind eye to whoever got what off the xray belt. .. I always put the valuable bag on AFTER the big backpack so if anybody "accidentally" picked up my stuff they would get the "dirty laundry" first
As I commented on the last episode, I'm quite the scaredy cat and these sorts of situations are EXACTLY why I am hesitant to go out of Europe. I have, however, contemplated having "I am a EU citizen and require to talk to an EU embassy" written down in arabic, russian, chinese and, now, thanks to you, french. How much help it will do is besides the point. I'm glad you got your things back and found a nice, cozy hotel room!
There's no difference. They started naming their colonies "protectorates" because the direct approach ended up being a disaster after the invasion of Algeria
Maybe he didn't mean to take it, Tunisian families have tendency to travel with alot of luggage if it comes out of a scanner together then it must be one other bag that the wife packed.
This is why I will never step into a third world dump. These countries would benefit greatly from tourism, but the corruption, hostility, theft, scams just prevent any sane person from enjoying them. Sorry to stereotype, but if you get hassled from the get go, my immediate assumption is that the whole country will be a headache to visit.
Harrowing though the experience might have been, glad you got your bag back. Your intro had me thinking you lost everything after you had toured the country. Thankfully that was not the case. Phew! After hearing your experience, I feel completely vindicated telling off security guards at stations on the Metro in my city. On the Bangalore Metro, you first put your luggage on an x-ray scanner which usually straddles the security fence. You then pass through a metal detector and enter the security area. If you are a man, you then stand on a pedestal with yours arms outstretched while a male security officers scans you with a handheld metal detector. If you are a lady, you enter a small enclosure where a female security officer does the same. Ideally, you are done being scanned just as your bag comes out of the x-ray scanner. You pick your bags and then head to the ticketing turnstiles. Every now and often though, a queue will form at the pedestal (or the enclosure) leaving luggage to pile up at the x-ray scanner. When this happens, you have no eyes on your bag until you are done being scanned. Someone ahead of you can pick your bag and walk away. Admittedly, the ticketed area is much smaller compared to the outside world in your story but it would still be too much of a hassle to raise an alarm and track down the bag. You would have to review CCTV footage to pin down who it was, and then find out which direction they were headed, etc., For as long as I can remember, I have insisted that I first pick up my luggage from the x-ray machine before joining the queue for the pedestal. At most stations, this has not been a problem because the pedestal is placed a little distance ahead of the x-ray machine. However, at some stations, the pedestal is placed before the exit of the x-ray machine. So when I go and pick up my bag first, it looks as if I am trying to avoid being scanned by the handheld metal detector. One security guard even told me that I am not allowed to hold my laptop bag in one of my outstretched hands as I am being scanned. I told him that my laptop contained state secrets and as such, I too had security protocols - I am not allowed to let my laptop out of my sight at any moment. He didn't know what to say!
I think the issue here is 2 bags. That’s 2 to keep an eye on and manage. Only having 1, you wouldn’t have let it out of your sight. Although tbh it’s just a simple series of mistakes that can happen anywhere.
I really liked ur previous videos about Tunisia but honestly I can't appreciate the title cz it's an obvious clickbate... U r a traveller and u know that such kind of experiences can happen everywhere especially with the language barrier but the intro, the title and the story telling you gave a wrong impression about what really happened... Welcome to Tunisia 🇹🇳 , hope that u had fun around our lovely country but please don't use those cheap techniques to have more interaction in ur content
This May, our suitcase disappeared forever while in the hands of the staff of the Tunis airport. It’s the first time that this ever happens to me in more than 30 years. So, yes, Tunisia, as wonderful as it otherwise is, is an outlier in this regard.
Nice video. I agree you should never put everything in one bag. And always wear a blue blazer so you you look like you belong and you can put stuff in the pockets and in your tote bag I have worried about that same metal detector scare often. Always pay attention and do not stop to chat. Move through fast.
1.security check up was necessary because we were betrayed by germans who gave passports to mossad agents who entered the country and killed tunisian citizen mohamed zwari.2 please try to distinguish between tunisians and citizens from neighboring countries who looks like us..
It's cute how you believe in the best in people:)) but well, maybe the world needs more people who are not as jaded and misanthropic as me lol. I don't think losing all your stuff in a foreign country is funny at all. Stop putting yourself down.
Very misleading title ! Not that you cannot be robbed in Tunisia, but what you have gone through is clearly not a robbery attempt. You, yourself, did make that conclusion eventually. A thief pushing a trolley full of suitcases in a place full of police officers ?! C'mon. It's very obvious. He is either a taxi driver (like you said) carrying the luggage of other passengers, having taken your bag by mistake or a father who packed the suitcases on the trolley and picked your bag by mistake assuming it is of one of his family members. The fact that he got so confused, that he called two other people to verify (surely his customers if he is a taxi driver or his family members if he is a father). The fact that the police officers seemed satisfied with his explanation. It's very clear. Your only enemy at that time was the language barrier which caused so much confusion. And the most important piece of advice, that you unfortunately missed, is to try to learn a little bit of the language (even some words) of the country you plan to traver to. It could save you a lot of trouble. Very glad you got your bag back though. Hope you had a pleasant stay.
This a stupid story, the guy took your backpack by mistake, if he was thinking to steal it, he will hide it and keep looking to you . Such things can happen by mistake.
as a Tunisian I really feel sorry for you that this happened in our country to you. shame on those people. it's a absolut shame! 🫶🏼 I hope you don't get a bad Idea abt our country cause of these Idiots...
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Do you have any stories like this? Travel moments that seemed scary, but actually taught you something?
If you want to see more, check out my video of taking Turkey's longest train in winter ➡ th-cam.com/video/5ipPqkCl6hM/w-d-xo.html
I really feel sorry for you. I had the same experience in Ukraine. Except I didn't receive my belongings back.
This is a perfect example for some stressful situation you will probably find yourself in when travelling solo and off the beaten track. The good thing is, you'll somehow always come out on the other side of these and you'll have learned something valuable and will trust yourself to manage whatever kind of situation in the future.
Oh, Tom! I could feel the panic in my own body, listening to all that happened to you. I've done enough solo travel to know, too, that it multiplies the panic when you're in it alone. This says a lot about the wits you kept about you: instead of shutting down and freezing, you were able to scan the environment for your bag and leap into action. And you came out the other side with expanded understanding, grace and humor (plus, of course, an extremely interesting video). Very impressive.
Tom, my husband and I just found your series. We are Brits, we have lived in Tunis for a year for work. We drove here from Greece via Italy/Sicily and the wonder that is the GNV Ferry. I have just recommended this series to others that have just arrived in town as expats as this is SUCH a great, honest and entertaining series that sheds light on some of the challenges but the many delights of living here. Love it!
This is a boring non click bait story.
google translate app on your phone with french and/or Arabic pre-downloaded (so you don't need an internet connection to use them) then use the "conversation" feature where you can speak English into your phone and it will repeat what you said out loud in french and the person you're speaking with can speak french into it and it will repeat it in English. bam, no more language barriers, ever
Glad that your valuables were not intentionally stolen from you and the story turned out with a good ending. This is important as I do travel solo a lot though I've not been to Africa :)
I'm glad that you also could share the behind the scene stories from your journeys. It's easy to think that traveling always goes as smoothly as you see in the videos but there's always more to it!
What an adventure! And you are such a good storyteller!
I'm glad everything worked out well in the end.
I had a similar experience many years ago in South America. Although I did end up completely stranded, [no money, no passport, no plane ticket...], what I remember now are the many, many kind people who helped me with their actions or just by being kind. Thanks to these people, it became a wonderful experience.
Thanks!
Phew. Things can seem worse when you’re alone and/or don’t speak the language. Your reflection is perfect. Thanks for sharing what you learned. I’ve lost property in Saudi Arabia and the London Underground and both times they were returned very quickly. Most people are honest and happy to help. All’s well that ends well 🌻
We were in Tunisia in May. Our suitcase disappeared in the Tunis airport, while in the hands of the airport staff. Lost and gone forever. We also saw the Incredible Hulk cop too, when we left via the port.
Many of the people who left with us on the GNV ferry to Palermo were going to go do agricultural work in Sicily, where the word is that they are often paid €5 and often less per hour. The landowners know that the authorities will look the other way when the Italian minimum wage is ignored. The ferry costs a small fraction of a flight if you don’t get a cabin. I really felt sorry for them and realized once again how much I have for which to be grateful. I honestly don’t know how I would have acted if I faced such temptation. That said, Tom was arriving from northern Italy, where life is much better.
But getting back to the airport; besides the suitcase, the lady at the airport phone company booth asserted that we hadn’t paid her for the SIM card and wanted us to pay a second time until we complained very loudly. Then eventually she accepted that we’d already paid.
A nice thing about Tunisia, though, is that prices were so low compared to where I live that we could afford to tip handsomely and turn a blind eye to the smaller surcharges and to tip even when we knew we were being charged the tourist price, without it being painful. (As long as the prices weren’t shameless, I actually enjoyed doing so.) But yes, you will definitely need to be cautious and vigilant.
They changed the stuff of airport / taxi
€800 in Sicily is livable... many people unemployed there or working below minimum wage and they still make it work.
@@Frederick-765 migrants in Sicily are paid as little as less than €2 an hour. €800 is on the high side.
I've worried about this scenario so I actually do carry a spare card, ID and bank notes around my neck when I travel. It allows me to worry less. I'm glad it worked out for you.
Yes, I think you're exactly right, portering is a big thing at arrival ports in Tunisia (and Morocco, come to that). He no doubt just picked up one too many bags, and was checking with the owners of the other bags that yours wasn't theirs. I know it's very easy to panic in these situations, especially in a new country, and in one where you don't speak the language. But it sounds like the biggest danger was that those people may not have realised they had your bag until it was too late to easily return it to you. So it's a good job you spotted it before it got whisked off to somewhere many miles away!
For future info, the old British embassy is now a great hotel on the edge of Tunis medina, and is where I just happened to stay! But the new embassy is in a new area of town on a street called Rue du Lac Windermere. 😄
Geez! My heart is palpating… 😱 This is one reason why I keep photocopies of all my important things. I know photocopies aren’t always accepted, but it’s better than nothing, and some documents have important phone numbers.
We've all had well dodgy travel experiences... I've got an awful story from 15 years ago in San Fran, when I was solo travelling, young and a little naive. This one does sound particularly stressful, but you got it sorted in the end. Great story telling!
I’m not laughing - not even in hindsight - but I’m glad you can. And, I’m glad the rest of your trip to Tunisia was amazing.
glad you got it back man. sorry to hear you had to deal with this, sounds so stressful
What an ordeal! Happy for you that everything worked out in the end. Also, good three tips to remember.
Thanks! :)
Wonderful storytelling Tom, I was gripped. I am so happy your trip wasn't ruined except for the constant request for cigarette purchases. I visited Mahdia a good number of years ago (20+) and it was so peaceful, a little too peaceful so I took a train journey to Monastir on a day trip. I met some students on the train who asked if they spoke in French I answered in English, they learned their English by watching CCTV videos of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets!!!! My French isn't that great but you somehow manage. My flight was delayed by 12 hours so arrived at midnight instead of noon, so also had a problem exchanging Dinar but these are memories that stay with you. I'm eager to watch your train journey next, you now have a new subscriber.
What freaks me out is when you put your bag(s) on the conveyor belt, they begin to go into the scanner, and then you are held up going through the body scanner so your stuff ends up on the other side surrounded by people taking their own stuff off the conveyer and maybe yours as well (intentionally or unintentionally), and there is no way to monitor them. This seems to be what happened here and it happened to me when a guy mistakenly took my hoody with valuables in the pocket as it came out of the scanner. Luckily I got through soon enough to catch up with him and retrieve my item.
I have experienced very stressful situations at border controls, and now this is a new fear that gives me nightmares. The last time I flew, I checked my ID card right after takeoff and couldn't find it anywhere. The last time I saw it was at the airport check-in. I finally found it after landing, it slipped out of my wallet and got under the velcro cushion of the Ryanair seats. The whole flight I thought I was going to land in Sofia without an ID card and be stuck in the airport forever. Luckily I checked my ID card in the middle of the flight, otherwise I would have arrived there with nothing to show at border control.
Wow that’s also a close shave 😍
Next time, consider wearing a real shirt with a closeable pocket to hold things like ID cards.
This Old technique is too fake and not Kind…
I couldn’t understand form the video’s Title you Wrote got Stolen, what got Stolen ….!!!! however you watch the video is all about you …. !! You panic and your stressful maybe because your tired and U get form the Boat and you had The Sea 🌊 sickness.
we appreciate this Advices although I’ll say to be successful and your video get a Boom 💥 honesty and Transparency is the most important. In the end nothing Stolen from you. Enjoy the Experience keep Positive Attitude in any country you go ✌🏽Peace
@@bilel4496 it was stolen, but he got it back by confronting the thief.
Phew what a stressful experience but definitely a memory that you always think of when you think of Tunisia!! Hope all is well, take care of yourself
Seeing this just reconfirms the fact we Tunisians are still behind when it comes to making sure travellers are well secured and given the best services. English is a dominating language in the world now so it saddens me how at airports, customs and places where travelers need to go the staff don't speak it but instead opt for French a declining language. I can't help but think my country is still clutching to the French language while overlooking the English language. They are a bit silly in this regard since Tunisia has always put a lot of efforts on tourism but I guess it was targeted solely towards the French people when they could've targeted a much more wider range this is why English major graduates till now have a hard time securing a job when they could've been of some help during these situations. Alas this is how it is I just hope they somehow figure it out one day.
Sorry you had to go through that. I know the feeling. I had my passport, money, travel wallet and my friend’s pooled money, all stolen in Bangkok about 15 years ago.
I’ve been extremely cautious when travelling since then…. And honestly, it’s a good behaviour when travelling, just to prevent any such unsavoury experience.
Good luck and happy travelling!
The exact same thing happened to me once regarding weird queues. So I was in India in Kolkata and wated to go to the Andaman Islands. So there was a 3 day ferry you would take, very cheap, but there was this narrow window, I dont know, wednesday afternoon or something, where you had to be at the ticket office to buy the ticket. So I come there and I kid you not, there was the biggest queue I had ever seen, wrapped all around the office building. And all very local Indian looking people. And at that time I had the exact same idea: Why on earth did I plan on taking this ferry instead of just flying there like a normal tourist? So I just started to queue and I dont know if this is a local Indian thing or just that particular queue, but people were literally pressed up against each other... like zero personal space at all.
However after like 15-30 minutes in queue and barely moved at all, this securty guard with an actual rifle hanging over his shoulder walked up to me and started to talk to me. I think he didnt speak any English at all so that conversation was going nowhere so he just gestured me to follow him. So I was getting nervous, was I doing something I wasnt supposed to do? Was this ferry somehow not intended for foreigners or something? So he took me all the way inside the ticket office building, right up to the booth and...there was a gentleman speaking perfect English asking me how he could help me! So apparantly this guard had instructions to give Western looking people a privileged treatment, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable leaving all these people in this enormous queue in the Indian heat, but then again, I would lie if I told that this wasnt actually a godsend :D
"like zero personal space at all" Hold on, was that the first time you observed that Indians have a different concept of personal space? Didn't the buses, trains, taxis and just people on the street let you in on the fact beforehand? 😀How about passengers immediately standing up, retrieving their luggage from the overhead bins and then queuing up to get off the plane, the moment the wheels touched tarmac? Did you fly in on a private jet or something?😂
@@wneo7 No not at all 🤣🤣🤣 Just never had to wait for hours in a queue in the middle of the day in the burning sun in India😄😄😄. And it would have been hours if that guard didnt give me the tourist treatment. But sure, it would have been totally worth it even if I didnt have. It was just a weird situation.
when you showed a tote bag with an open top my heart sank. I need a drink g & t after that story.
😅
Tom I am certainly not going to laugh at your experience and can imagine the total stress you were going through! Thanks for sharing that and your takeaways
My heart was racing until you got to the part when you spotted your bag and got it back. No overreaction on your part, either. I'm going to be hypervigilant about my important stuff from now on. I've always carried a photocopy of my passport page and a spare phone that's barely useable but my USD are usually in the bag I clutch to myself. And the spare card is a good tip, too.
I always put the valuables as the last item on the conveyor belt. Also I watch the items until it goes inside the machine and wait until then to step inside the body scanner.
Wise words 🫡
Really glad you adapted the chronology, much appreciated
I felt little bit same when I visited Marocco with currency and controls. It is horrible to leave all your stuff on the belt. When arriving at airport passport was checked at least 3 times. Luckily people seemed honest and friendly.
I always have a belt bag or a fanny pack or something with all my important documents. It is strapped around my body and when I go through security checks I always look at all the bins to make sure I have all my stuff...
Thanks for the truly good tips- brief and to the point, but very valuable.
I also had my passport stolen while going through airport security. It's shocking how little the airport security care. I'm glad you got your valuables back. I do think you're being overly charitable to the thief -- a passport is a valuable black market commodity.
I agree. But I also suspect whoever was working the security desk was in on it, deliberately slowing him down until their accomplice had grabbed the bag.
@@nickbrown6457 I think you hit the nail on the head. Plots like this always require a distraction. I think Tom was "sized up" the moment the incredible hulk cop noticed him. Then the x ray people turned a blind eye to whoever got what off the xray belt. I always put the valuable bag on AFTER the big backpack so if anybody "accidentally" picked up my stuff they would get the "dirty laundry" first.
The vast majority the time you can hold your passport in your hand while going through the metal detector or body scanner
Hearing this story a second time somehow makes me feel 1000x worse. I should have watched this with an Aperol Spritz like the first time I heard it 😅 going to go for a walk to shake off this anxiety
Always have USD on you while traveling is a great advice that saved me many times. One time, I took the last train from HK airport and ended up in a weird station which looked like a mall, but everything was close and I couldn’t find the exists (the whole area was under renovation). The only way to get out from there was a taxi stand (really sounds like a nightmare, but it’s real). I had no HK dollars on me, but luckily they did accept a 10 British pounds I had in my wallet for no reason for many years.
I visited Tunis in June 2023 and was able to use Euros (cash) everywhere with zero difficulty. It would have been a chore to get US dollars, and bring them to Tunisia. Euros were no problem.
Dude, that's a helluva story! There's nothing worse than losing your stuff at the 'airport' or anywhere for that matter, in a strange country. Thank God you dodged that bullet)).
I am not sure this is still valid, but everytime you change in Tunisian Dinars, you must keep the receipt. This is required should you need to switch back when leaving the country (as you said, you cannot take Tunisian Dinars with you when leaving the country). At least it was like this in 2006. Without the receipts, the official currency exchange offices will refuse to change back, thinking you might have bought them illegally.
As a tunisian
You shouldnt visit carthage airport cuz he is the worst airport in the country
You should visit djerba airport cuz the saftey and security is too high and people in the airport can speak english fluently
Amazing resilience
Bless you, that sounds horrible, and you're a braver man than I for doing that in the first place!
Thank you.
Great info.
Going thro security is my nightmare too. I hate leaving my bag with laptop and watch almost on display and then retrieving them the other side. I can't help feeling English police would have taken your side, if you had correctly named what was in the bag. Stay on high alert, i guess,the whole time.Well done for spotting your bag sailing off into the distance, anyway!
Presumably the passport with his name and photo would have identified the bag as his.
I was mugged on a metro in Prague. It was the evening after 9/11 and I was wearing a jacket with "America" stitched on the back so a band of thugs followed me onto the train. The rest of the populace sat and watched as I was inside the circle, gang robbed and pummelled. I got out with just my passport in my jeans front pocket and the bus ticket back to Switzerland, so yes, "don't keep all your eggs in one basket!" Had to beg (via hand gestures) the luggage storage cashier to give me back my suitcase since I had no money/cc to pay for their services. It was around 10pm, no police anywhere, either in the metro or at the bus depot.
A nightmare scenario. I'm glad it worked out though.
I could feel your panic. Speaking about not putting all your eggs in one basket....when I backpacked in Africa in the 80s, I used a "money -belt" which was basically a slim fabric zippable wallet with straps held around your waist but under your clothes - in this case under the waist band of your jeans and under the jeans belt. This, albeit slkim, could hold some of the most essential items, passport, plane ticket, cash notes, credit card and some keys. I was never robbed - many people used these. I also often hid some cash notes in my shoes while I was wearing them. I also always carried paper photocopies of my passport, in case my passport was stolen, and passport photographs (certified by police)
Great video - though a more accurate title would be "everything taken" not "everything stolen"
1) Screening is a weak point in personal safety. It looks safe but things go missing. Has happened to me.
2) If you have paper US dollars secured with a rubber band rather than in your wallet, you don;t need to take them out of your pocket while you go through the scanner
Second point is a great lifehack!
@@thornton There have to be some benefits to being old ;)
Have just had a hack 2.0 moment - instead of a rubber band, buy a carbon fibre money clip, keeps the bills flat and won't set off a metal detector. around US$8 from the usual places.
I love your videos, all of them
Passport theft in security lines is very common. I wouldn't be so quick to clear the suspected thief just because the bag was recovered.
Hey Tom, first of all glad you visited our entrancingly history-rich country. Most people wonder about the high number of police authority figures that are scattered everywhere around the capital and the north shore side of the country. Well at first sight you might say that it's because of the presidentail palace or maybe the whole violent attempts that happened in the capital in the past years. But there is also the problem of illegal migration, particularly the act of attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe without proper documentation. Which is becomming pretty commun if you askk me, ( these attempts take the lives of plenty people each year ).
What a great and hilarious story. Love it. 🥰🤟💜
I got my camera stolen twice one time in tunis and 1 time in casablanca
Phew heart attack stuff! What a horrible feeling, thank god you spied the straps of the tote bag.
I laughed at your storytelling but not at you, I know what its like to have a passport stolen in a foreign country that does not have my country's embassy. I can laugh about it now, but at the time it was horrific.
Really enjoying your Tunisia series.
Scary story! Glad it worked out. I have thought about the security process being a weak link where my important belongings are separated from me in a 'black box'. I travel with my wife so we kind of keep an eye on things together. Dont have the first plan on what we would do if we lost everything. Doubt we would both lose it all. I suppose it is OK if one of us has their passport and some money. Wondering...what was stopping you from walking off the ferry and straight into town?
This is why my passport is in my passport/docs on my person - gave me trust issues haha
Nice to hear that dollars are still valuable!
bro brought his house keys to Tunisia
I think I'd have left them with a good neighbour or friend who lives nearby, especially if I'm going to be away for a while, rather than just a short holiday.
I always keep my passport, debit / credit cards, money (except small amounts for everyday use) and tickets in a money belt bag that hangs just in front of my, ahem, junk. Pretty much impossible to be pickpocketed and unless you have wodges of notes, very hard to notice. Much better than a shoulder bag / bum bag / trouser pocket. I've travelled all over with this method and it's never let me down. I would keep the passport/ any paper tickets in a ziplock bag though, it can get pretty moist down there 🤪
Still have to part with that when you go thru security.
@@b.w.9244 Well that depends. If there's nothing in there to set off the scanner (ie little to no metal) then it's fine. So banknotes, ATM cards and paper tickets would all be ok. Obviously you wouldn't have coins in it and you'd hold your passport and boarding pass in your hand anyway. It works, I've done it many times. (A full physical pat down would probably expose it but not in my experience).
You can always use google to translate audio from English to Arabic.
just think of the memories you'll have in years to come.
The anthology of things to bore the grandkids with is growing every day 😇
Well great travel is all about experiences. And that was one hell of an experience. I do think the bag was probably taken by accident. I always keep copies of everything. Gary Bembridge on Tios for Travellers said once to keep your passport in the cruise ship safe and take a photo driving license ashore as ID. Good advice once you get to the hotel or ship.
Could this happen to me too? I just purchased a ferry ticket from Palermo to Tunis on December 28. In winter there is only one ferry per week for this trip. I’ll arrive at Tunis at 23:30 and my hotel owner/booked on "Booking" will pick me up at the harbor. Going through the immigration at Tunis port seems very complicate. I am a female solo traveler with US passport. Should I fly to Tunis instead? Please advise me if you can. Thanks
Get a travel insurance next time you venture into a country you are not sure how to navigate. 90$ is better than losing your laptop and not being able to check into your hotel etc. Also roaming data even just for the first few days and being able to use instant conversation translation can save you a world of trouble.
Glad you made it safely into and out of my country! 🇹🇳
20:30 So they wouldn't take any euro? Kinda surprising given Tunesias proximity to Euro countries, and that you've literally just arrived with a ship from the EU. Been in quite some countries too, and always were fine with Euro (even when that's not the offical currency. They took it just fine in morroco. Obviously exchanged currency all the time but sometimes it's how it is)
It’s actually illegal in Tunisia, Tunisians told me. The authorities don’t want a black market to emerge.
@@Tch5802 It is illegal, but so would be accepting USD. It is weird that they wanted USD but not EUR.
I visited Tunisia and Tunis in June 2023 (from an MSC Cruise ship). We used Euros (cash) on our excursion in shops and restaurants and bars etc we did not have to get Dinars and they didnt ask us for US dollars - we had zero problems whatoever using Euros, the businesses even gave us change in Euros.
i'm 2 min, wrong pic for the airport, it's worse than that haha (that one is a the newer terminal, rarely used for tourists flights)
Oh cool thanks, I didn’t realise! :)
I am sorry you had to go through this experience. The trolley guy likely was not trying to steal your bag or he would not leave it in a visible spot as he was exiting, but without being able to communicate, it must have been horrifying. If it was taken by mistake, they probably would have gotten back to the seaport to find you.
FYI, the conversation at 21:35 doesn't make a lot of sense without context it goes something like this:
- Yeah bro
- When I got in the car, *unintelligible* was fine (in middle eastern accent)
- I don't go there, *unintelligible*, you were standing in front of him.
It definitely was not normal to bring someone else into the taxi, but the driver doesn't sound too happy about it either for some reason?
Oh that’s cool, thanks for the translation :) yeah no idea what was going on there
holy FUCK that is a genuine nightmare story I can't
Not laughing at you. This is a personal nightmare of mine as well. I once lost my wallet in the middle of a solo trip through Poland. I had some spare cash in the safe at the hotel, but nowhere near enough to get me through the rest of the trip. I'd bought the final ticket back home but that was still a week and several hundred kilometers away. Luckily somebody found it and turned it in at the restaurant. But the 15 minutes between realizing my wallet is gone and safely getting it back were horrible. They only spoke Polish and Russian, while I only speak German and English. Google Translate as definitely my savior.
In Lisbon, I lost my passport at the airport and noticed it during boarding. I ran back downstairs, frantically searching everywhere. Turns out I probably lost it during the security check and was able to get it back in time to make it onboard. But it's wild that they didn't make a public announcement over the speakers or sth. I mean, it's a passport, there's my name in it and obviously I'm going to need it at the airport.
Normally i don't skip sponsor ads, but sorry, no chance.
I always skip sponsor ads, I pay for TH-cam premium for a reason.
@@CarrieJamrogowicz i have premium too, but just to get rid of the annoying "ad-ads". I accept that creators seek sponsorships for their videos that get them a predictable compensation irrespective of how well the video does.
good video
Knowing Tunisians its very likely that the assumed taxi driver wouldve immediately driven back to the airport to bring back the bag he took by accident as soon as he noticed..
very unlikely that he intended to steal something..
Judging by the treatment I got from Tunisians in my other videos (like the train one) I 100% believe that
As an American, yes the U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency but it's strange that they didn't want to take Euros, especially considering that you said there was a ferry that went back and forth between Italy and Tunisia. Whatever, lol
Must never ever put passport in your bag. In places like that mistakes are never real, that was attempted theft , but how did they know the tote bag contained the goodies? It could have been something to do with the passport control "help".
I wouldn't go to an ATM with a taxi driver in such a place, either.
Agreed, there was a team working together on that con.
I think Tom was "sized up" the moment the incredible hulk cop noticed him. Then the x ray people turned a blind eye to whoever got what off the xray belt. ..
I always put the valuable bag on AFTER the big backpack so if anybody "accidentally" picked up my stuff they would get the "dirty laundry" first
As I commented on the last episode, I'm quite the scaredy cat and these sorts of situations are EXACTLY why I am hesitant to go out of Europe. I have, however, contemplated having "I am a EU citizen and require to talk to an EU embassy" written down in arabic, russian, chinese and, now, thanks to you, french. How much help it will do is besides the point.
I'm glad you got your things back and found a nice, cozy hotel room!
So stressful 😬😬😬
god bless you, i wish you will be recover soon.
It was actually a French protectorate, not a colony ^^
There's no difference. They started naming their colonies "protectorates" because the direct approach ended up being a disaster after the invasion of Algeria
@@Ghaltouni There are differences. Learn before spouting your ignorance for everyone to see.
@@QueenXKnit There are differences on paper only, therefore they are inconsequential
Maybe he didn't mean to take it, Tunisian families have tendency to travel with alot of luggage if it comes out of a scanner together then it must be one other bag that the wife packed.
This is why I will never step into a third world dump. These countries would benefit greatly from tourism, but the corruption, hostility, theft, scams just prevent any sane person from enjoying them. Sorry to stereotype, but if you get hassled from the get go, my immediate assumption is that the whole country will be a headache to visit.
Harrowing though the experience might have been, glad you got your bag back. Your intro had me thinking you lost everything after you had toured the country. Thankfully that was not the case. Phew!
After hearing your experience, I feel completely vindicated telling off security guards at stations on the Metro in my city. On the Bangalore Metro, you first put your luggage on an x-ray scanner which usually straddles the security fence. You then pass through a metal detector and enter the security area. If you are a man, you then stand on a pedestal with yours arms outstretched while a male security officers scans you with a handheld metal detector. If you are a lady, you enter a small enclosure where a female security officer does the same. Ideally, you are done being scanned just as your bag comes out of the x-ray scanner. You pick your bags and then head to the ticketing turnstiles. Every now and often though, a queue will form at the pedestal (or the enclosure) leaving luggage to pile up at the x-ray scanner. When this happens, you have no eyes on your bag until you are done being scanned. Someone ahead of you can pick your bag and walk away. Admittedly, the ticketed area is much smaller compared to the outside world in your story but it would still be too much of a hassle to raise an alarm and track down the bag. You would have to review CCTV footage to pin down who it was, and then find out which direction they were headed, etc.,
For as long as I can remember, I have insisted that I first pick up my luggage from the x-ray machine before joining the queue for the pedestal. At most stations, this has not been a problem because the pedestal is placed a little distance ahead of the x-ray machine. However, at some stations, the pedestal is placed before the exit of the x-ray machine. So when I go and pick up my bag first, it looks as if I am trying to avoid being scanned by the handheld metal detector. One security guard even told me that I am not allowed to hold my laptop bag in one of my outstretched hands as I am being scanned. I told him that my laptop contained state secrets and as such, I too had security protocols - I am not allowed to let my laptop out of my sight at any moment. He didn't know what to say!
Wow thanks for the idea, I need to remember that line to try out next time! 😅
I think the issue here is 2 bags. That’s 2 to keep an eye on and manage. Only having 1, you wouldn’t have let it out of your sight. Although tbh it’s just a simple series of mistakes that can happen anywhere.
Welcome to Tunisia brother 😂❤️ (funny story and nice video 😂🤣)
Thanks ❤️🇹🇳
I really liked ur previous videos about Tunisia but honestly I can't appreciate the title cz it's an obvious clickbate... U r a traveller and u know that such kind of experiences can happen everywhere especially with the language barrier but the intro, the title and the story telling you gave a wrong impression about what really happened... Welcome to Tunisia 🇹🇳 , hope that u had fun around our lovely country but please don't use those cheap techniques to have more interaction in ur content
This May, our suitcase disappeared forever while in the hands of the staff of the Tunis airport. It’s the first time that this ever happens to me in more than 30 years. So, yes, Tunisia, as wonderful as it otherwise is, is an outlier in this regard.
Your comment is far more unnecessarily provocative than Tom’s video.
Not clickbait at all. A very charitable interpretation by him. Don’t walk off with peoples belongings
I'm sure no one ever has their passport and camera stolen in Tunisia 🙄
Wear a money belt with your passport in it.
Nice video. I agree you should never put everything in one bag. And always wear a blue blazer so you you look like you belong and you can put stuff in the pockets and in your tote bag
I have worried about that same metal detector scare often. Always pay attention and do not stop to chat. Move through fast.
20:37 They did not accept your euros....that sounds very very odd.
1.security check up was necessary because we were betrayed by germans who gave passports to mossad agents who entered the country and killed tunisian citizen mohamed zwari.2 please try to distinguish between tunisians and citizens from neighboring countries who looks like us..
It's cute how you believe in the best in people:)) but well, maybe the world needs more people who are not as jaded and misanthropic as me lol. I don't think losing all your stuff in a foreign country is funny at all. Stop putting yourself down.
Putting valuables in a tote bag isn't all that smart
I'm not a smart man
So, it wasn't stolen...?
He's giving it the benefit of the doubt. But more than likely it was growing legs and walking out.
It was stolen, but he managed to retrieve it.
Stolen and then retrieved thanks to the nearby cops.
Stolen but he got lucky and recovered it.
It wasn't stolen a worker took it with other people stuff thinking it was theres. And he got an apology
next time instead of shouting try to sing 🤣🤣 th-cam.com/video/MXLydu0Gzdo/w-d-xo.html
In all seriousness happy for you the story had good ending!
it wasn't really stolen, it was just a misunderstanding
You sure about that?
@@JM.5387 pretty much
@@bohbohbohwut you know how much a UK passport is worth?
Very misleading title !
Not that you cannot be robbed in Tunisia, but what you have gone through is clearly not a robbery attempt. You, yourself, did make that conclusion eventually. A thief pushing a trolley full of suitcases in a place full of police officers ?! C'mon. It's very obvious. He is either a taxi driver (like you said) carrying the luggage of other passengers, having taken your bag by mistake or a father who packed the suitcases on the trolley and picked your bag by mistake assuming it is of one of his family members. The fact that he got so confused, that he called two other people to verify (surely his customers if he is a taxi driver or his family members if he is a father). The fact that the police officers seemed satisfied with his explanation. It's very clear.
Your only enemy at that time was the language barrier which caused so much confusion. And the most important piece of advice, that you unfortunately missed, is to try to learn a little bit of the language (even some words) of the country you plan to traver to. It could save you a lot of trouble.
Very glad you got your bag back though. Hope you had a pleasant stay.
The time you will not be careful .. about ur stuffs you will get stole in any place in this world not even in Tunisia ..
The title is a misnomer. Your bag wasn't stolen. This was a misunderstanding.
This is why I don't go too Africa.
This a stupid story, the guy took your backpack by mistake, if he was thinking to steal it, he will hide it and keep looking to you . Such things can happen by mistake.
Very over the top and dramatic video. Your bag was accidentally picked up, yet you’re acting as if you were involved in some kind of kidnapping.
what clickbait title! i was prepared to learn about how to get along in tunisia with nothing! what a waste of my time. unsubscribed.
LOL
as a Tunisian I really feel sorry for you that this happened in our country to you. shame on those people. it's a absolut shame! 🫶🏼 I hope you don't get a bad Idea abt our country cause of these Idiots...
Quite the story LOL ! glad it was resolved and you were able to enjoy some of Tunisia :)
Haha thanks :)
TunisAir 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩