Orsdxy

An odd question, I know.

I'm expecting to arrive with a full-size carry-on, containing some stuff I brought on the flight but don't want to carry any further, some stuff I'll transfer into my main baggage between collecting it from the belt and dropping it off with WFS for onward delivery, and some stuff I'll carry with me in a much smaller bag waiting in my main suitcase. I don't really want to elaborate on why this is the case as it will distract from the main question - nothing nefarious is going on, I just have a slightly complex itinerary and don't want to lug any more than I need to at any point.

I'm then left with an unwanted carry-on bag containing a few innocuous cheap unwanted possessions (nothing unpleasant, not even any dirty clothes). I'll deliberately use an old and slightly broken (torn handle) bag that I've already replaced and is currently just cluttering up my house. If it were a soft bag I'd roll it up and stuff it in a litter-bin, but it's a somewhat rigid two-wheel trolley bag that won't fit in any normal bin.

What I obviously don't want to do is leave a bag just lying around in the airport and trigger a security scare. My current best plan is to casually drop it onto a loaded baggage belt, where it can go round and round until eventually the baggage handlers recover it. There will be no obvious means of identification on it, and I will leave a note inside in English and Cantonese saying that I don't want it any more, to save them wasting any effort trying to track down an owner. Then they will presumably just dispose of it by whatever means they have for unidentifiable lost possessions.

Anyone have any better ideas? Maybe this is all needless subterfuge and there's actually a handy bulk rubbish container tucked away somewhere that I could chuck it into? In or near the baggage reclaim, ideally.

The fundamental problem is that what you want to do - leave a bag somewhere and depart without having it associated with you - is exactly what a bomber would want to do. Therefore, I do not believe there is any way to do this without risking being mistaken for a bomber. A baggage belt would be a particularly good target for a bomber since there are lots of people crowding around, and you can get stuff there without going through security, so I would not expect that to be a less conspicuous place for your scheme.

I think that trying to leave a bag at an airport will inherently cause a security scare. If you are stopped at the scene, it will be unpleasant. Hong Kong airport police carry submachine guns.. If not, even if it is found out that your bag was harmless, you may be suspected of intentionally leaving your bag to cause a panic. Given the heavy surveillance normally found at airports, it is quite likely they will be able to identify you, and you may face legal trouble.

I would strongly advise against doing anything of the sort. Suck it up, take the bag away with you, and dispose of it in a less sensitive place, far away from the airport.

I would recommend taking the bag to lost property. You can either tell them the truth or tell them you found it. That way you won't cause a security scare, and the bag may get a new owner.

Leave the bag, fully emptied and all pockets opened, next to the largest trash can you can find. A note saying RUBBISH/垃圾 inside would also be nice.

This way it's not going to cause a security scare, and the airport's hassle of disposing it will be minimal. It's still basically littering though, and the right thing to do would be bring the bag to somewhere else where it can be properly disposed of.

Tell a member of airport staff that the bag is broken - perhaps even break off something to do with the handle or a wheel (in a toilet, less visible) as these bags aren't so robust. Tell then you didn't have much in it anyway, and where can you throw it away.