On Sun, 8 Jan 2006 09:29:01 -0500, Michael Doelle 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>>Having worked for a few years as a baggage handler, I can assure you 
>>that it's no myth.<

The above was Lee's statement comment about my statement that
it is a long-standing myth that luggage loudly marked to have
SCUBA gears are more likely to have articles stolen.
>
>Is this a confession or just the usual Ding-Dong blather?

Hey, Mika ... or is it Misha ... where have you been?   I was
thinking about writing you to ask whether you had changed
your mind about being in Sydney the first week of February.
Drop me a private note at my you-know-what email address.

This "myth" had been discussed at length both in Scuba-L
and in rec.scuba.  

The important FACT is that, as Don Ward remarked (he was
probably in the Scuba-L thread when it went on), is that
there is NO MARKET for stolen scuba gears!

Andy Jenks (the original owner of the NED FAQ page went so
far as taking some scuba gears to his local pawn shop in
Atlanta and reported that he could fetch hardly anything
out of his regs, BC, or other equipment.

MY reasons for leaving my bag loudly marked was for my
own ID and as theft deterrent.  I always left my bags
UNLOCKED (before the 9/11 requirement) for the reason 
that I figure if the thieves want my fins or other stuff
they could have them -- at least I'll have a bag that's
not CUT to get into the gears.  My scuba bags cost
over $200 each, more than the cost of my fins, and other 
minor pieces of scuba equipment.

>
>>Personally, I usually carry items of greatest value with me.  
>>My regulator, dive computer, notebook computer and, when 
>>possible, my cameras, whether land or underwater.<

That's just common sense.  I also carry my 24K gold diving
weights with me too.   :-)
>
>Since you don't travel  .... why not post this nonsense to 
>groups where they believe that you do?
>
>m

LOL!  

I am happy to report that the 13-oz 24K bracelet I bought
in Sydney in 2002 (when gold was at $320 an oz) while Sue
complained about me wasting my money on all those useless 
trinkets while I justify the practice as "investment" and
not having to carry as much LEAD when I dive, turned out
to be an investment with excellent returns, because 24K
gold is very liquid in large cities such as NYC (where I
sold my smaller bracelet that one replaced), and the
price of gold now (three years later) is around $530 an
ounce, which meant I already have about a 50% return 
for my investment of my Aussie dive weight!  :-)  Let's
see you try to invest in the LEAD on your weightbelt.  :-)

-- Bob.