Air travel is stressful, and in the heat of the moment—as surly staff and hurried passengers bear down on you—it's easy to misplace personal items.
Maybe you left a belt in the tray or forgot to pick up your toiletries bag. Or, if you're one of the thousands traveling through Newark Liberty International Airport since October, perhaps you've abandoned your laptop at security.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein recently tweeted a photo of "about 70" computers left at the New Jersey airfield's TSA checkpoints since October.
About 70 laptops left at @TSA checkpoints at @EWRairport since October. Leave an item at a checkpoint? Contact us: https://t.co/mnPs9ccz15 pic.twitter.com/1y7wbjiCf9
— TSAmedia_LisaF (@TSAmedia_LisaF) November 28, 2016
Piled on shelves in a secure airport location—probably near cabinets filled with deserted coats—the collection of laptops (including at least a dozen Apple MacBooks) wait to be claimed by their absent-minded owners.
It's hard to believe anyone would turn away from their computer for longer than it takes to roll through the TSA's X-ray machine. But it seems some folks—in a rush to arrive at their gate or beat the Auntie Anne's crowd—do manage to neglect their pricey electronics.
"The most common way laptops are forgotten is when [travelers] stack a bin on top of the bin their laptop is in," the department wrote in an Instagram caption. "Out of sight, out of mind."
Savvy commuters can tape a business card or piece of paper with their name and contact information to the computer, allowing airport officials to contact the owner of a left laptop via a page or phone call before boarding a flight; or get in touch after landing.
The TSA urges folks who have left items at security checkpoints (or are missing anything from checked baggage) to contact the appropriate airport's Lost and Found division.
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It worked for mobile product designer Hass Lunsford, who replied to Farbstein's tweet late last month, saying he "lost my unmistakable laptop" in October, but was able to recover it after a phone call to Newark TSA.
The travel agency in September encouraged passengers to reach out with "any TSA-related issue or question you might have." Wondering whether a specific item is allowed onboard? Snap a picture and tweet the image to @AskTSA or send it via Facebook Messenger. The government organization can also help with pre-check issues.
Screening technology, meanwhile, is getting a boost: Automated screening lanes and computer tomography (CT) scanners are rolling out nationwide to select American Airlines hubs.