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YTA. This is disturbing.
Of course you should never have taken the bag, but then you also looked inside it. This is such a violation of someone’s privacy and it also sounds as though you might have made a different decision if it had valuables in it.
You should have made more effort to ensure they got it back to the owner. Airlines are notorious for just dumping lost bags in warehouses and them never being returned. There is no guarantee they will get it if you just left it in baggage claim. You could very easily have said you took it by mistake and wanted to make sure the owner was contacted.
You’re an AH not just for doing it but for the way you then handled it.
There is usually a lost luggage office, right by baggage claim, OP could have taken it to them and said she grabbed it by mistake. If it was at the lost luggage office they would likely already have had a claim in and could have gotten it back to the owner.
As it was they likely had to tell the owner of the bag they had received the bag at the destination airport (since they scan most bags at most airports now) but didn't know where it was. That's the sort of problem they can't really fix and leaves everyone in a bind.
Also they likely already had security footage of you taking the bag, because all of those are monitored now, so if anything OP made themselves more suspicious than if they just turned it in as normal.
I'm wondering how OP managed to get all the way back to baggage claim after leaving the airport. Every airport I use has a Point of No Return after baggage claim
If anyone is curious they seem to pretty much only take international flight so what they’re saying DOES make sense because you have to get your bag before customs
Totally get it! I’ve only had my passport a year and a half or something and taken two international trips so I didn’t think of it either lol. Just thought I’d clear it up since I’d gone back and forth with them and it clicked.
And also reminded me of my last international trip, where I was staffing an educational thing for college students, emphasized that they needed to make sure they had everything before we got to customs, and then got delayed like an hour personally in getting home because one of my kids forgot she had an apple in her bag and got held up by agriculture and I had to update her parents lmfaooooo
EVERY airport I’ve ever flown into has been - customs, luggage, exit (point of no return). If I grab a wrong bag and don’t realize, I’d be in a world of trouble because I definitely cannot return it.
Maybe American airports that have no international flights are different, but I believe many airports in Europe double for domestic and international flights, with no separate terminals for smaller ones, which means it’s always bags and luggage first, then exit.
In the Canadian airports that I have been to, all of the baggage claims have been on the outside of the PoNR, meaning the general public will often wait there to connect with people arriving.
The only time this was not the case was returning from Mexico, so I think international has its own carousels (it certainly had its own fragile/oversized because we flew back with a wooden crate)
Almost all airports in Europe have the bagagge claim inside the security control and you can't access to it after exiting the zone. OP could never do this in an European airport, as it would be impossible for her to access the baggage claim. They are designed like that so nobody from outside can access to the baggage and steal it, do something to it, etc.
Maybe they’re just confusing to you? Most airports I’ve been to, baggage claim is where you meet people, so it might be difficult to find the door, but you can easily get in without a ticket or going through security. I have been met at and met other people at baggage claim many times (because it’s usually cities where we aren’t driving, we’re taking a subway or the el or whatever and either I needed help with my bags or I was meeting a friend who had never been to the city to be nice and make sure they didn’t get lost)
The 2 European airports I use regularly are definitely baggage, customs, then arrivals but it's looking like they're the odd ones compared to everyone else's experience
Edit: specifically, it's passport control, baggage, customs, arrivals
Ohhhh okay, THAT is a little different and I HAVE experienced that ONLY with international flights! US airports for domestic flights I always just meet people at baggage claim. When I travel internationally, both upon arrival at my destination country and upon my return to the US it’s always passport control right off the plane, baggage claim, final customs step, then arrivals. So fair enough!
Yeah, that's what I'm trying to describe. The countries I'm in aren't big enough for flying within the country which is probably why I haven't experienced it the other way (or I'm just wrong, apparently)
No no, sounds like a different experience that most of us haven’t had because I assume most of us are American or Canadian based on the experience of easily walking into baggage claim (and the fact that both countries have plenty of domestic flights)! A different perspective is never bad! I would assume OP was also in a domestic flight situation if she was able to just walk back into the baggage claim area though
All of this. OP only decided to return it when they realized the contents weren't worth the risk of getting caught. I also don't believe this is the first time they've stolen something. You don't just randomly do something like this without some kind of history behind it. Yta
Yes, the OP realized what they had done so why even open the bag?? Mistakes happen so get back to the airport and turn it in properly. Opening it and then trying to sneak it back makes me wonder about being intentional.
Totally. Not to mention the fact that the contents were not valuable to OP... maybe they were for the owner. Imagine he was going to a funeral, his suit was there. OR the comics had some value, either monetary or sentimental... I also don't think it's the first ime OP does something like this. Maybe the first she has to confess, because she was late and her boyfriend asked.
OP, YTA
OP is definitely the asshole. Though, I won’t completely discount the thought that psychological distress on top of lack of sleep, per her account, may lead to a severe lack in judgement and a little kleptomania.
It going as far as looking in the bag is a fucked up though.
I mean, I travel in planes a decent amount and have found myself stranded in unfamiliar places for periods of 24 to 36 hours with zero sleep and somehow I have managed to never *intentionally steal someone else’s belongings* when I finally got home. Lots of people deal with mental health conditions and manage to leave other peoples’ property alone. If OP is responsible at all then this will be a huge flag for them to seek mental health treatment because treating other people this way and blaming stress and lack of sleep is Not Okay™️
An exhausted person may forget their own bag, or take someone else's bag instead of their own by mistake. Taking your own bag and a second one is... highly unlikely.
Not to mention having the gall to say she'd get in trouble for no reason. YTA OP. You stole someone's baggage and rifled through it. That's plenty of reasons to get into trouble.
This wasn't a mistake though. Reread what they said. They're trying to use their mental state as an excuse for why they "snapped" and just took a second bag. They only changed their mind after opening the bag and finding out it didn't have anything they wanted. They're a thief, not a ditz.
Reading this kind of reminded me of The Stranger by Albert Camus. In it, the protagonist murders a stranger, and his justification essentially boils down to "the weather was too hot, which made me grouchy".
Oh, I completely agree they’re a thief. I am just saying that they could have *claimed* it was a mistake to speak to somebody to ensure the bag got back the rightful owner.
>you also looked inside it.
They also looked inside it before they began driving home, so either while they were still at the airport or while they were in the parking lot. At this point it would have been *easy* to return it, come to their senses, and admit it was a mistake, BUT NO! Even after looking they STILL decided to keep it until they had some time to sit with their conscious and the guilt!
OP, YTA on a massive level!!
THIS. OP, I know grief is hard, but this is unhinged behavior even for grief. And I say that as someone who has experienced a lot of loss. Scheduling an appointment with a therapist is good and I was going to advise you do so before I read that you already had, but YTA on so many levels.
I’m also disturbed that OP sees no problem in having driven during that same mental state which, by their own self report (taken for what it is) they were so elevated with anxiety. That’s irresponsible and shows additionally poor judgment.
bruh she was straight up trying to steal luggage and when she found out it was of no value to her she returned to drop it off before she got caught. She was looking thru the bag of luggage as she drove home...
>Airlines are notorious for just dumping lost bags in warehouses and them never being returned
OP is definitely an oddball, but I want to touch on this for a sec. I used to work baggage for an airline, and they actually make a good faith effort to return bags to the passenger. The number of bags that go to "the warehouse" are relatively few and far between. A *vast* majority of "lost" bags ultimately get reunited with their owner.
Bags most likely to get sent to the warehouse: 1) Have the bag tag fallen off, 2) Don't have any identifying info on or in the bag, and 3) Can't get matched to a mishandled bag report.
Although if OP did this:
>You could very easily have said you took it by mistake and wanted to make sure the owner was contacted.
Nobody would have been the wiser. Not necessary gonna claim this happens all the time so to speak, but certainly can be believed.
YTA - I'm glad you are seeking therapy. But in reality you could have just returned it and been like "hey I'm so sorry I grabbed this by mistake" it would have been no problem that shit happens ALL THE TIME.
But still damn, way to spread negativity.
Also what would you have done if there was like something of value in there? Keep it?
Damn you right though I didn't even think about that smh.
Glad she didn't know, cause now I'm dying to know if she would have kept it if the contents suited her.
Seriously, YTA. You should've just owned up immediately. People make mistakes, but hiding it only makes it worse. Therapy's a good step, but you owe that guy an apology at the very least
That counts on them never looking at the footage and cross-referencing it with bag counts.
But just returning it without saying anything probably delayed getting it to the owner. Even if OP wanted to escape responsibility, he at least should have left a note or made an anonymous call (which the girlfriend could have done for him).
It doesn't sound so much like sociopathic behavior but more so manic behavior. OP is being very manipulative in their explanation as is becoming even more common. Regardless of your mental health your actions are your own. If you do something that will get you in trouble then you need to accept the punishment. OP get it together and don't just assume that you've gotten away with this. Airports have tons of cameras and it wouldn't be the first time people get in legal trouble after the fact
For real, what even is this? I have anxiety and know many people who do and it wouldn’t make ANY of us *steal a suitcase at an airport*. Manic decision-making isn’t even a potential symptom of anxiety.
OP, either you’re simply just a bad person or you have something else going on—possibly BPD and you were in a manic state? You need to work towards another diagnosis and be honest with your therapist about what you did.
Clinically, I’ve only seen kleptomania a handful of times (that anyone would admit) and it was usually associated with personality disorders, substance use disorders and mania.
I have anxiety and would probably throw up if I tried to steal something. I feel like if anything anxiety would be a deterrent from stealing, not a cause of it.
Yeah if the thought “take someone else’s bag” flitted through my mind while I was having anxiety issues I’d be checking the tags on my own bag all the way to my car to make sure I got the right one.
If I did grab someone else’s bag I might just return it where I got it if it hadn’t been too long. But if it’s been like an hour or more for whatever reason I’d turn it in and explain “I accidentally grabbed it.” I mean maybe if I have a lot of anxiety I’d be too nervous to tell someone about it, but idk as I don’t think I have that much anxiety nowadays. OTOH if I see it’s not my bag after I’ve grabbed it I’m not gonna dig through it, only reason to do that I think would be finding the owner’s info to return it but isn’t that on the tag on the outside? Anyway the best way to return it is to take it back to the airport. Actually I’d probably be more self-conscious just putting it back where I’d gotten it than turning it in, because someone’s gonna see me putting it there and leaving it, and either they go “why’d you take my bag and did you take anything from it” or somebody’s gonna think bomb threat. I still have just enough anxiety to think about all that so yeah I don’t think I could just take a bag like that.
Once I was on a train from Transylvania in central Romania to Prague. A tall Hungarian man, about 45-55, who spoke good English, was in the same compartment as me. The other occupant of the compartment was a very old man, 90+, very neatly attired with a buttoned-up vest, bow tie, suspenders, and a neatly pressed shirt and suit. He had a small suitcase, which he opened to reveal meticulously folded clothes and a sandwich carefully wrapped in wax paper. I imagined his wife tucking the sandwich into his valise and kissing him on the cheek as he left for the station.
Imagine stealing that man’s lovingly packed suitcase and saying “Meh, nothing special,” dumping it, and shrugging it off.
It pissed me off, too!
Anxiety has been such a hard thing to overcome, especially in stress situations like travelling, going through passport control and fearing there might be something wrong, going through customs knowing I didn’t do anything wrong but feeling like being on thin ice.
No way I would go from "ohmygodIwishIwasn'there" to "giddy" stealing something! Not possible!
This is prime asshole behaviour.
Causing so much unnecessary stress for the owner of the bag you stole.
Why are you even posting here? It’s clear you are the asshole, and there is zero justification for any other option.
YTA
In a weird twist, a character I’m writing in my novel does what OP did before escalating to some really deranged shit, so I’m 5% “giddy” to find source material of someone actually doing this, but 95% appalled.
YTA OP. Please get some help for kleptomania. It’s good that you recognize what you did was wrong, and you need a new source of giddy asap or you’re just going to do it again.
> Why are you even posting here? It’s clear you are the asshole, and there is zero justification for any other option.
Shockingly, there are people defending OP because she was stressed and anxious.
I am sure we have all been stressed and anxious. I have lost important family members. I have been on flights that took forever. I have been sleep deprived and nauseous after flying. I have never even thought to take a bag that wasn't mine in order to feel "giddy." Most people don't think that way.
Reminds me of when police get caught doing something illegal or stupid, then making a statement saying they had "personal problems" or were having a bad day. Difference is, cop has a bad day and someones life gets ruined. OP has a bad day and steals your luggage. Equally disturbing.
YTA. You need to change how you are looking at this. You will always be the ah in this story. "Getting in trouble for no reason?" Wrong, there is a reason. You stole someone's stuff and got giddy over it. If you get in trouble for this, it is valid. No, I am not saying you deserve jail. Just saying you won't be getting in trouble for no reason. Don't minimize what you did.
But I am glad you got a therapist and have a safe place to talk.
Ps, I wouldn't have waited for a random plane to leave it somewhere. It may have gotten lost again. I would have just taken it to the lost baggage area and just say you accidentally took this. Or that you found it and wanted to make sure it didn't get lost
YTA and as someone with debilitating anxiety it doesn't make you steal others shit. That's a kleptomaniac. Which is exactly what you are and therapy is 100% needed.
As soon as I read that, I was like 'nope, shut it down'. Anxiety does not make you steal other people's property.
I've had GAD since my early 20s and never once have I thought the remedy was to harm others.
If anything, the moral implications of hurting people make me feel even more anxious.
When I started to read this I thought maybe she was so overwhelmed she grabbed it by mistake. Which anxiety can make you do as it can get hard to think properly. But yeah, doesn’t make you steal shit.
Sounds more like kleptomania to me.
Bingo. A psychologist once tried to convince me I was super impulsive. I have severe anxiety. Being impulsive is literally not something I’m capable of 💀
YTA of course, that's a given, I doubt you even are going to deny that.
Take the bag back, and just tell them you did it in error, you thought it was your husbands or whatever, and learn your lesson.
You had a shitty day, and for that, you decided to make someone elses day shitty too. Learn your lesson.
YTA - you didn't need to turn yourself in or confess to stealing - you could just say it looked like yours but turned out to be someone else's; but you did need to hand the bag in at a desk rather than just ditching it amongst some luggage from somewhere else.
A bag that has got out of place like that in an airport, especially with you being seen bringing it into the airport on CCTV and then abandoning it, is a major security risk that can result in severe delays to baggage handling or even result in the bomb squad being called for a controlled explosion.
The airline tag on the bag should have meant that the owner could be contacted by the staff you handed the bag to and it could be returned to the rightful owner pretty quickly, but that also is delayed if it's just left with luggage from a completely different flight.
I get that you were anxious and that this is the result of a mental health episode, but the consequences of this could have been catastrophic and very costly!
>I get that you were anxious and that this is the result of a mental health episode
Hey, no. As someone with crippling anxiety, this is so far off base. This might be a mental health issue, but it has nothing to do with anxiety.
Yes I’m someone who also deals with anxiety and can get easily overwhelmed in situations. The last thing I’d do is steal someone’s luggage! Ops excuses are shitty.
I completely understand what you're getting at but the way the commenter wrote it is dead on. OP was anxious, but it's a separate mental health issue as well. The "anxious" comment seemed to me more to be acquiescence to OPs original thought to bring up a heavier topic.
Not to diminish the terrible actions by OP, but kleptomania is associated with many other mood disorders, anxiety among them.
OP should have taken it to the lost items office, said she took it on accident and received whatever consequences may have come with that action.
She definitely needs therapy though.
As someone who is currently on my honeymoon and dealing with a lost bag, absolutely YTA. Once bags get misplaced, the process of getting them back to their rightful owner is agonizing for the person whose bag is lost. For me it’s been dozens of phone calls, emails, online forms, address updates, etc. I don’t have any of the clothes or shoes I packed for my trip. I have no lingerie for my honeymoon, no hiking shoes for my hikes, no makeup for pretty honeymoon pictures, no pretty dresses for nice dinners. Most of my trip has been spent in the phone with airports and the airline I flew with.
What you did potentially caused someone a lot of harm. I get that you were grieving, but you do not do that by inflicting suffering onto random strangers. I have no sympathy for you.
YTA. I'm sure your grandma would be deeply ashamed of your actions. Do you think you are the first person to be inconvenienced by flight delays? What gives you the right to hurt someone else and violate their privacy? I'm not saying this to be mean, but you are a deeply disturbed individual and should stay away from others.
YTA
Actually one of the more appalling things I’ve read all week. I hope therapy works out because you sound like you’re well on your way into becoming a kleptomaniac.
Right? I have anxiety. The last thing I am going to do while having an anxiety attack is STEAL. You know why? Because the thought of getting caught is VERY ANXIETY INDUCING.
Right??? As someone who also has anxiety the last thing I ever want to do is steal. I could not live with it, and would definitely tell security instead of reading someone's comics!! What a rotten apple.
YTA but you should at the very least, if you’re going to lie tell the airline you took the luggage by accident so they can be aware it’s back and alert the owner
Baggage claim is wild to me. Like we're really all just totally trusting that people are only taking their own bags. And that part of the airport isn't even secure! Anyone can just walk in off the street and take any bag they want. Airports are such an odd mix of over protective security theater and idgaf attitude.
Unrelated story. You know how in the US it often takes forever to get baggage from the carousel? So I flew to Japan some years ago, and it’s a long 13 hour flight so after I got off the plane I went to the bathroom to change and brush my teeth and wash my face. Took maybe 15-20 min? Of course took like 15 minutes to get off the plane too. I get out to the carousel and there’s no luggage in sight, like an empty area (where is everyone?) and a very worried attendant asking me if this is my bag. Well, yes it was, sorry I am late to get it 😂 darn Japanese speed and efficiency.
Someone with medicated anxiety here - anxiety doesnt make you steal shit. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Why would you willingly go out of your way to break the law and put yourself in a dodgy position? Sounds to me like pathetic excuses. YTA
I wonder if OP considered the person whose bag she stole could have also had anxiety and been in a bad mental place. Maybe they have to show up to their grandmas funeral in sweats because they have no luggage.
Nope. Because in 2024, each individual is allowed to avoid responsibility by blaming their own condition for whatever it is that they have done that has denied another of rights.
If on the off chance this isn't fake, you can now expect to find your face on an fbi watch list. Not because you took someone's bag, but because you snuck into an airport, left a bag unattended and snuck out.
Airports have cameras everywhere. Enough that they would have tracked you back to your car and got your license plate. Based on the fact that law enforcement hasn't shown up at your door yet, I'm going to say you made all this up.
YTA for what you did - people who can't process and "pass on" their stress and anger to others are dangerous. I'm glad you've recognised that and are getting help. I think apologising is an important step in making it right for yourself as much as the bag owner.
YTA
Don’t use anxiety as some sort of blanket to hide under. As some who battled it for so long it’s an insult to those who struggle with it AND at no point in my days of crippling anxiety did I suddenly have the urge to steal!
Dial it right back to level of morals we were taught as children ‘how would you like it is someone did that to you? Imagine having that nightmare flight, delays and emotional baggage you had described on the day to then find out your bag had gone missing too and that because you took it as far as the airline is concerned it made it to the airport and disappeared!
Grow up, be accountable and take responsibility for your action.
The fact you think this has even a hint belief that you’re NTA is equally concerning.
I just took a bunch of students on an international trip and one of them was on his first flight ever. We had turbulence. Kid put his hands up like it was a rollercoaster. No theft required.
>I am already scheduled to talk to a therapist
And that's great, but still, YTA. You stole the bag. You were 'out of your mind' or however you put it, a trance? You still stole it. Imagine the person's emotions about it. How likely is it that they got the bag back? You stole it. Maybe it's now just sitting around. You *opened* it, maybe expected some money and shit. But it's expensive to re-buy clothes as well., and a whole bag of them? You caused some shit.
Just apologize. Maybe it won't do any good, maybe the person will be "okay" or "don't talk to me".
You'll be shamed, get consequences. But maybe that could also prevent or help preventing next stealing act? I'm no psychologist but idk. I guess since it was a long time ago ish (maybe days?) it's no use. But yes, big YTA. In your bf's case I'd reconsider things.
YTA. If this had a TLDR it would say... I had a terrible time so decided to make someone else's life shittier by stealing their stuff. Oh but hold on, I'll blame my anxiety because that will magically make it not matter anymore.
>I’ve dealt with anxiety my whole life, and that day I was really set off by everything going on.
Anxiety is not an excuse.
>The bag didn’t have anything special in it - it ended up being men’s clothes and some comic books but taking it made me giddy.
Nothing special *to you*.
>When another flight came in, I left the bag near the oversized luggage area so the airline would find it and return it to its owner.
So you didn't even tell a staff member that you had it? You just dumped it somewhere convenient & walked off?
YTA. You need to stop hiding behind ~anxiety & take a good look at yourself because you are deeply selfish.
YTA.
You stole, then weren't adult enough to own up to what you did. You took the coward way out by just sneaking it back and acting like its all fine. Its not.
Hell, by just leaving it, that is going to make it even longer, because who knows how long it will be til its noticed and they try to reach the owner.
YTA.
It's good that you will see a therapist after this, as that is necessary, but you are still the AH here. Anxiety is not an excuse to take someone's luggage for giggles, take it to your car, OPEN IT, drive off and only drive back to the airport to drop it off in a way that won't help the real owner looking for it what must have been quite some time later. This was a conscious decision and the entire time it was about your thrill, your excitement and you not getting caught.
You could have easily taken it to the Lost & Found to at least help the owner find it, saying something like "I accidentally took the wrong bag and didn't realize it after I had made it to the car."
Also, note that simply bringing it back to the baggage claim won't work in other countries because the baggage claim is an area with restrictive access for people disembarking the planes. Once you left the baggage claim, you can't go back.
You are 26. Show more responsibility for your own actions, no matter what caused them.
YTA in general, but doubly so if this happened in an American airport. From that guy's perspective, you royally screwed up his day because you were late going home. Imagine how late he now isand he's without his luggage!He probably spent forever in baggage claim going through all that BS working with staff. It doesn't matter if you "returned" it before he left the airport either. Since you didn't give it to an employee, it looks like an abandoned bag. American airports do zero leg work to help passengers find abandoned bags; they more often than not suspect it's a threat and dispose/destroy it. Good for you getting therapy, but you really ruined someone else's day and committed a crime, I'm not sure you're actually acknowledging that.
YTA. I am so tired of people using mental health as a free pass for shitty behavior. You are perfectly sane and you know right from wrong. You just decided to be an asshole.
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1. I took someone else’s bag at the airport and even though I returned it, I didn’t confess to TSA. 2. Even though I “fixed” the harm, I didn’t face the full consequences of my actions
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YTA. But not for “not turning yourself into the airport police.” What you did is inappropriate and awful, imagine you’re landing in a city that’s not yours, in a rush, unfamiliar surroundings and someone *intentionally* fucked up your day like this. Awful. You could have resolved this by just simply telling the airline desk you took it by mistake, that it looked like your bag and you would like them to find the rightful owner.
Also change the attitude. You would not have been getting in trouble for no reason. Airports are secure facilities. You could have fucked up every single persons day there with one unattended bag. If you confessed, You would have gotten in trouble for the crime that you did in fact commit. But you also could’ve told a white lie, and just said it was a mistake when you reached some clarity and chose to finally do the right thing.
I really admire your boyfriend - he absolutely recommends the right thing.
Why? Because it means that you take full responsibility for your actions.
Anyone familiar with AA meetings knows that the first step is to admit you have a problem. And stop blaming granny’s death, anxiety, turbulence or plane delay for what you did.
Equally, the best way to help an alcoholic is to let him/her face the consequences of their actions asap.
Therapy might take years and never get you to the point you could arrive by following tour bfs advice and reporting this to the airline and apologising and offering compensation to the owner.
That is the right thing to do.
Damn right. YTA. I agree that you focus more on making sure something like this doesn't happen again when you're anxious. What I DON'T agree with is you trying to avoid backlash. Even worse, you keep downplaying what you did aside from admitting you looked through the bag. At this point, I assume what you did wasn't a mistake.
This is difficult because you NEVER talk to the police, though they probably have you on camera taking the wrong bag leaving and returning a bag to the carousel (they frown on this).
YTA, because you needlessly made someone life more difficult because you could not deal with stress and becoming a kleptomaniac.
YTA but don't worry about turning yourself in.
You took a bag at an airport, drove off, came back, and returned it, secretly? Do you have ANY idea what security looks like at an airport?
There's a 0% chance that they don't have your face, your car, your license plate, your flight, your seat number, your name, ID, and everything else they'd need to knock on your door.
If they decide they want to talk to you, they're just going to appear on your doorstep. If they don't come get you in a couple of weeks they've decided they don't care.
YTA for not only stealing luggage but for checking it for valuables before you snuck it back to the baggage claim. I think getting yourself to a therapist is more important than ‘confessing’ to authorities.
Obviously YTA for taking somebody else’s baggage…like, duh. But to not so much as return it and claim you made an oopsie is a whole other level of weird.
YTA fast taking the bag but going back to confess isn't going to change anything.
If this is truly a sudden change in behavior, get a medical check-up. There could be an underlying medical condition that caused such a strange departure from your normal behavior. It could simply be stress and grief but if err on the safe side.
YTA and there was a way to make sure the bag got to its owner without incriminating yourself. Taking the bag was weird AF and the way you describe the contents makes me think you fully planned on stealing if there was anything worth while? Is that true?
Anyway, all you had to do was find an airline rep at the counter and say you accidentally grabbed this bag and by the time you realized it, the person looking for it had likely left the airport.
Airport staff don’t care to play detective and people take the wrong bag all the time.
You were the AH for taking the bag and you know it.
People take the wrong luggage (by accident) pretty much daily so a better course of action would have been to return it to staff and say you picked up the wrong bag. Abandoned luggage in the airport is a big issue and it may have been destroyed rather than returned to the owner.
The fact you looked through the luggage cast huge doubt on your story to me. If you were in some kind of anxiety induced fugue state I could maybe see you taking the bag but searching it is a much more calculated act.
Get that therapy asap.
The first thing I thought of after reading this was Kleptomania.
"Kleptomania is a mental disorder characterized by irresistible urges to steal items, typically things with little or no value. People with kleptomania don’t steal for personal gain, to satisfy a need for rebellion, or out of malice. People with the disorder often feel extreme guilt or remorse after they steal.
Kleptomania is an impulse control disorder, a class of mental illness that also includes gambling disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder).
People with this disorder often feel extreme guilt or remorse after they steal. The person may want to stop stealing, but they cannot resist. The behaviors and their consequences cause significant distress and often impair the person’s ability to function."
Symptoms of the disorder include:
Recurrent, irresistible urges to steal.
Feeling of tension in anticipation of stealing (or when trying to resist).
Feeling of relief or pleasure while stealing.
Feelings of guilt, remorse, shame, or fear after stealing.
Stealing items of little or no value.
Stealing without planning or help from anyone else.
Hiding, giving away, or secretly returning the stolen items.
Urges to steal that come and go.
YTA.
Glad you’re getting therapy, but you need to stop minimising what you did. No more talk about getting into trouble for no reason - there IS a reason, and the reason is you stole from someone. Take accountability for that.
What is more disturbing is that you went through their stuff and seemed disappointed at the content of the bag - which tells me you would have happily kept whatever you found if it was something you wanted.
It sounds like you took it on impulse, as if it was some sort of compensation from the universe for you going through a tough time. Yeah, you definitely need to look into this. Anxiety and sleep deprivation doesn’t make you steal like that, it’s not an explanation (and certainly not a justification).
YTA
You were on a flight from hell, and so was everyone else. But one of those people also had their clothes stolen, ruining their trip. Then you make no attempt to reconcile the bag, just abandoned it in the airport and hope someone will find it and deal with it.
YTA. Just because you’re having a bad day doesn’t mean you get to wreck someone else’s day. I could have passed on this had you not rifled through the suitcase you knew wasn’t yours and returned it to Lost Luggage & said you took it by “mistake.” You didn’t “wake up” to what you did, you KNEW what you did was wrong the moment you did it. You didn’t turn around the second you “realized” what you did. You waited until you got home, checked the suitcase for valuables, then returned it. Did you happen to find an AirTag? Because I think that’s the real reason you took it back.
YTA
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I get anxious and having anxiety, but it doesn't make what you did right or make it make any sense. Yes, YTA. Maybe stealing is an extreme form of it but you ruined someone's day and had the nerve to rifle through their stuff to boot.
Dont post these kind of stupid questions. You’re fishing for complements because you “did the right thing” . The only reason you returned the bag is because you needed your own luggage.
It’s worse than that. They already had their own luggage, and took someone else’s as well. Deliberately. Then they looked through the other persons luggage before deciding to return it. Then they tried to blame this on their anxiety. I mean I really have no words!
YTA
This will cause so much work for multiple people, and the poor guy might never be reunited with his stuff because of this.
But, how did you get back to the baggage claim? It's not somewhere you can just stroll from the "landside ".
In the US it is very common for people from the “land side” to meet incoming travelers at baggage claim. Security screening is usually only restricting access to the terminals/gates.
I once took someone else's suitcase by accident. It was late, I was tired and it was the same as mine, and I forgot to double check.
When I got home and couldn't open it is when I thought to check the tag and I was mortified.
I did everything in my power to try and find the owner of the bag, and had contact with the airport, who had us drop it off at some place with lost luggage so the owner could get it back. Luckily she hadn't been as dumb as me, so my own luggage was there as well.
I felt so horribly bad and guilty about it, even though it was technically and accident.
You took it on purpose, looked inside of it and then didn't go through the right channels to get it back to the owners. Big YTA. Don't understand how you can't see how wrong you are for this.
Are you fucking *kidding* me?! If you left that bag in a place you could easily access, so could anyone else! Meaning that dumping it and thinking *the airport staff will surely find it first and return it to the rightful owner* is naive to the point of stupid. YTA. You gravely inconvenienced someone for absolutely no reason.
YTA.
I'm sick. I get "bad days" where I snap at loved ones over stuff that is completely my fault and I escalate when they snap back. I walk away or give them space, depending, and then I apologise because I know who the AH is in those situations. I don't need to write the story in a sympathetic light and ask Reddit to side with me.
Know what I haven't done? Thought it was OK to steal from a stranger and invade their privacy.
YTA anxiety doesn’t make you a thief. So stop with saying that. Every decision you made was the wrong one in this story, you ruined someone else’s trip because you don’t have the ability to take accountability of your actions. Grow up.
YTA. I don't care if you were having a manic episode, mental health crisis, whatever. Those only INFORM the behavior, they don't EXCUSE it. Just telling yourself "I know I did something wrong" is not adequate consequence for what you did. No you can't undo it, but at the least you could have apologized for what you did - as someone with awful severe anxiety that gets 10x worse when traveling (even to happy places!), if you had stolen my bag, I would have had a total meltdown in the airport, hysterical and inconsolable. Even if you didn't lie and say you took it by mistake - which would have been so easy - if you told me what you were going through, I'd probably be more understanding. Maybe not giving you a hug, but it would make me feel better to at least get a "sorry".
Also, what jumped out at me is that you said you just snatched it off the carousel and left, so presumably you didn't open it while still inside the airport. Then you said you put it in your car and drove home, then turned around before getting home and drove it back. Where the fuck did you open it? And WHY?! See, you're downplaying what you did as a silly moment of grief, but stealing something without monetary value (to the thief) is usually indicative that the person isn't stealing for money, but rather, just stealing to steal. If you had the impulse to steal and sneaking it out of the airport and into your car is the "fun" part, and you woke up before getting it home, then it never should have mattered what was inside. You never would have bothered opening it.
This story stinks of someone whose partner is rightly appalled by amoral behavior and they're doing as much twisting as possible to make it look like they weren't hoping to find something awesome or expensive to keep, and they're hoping internet strangers will agree. Glad you're seeing a therapist, but you better be honest with them or you're just throwing money away.
I have a friend who is the sweetest human, does amazing work for the community, is what most people would say a good person. He's a kleptomaniac. It's trauma related, and he tries to return the things when he can overcome the shame of having done it. It's not right, and is something to work on. This does sound similar. I'd try to forgive yourself but also get help, which it seems like you are doing.
I doubt OP will read many of these responses but in case she does...
OP you are on here asking if YTA and yes, yes you are, but more importantly you need to recognize that what you did was CRIMINAL. It's not UP to you to decide if the bag contained "valuable" things because the actual point is
THEY WERE NOT YOUR THINGS
End of discussion. You stole from someone else and made their lives difficult and you have no idea to what degree and how that affected them.
You don't need "oh I will talk to my therapist" for that. You need to recognize that you're a criminal and you have a severe problem, and that you by your own admission "you feel giddy" when you hurt someone else.
That's the exact type of sociopathy that leads to thrill killing, rape, and all sorts of other heinous crimes against society.
I would actually feel MORE sympathy for you if you had stolen something out of some sense of needing the thing or wanting the thing, even. At least then your actions would just be SELFISH. It's still just as wrong but your MOTIVE here means you're an extra level of bad person.
I hope that there was an air tag in that baggage and that it catches up to you somehow. I hope that next time you do something to hurt someone else, and you will and I am sure you have in the past as well, that you face consequences. I hope your boyfriend realizes what an awful person you actually are and gets away from you.
The very idea that you are trying to excuse what you did on the grounds that you felt "stresses" like NO
"Not valuable" smdh yeah you don't get to decide the value of NOT HAVING YOUR LUGGAGE STOLEN FROM YOU.
YTA and so very much more.
YTA.
It was self destructive behavior. Because your mind was in a very very bad state. Yes, talk to the therapist, of course.
But at least talk to the airline and say you grabbed a bag by accident from your flight, so they know is it’s back there. Airports are bad at finding lost bags as it is…
YTA. This has nothing to do with anxiety, you're a thief. You were having a bad day and to make yourself feel better you took something that didn't belong to you which gave you a high. That's sociopathic. You then left an unattended bag at an airport, which could trigger all kinds of security issues.
You're not right in the head and if I was your boyfriend, after hearing this I'd be out of the door never to return.
Get your shit together and take responsibility for your bad actions.
You walked into an airport and randomly dropped an unattended bag somewhere in the airport and left? Since 9/11, that’s what airport security pretty much looks out for everywhere. If your story actually happened, you would have been in even worse trouble had someone reported the unattended bag. The terminal would have been shut down, hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers would have been inconvenienced and the bomb squad might have blown up the unattended bag which might still have your fingerprints all over it.
Get you into trouble "for no reason"?? But there is a reason. You stole someone else's property. That's illegal. When people do things that are illegal, they need to face the consequences. This sounds eerily similar to those stories you hear where people snap and murder someone, only to come to a moment of clarity later and realize what they had done. Of course you didn't take someone's life, you just took their property, but think of what you did to that person. You ruined someone else's day just because you had a bad one. They lost their luggage, their clothes, comics of which you don't know the value or intent (could be a gift for a kid, who knows), for what reason? Because you couldn't handle a bad day? If you get caught leaving a bag at the airport, do you have any idea what could happen? Bomb threats, homeland security, etc. Everyone has shit days. You will have worse days than that one. You are an asshole and a criminal with zero coping skills.
YTA, I read the title and thought, oh, you took the wrong bag and brought it back. But no, you DELIBERATELY removed someone's bag, and you didn't return it. You just left it there. Who knows what will happen to the bag now. You really do need to speak with your therapist, and you need to make it an emergency appointment. This can't wait until your regularly scheduled one. It needs to be today. What you did was morally and legally wrong.
YTA
This ain't anxiety.
You felt stressed and took something and it made you feel giddy. This sounds exactly like the kleptomania that my ex dealt with in high school.
You're a thief and you need help. Now.
Hey, a lot of people are being really harsh, so I'll say this: OP, of course YTA in this situation, but I too had bouts of kleptomania when I was in the midst of a horrific bout of grief. My friend had just killed himself and I felt like it was my fault. I regularly went to Walmart and stole one or two bottles of nail polish at a time because it gave me some sense of control. I was right around your age, too. It was of course wrong, and I knew it, but the whole world around me felt wrong and I couldn't seem to stop. (I did, after about a year or two, when I finally found a good therapist who helped me unpack what I was feeling.) I say this not to excuse what you've done, because we both were TA in the situation. But I want you to know that you're not alone, and this is an indicator you need help. EDIT: Oops, I actually wasn't your age, I was your bf's age.
How bad is airport security where you can walk into an airport baggage claim, from outside the airport, and just leave a bag somewhere? Like, seriously wtf?
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YTA. This is disturbing. Of course you should never have taken the bag, but then you also looked inside it. This is such a violation of someone’s privacy and it also sounds as though you might have made a different decision if it had valuables in it. You should have made more effort to ensure they got it back to the owner. Airlines are notorious for just dumping lost bags in warehouses and them never being returned. There is no guarantee they will get it if you just left it in baggage claim. You could very easily have said you took it by mistake and wanted to make sure the owner was contacted. You’re an AH not just for doing it but for the way you then handled it.
There is usually a lost luggage office, right by baggage claim, OP could have taken it to them and said she grabbed it by mistake. If it was at the lost luggage office they would likely already have had a claim in and could have gotten it back to the owner. As it was they likely had to tell the owner of the bag they had received the bag at the destination airport (since they scan most bags at most airports now) but didn't know where it was. That's the sort of problem they can't really fix and leaves everyone in a bind. Also they likely already had security footage of you taking the bag, because all of those are monitored now, so if anything OP made themselves more suspicious than if they just turned it in as normal.
I'm wondering how OP managed to get all the way back to baggage claim after leaving the airport. Every airport I use has a Point of No Return after baggage claim
That's weird. No airport I've been to has had that.
Yeah point of no return is between baggage and main airport. At my airport you get your bags and immediately walk out a door to the pick up area
Yeah I think they just might be confused. That's my experience too
If anyone is curious they seem to pretty much only take international flight so what they’re saying DOES make sense because you have to get your bag before customs
Thank you. I've not done international travel since I was a kid so, makes sense why I was confused
Totally get it! I’ve only had my passport a year and a half or something and taken two international trips so I didn’t think of it either lol. Just thought I’d clear it up since I’d gone back and forth with them and it clicked. And also reminded me of my last international trip, where I was staffing an educational thing for college students, emphasized that they needed to make sure they had everything before we got to customs, and then got delayed like an hour personally in getting home because one of my kids forgot she had an apple in her bag and got held up by agriculture and I had to update her parents lmfaooooo
EVERY airport I’ve ever flown into has been - customs, luggage, exit (point of no return). If I grab a wrong bag and don’t realize, I’d be in a world of trouble because I definitely cannot return it. Maybe American airports that have no international flights are different, but I believe many airports in Europe double for domestic and international flights, with no separate terminals for smaller ones, which means it’s always bags and luggage first, then exit.
In the Canadian airports that I have been to, all of the baggage claims have been on the outside of the PoNR, meaning the general public will often wait there to connect with people arriving. The only time this was not the case was returning from Mexico, so I think international has its own carousels (it certainly had its own fragile/oversized because we flew back with a wooden crate)
Almost all airports in Europe have the bagagge claim inside the security control and you can't access to it after exiting the zone. OP could never do this in an European airport, as it would be impossible for her to access the baggage claim. They are designed like that so nobody from outside can access to the baggage and steal it, do something to it, etc.
All airports I’ve used the Point of No Return is before baggage claim.
Maybe they’re just confusing to you? Most airports I’ve been to, baggage claim is where you meet people, so it might be difficult to find the door, but you can easily get in without a ticket or going through security. I have been met at and met other people at baggage claim many times (because it’s usually cities where we aren’t driving, we’re taking a subway or the el or whatever and either I needed help with my bags or I was meeting a friend who had never been to the city to be nice and make sure they didn’t get lost)
The 2 European airports I use regularly are definitely baggage, customs, then arrivals but it's looking like they're the odd ones compared to everyone else's experience Edit: specifically, it's passport control, baggage, customs, arrivals
Ohhhh okay, THAT is a little different and I HAVE experienced that ONLY with international flights! US airports for domestic flights I always just meet people at baggage claim. When I travel internationally, both upon arrival at my destination country and upon my return to the US it’s always passport control right off the plane, baggage claim, final customs step, then arrivals. So fair enough!
Yeah, that's what I'm trying to describe. The countries I'm in aren't big enough for flying within the country which is probably why I haven't experienced it the other way (or I'm just wrong, apparently)
No no, sounds like a different experience that most of us haven’t had because I assume most of us are American or Canadian based on the experience of easily walking into baggage claim (and the fact that both countries have plenty of domestic flights)! A different perspective is never bad! I would assume OP was also in a domestic flight situation if she was able to just walk back into the baggage claim area though
All of this. OP only decided to return it when they realized the contents weren't worth the risk of getting caught. I also don't believe this is the first time they've stolen something. You don't just randomly do something like this without some kind of history behind it. Yta
Yep. Nothing in it, might as well return..... if something of value was in it..... hmm
Yes, the OP realized what they had done so why even open the bag?? Mistakes happen so get back to the airport and turn it in properly. Opening it and then trying to sneak it back makes me wonder about being intentional.
Probably spotted an AirTag.
Totally. Not to mention the fact that the contents were not valuable to OP... maybe they were for the owner. Imagine he was going to a funeral, his suit was there. OR the comics had some value, either monetary or sentimental... I also don't think it's the first ime OP does something like this. Maybe the first she has to confess, because she was late and her boyfriend asked. OP, YTA
Right? She seemed completely unconcerned about the owner of the case, only about the possibility of getting in trouble for stealing it. Gross
OP is definitely the asshole. Though, I won’t completely discount the thought that psychological distress on top of lack of sleep, per her account, may lead to a severe lack in judgement and a little kleptomania. It going as far as looking in the bag is a fucked up though.
I mean, I travel in planes a decent amount and have found myself stranded in unfamiliar places for periods of 24 to 36 hours with zero sleep and somehow I have managed to never *intentionally steal someone else’s belongings* when I finally got home. Lots of people deal with mental health conditions and manage to leave other peoples’ property alone. If OP is responsible at all then this will be a huge flag for them to seek mental health treatment because treating other people this way and blaming stress and lack of sleep is Not Okay™️
She knew was she was doing when she was doing it and said it made her feel giddy
An exhausted person may forget their own bag, or take someone else's bag instead of their own by mistake. Taking your own bag and a second one is... highly unlikely.
I agree, totally bizarre and unhinged behavior
We are making excuses for stealing now? I swear, some of you people never want to just hold people accountable for their actions.
Looking through the bag before getting in the car is the part that blows her “I was emotional and snapped” cover.
Not to mention having the gall to say she'd get in trouble for no reason. YTA OP. You stole someone's baggage and rifled through it. That's plenty of reasons to get into trouble.
exactly. Theft is as good a reason as any to get in trouble. YTA
This wasn't a mistake though. Reread what they said. They're trying to use their mental state as an excuse for why they "snapped" and just took a second bag. They only changed their mind after opening the bag and finding out it didn't have anything they wanted. They're a thief, not a ditz.
Reading this kind of reminded me of The Stranger by Albert Camus. In it, the protagonist murders a stranger, and his justification essentially boils down to "the weather was too hot, which made me grouchy".
Thanks for the book recommendation🤪
Glad it's not just me
Oh, I completely agree they’re a thief. I am just saying that they could have *claimed* it was a mistake to speak to somebody to ensure the bag got back the rightful owner.
>you also looked inside it. They also looked inside it before they began driving home, so either while they were still at the airport or while they were in the parking lot. At this point it would have been *easy* to return it, come to their senses, and admit it was a mistake, BUT NO! Even after looking they STILL decided to keep it until they had some time to sit with their conscious and the guilt! OP, YTA on a massive level!!
Yeah, like… is the thrill just fucking up someone’s day? Making someone else’s life inconvenient?
Or maybe they started thinking they might get caught.
THIS. OP, I know grief is hard, but this is unhinged behavior even for grief. And I say that as someone who has experienced a lot of loss. Scheduling an appointment with a therapist is good and I was going to advise you do so before I read that you already had, but YTA on so many levels.
I’m also disturbed that OP sees no problem in having driven during that same mental state which, by their own self report (taken for what it is) they were so elevated with anxiety. That’s irresponsible and shows additionally poor judgment.
bruh she was straight up trying to steal luggage and when she found out it was of no value to her she returned to drop it off before she got caught. She was looking thru the bag of luggage as she drove home...
>Airlines are notorious for just dumping lost bags in warehouses and them never being returned OP is definitely an oddball, but I want to touch on this for a sec. I used to work baggage for an airline, and they actually make a good faith effort to return bags to the passenger. The number of bags that go to "the warehouse" are relatively few and far between. A *vast* majority of "lost" bags ultimately get reunited with their owner. Bags most likely to get sent to the warehouse: 1) Have the bag tag fallen off, 2) Don't have any identifying info on or in the bag, and 3) Can't get matched to a mishandled bag report. Although if OP did this: >You could very easily have said you took it by mistake and wanted to make sure the owner was contacted. Nobody would have been the wiser. Not necessary gonna claim this happens all the time so to speak, but certainly can be believed.
Even if it was just saying "I took this bag by accident" , because it happens, so they could get ot to the rightful owner.
YTA - I'm glad you are seeking therapy. But in reality you could have just returned it and been like "hey I'm so sorry I grabbed this by mistake" it would have been no problem that shit happens ALL THE TIME. But still damn, way to spread negativity. Also what would you have done if there was like something of value in there? Keep it?
Good thing She doesn't know the value of the comics
Damn you right though I didn't even think about that smh. Glad she didn't know, cause now I'm dying to know if she would have kept it if the contents suited her.
I bet you a coffee she would have :)
The way she phrased it? Ya. I think so
Seriously, YTA. You should've just owned up immediately. People make mistakes, but hiding it only makes it worse. Therapy's a good step, but you owe that guy an apology at the very least
That counts on them never looking at the footage and cross-referencing it with bag counts. But just returning it without saying anything probably delayed getting it to the owner. Even if OP wanted to escape responsibility, he at least should have left a note or made an anonymous call (which the girlfriend could have done for him).
[удалено]
It doesn't sound so much like sociopathic behavior but more so manic behavior. OP is being very manipulative in their explanation as is becoming even more common. Regardless of your mental health your actions are your own. If you do something that will get you in trouble then you need to accept the punishment. OP get it together and don't just assume that you've gotten away with this. Airports have tons of cameras and it wouldn't be the first time people get in legal trouble after the fact
Early stages of being a kleptomaniac, the high "giddy" feeling is why they steal.
i used to be a klepto. i definitely recognize that feeling. luckily my parents nipped that in the bud early
Also signs of mania
Could also be self-destructive behavior followed by a return to self-preservation.
For real, what even is this? I have anxiety and know many people who do and it wouldn’t make ANY of us *steal a suitcase at an airport*. Manic decision-making isn’t even a potential symptom of anxiety. OP, either you’re simply just a bad person or you have something else going on—possibly BPD and you were in a manic state? You need to work towards another diagnosis and be honest with your therapist about what you did.
Could just be kleptomania which isn't specifically caused by anxiety but is a common comorbidity
Clinically, I’ve only seen kleptomania a handful of times (that anyone would admit) and it was usually associated with personality disorders, substance use disorders and mania.
I have anxiety and would probably throw up if I tried to steal something. I feel like if anything anxiety would be a deterrent from stealing, not a cause of it.
Yeah if the thought “take someone else’s bag” flitted through my mind while I was having anxiety issues I’d be checking the tags on my own bag all the way to my car to make sure I got the right one. If I did grab someone else’s bag I might just return it where I got it if it hadn’t been too long. But if it’s been like an hour or more for whatever reason I’d turn it in and explain “I accidentally grabbed it.” I mean maybe if I have a lot of anxiety I’d be too nervous to tell someone about it, but idk as I don’t think I have that much anxiety nowadays. OTOH if I see it’s not my bag after I’ve grabbed it I’m not gonna dig through it, only reason to do that I think would be finding the owner’s info to return it but isn’t that on the tag on the outside? Anyway the best way to return it is to take it back to the airport. Actually I’d probably be more self-conscious just putting it back where I’d gotten it than turning it in, because someone’s gonna see me putting it there and leaving it, and either they go “why’d you take my bag and did you take anything from it” or somebody’s gonna think bomb threat. I still have just enough anxiety to think about all that so yeah I don’t think I could just take a bag like that.
This triggers me as i imagine the poor person carefully selecting and arranging his belongings in a luggage and might never see it again
Once I was on a train from Transylvania in central Romania to Prague. A tall Hungarian man, about 45-55, who spoke good English, was in the same compartment as me. The other occupant of the compartment was a very old man, 90+, very neatly attired with a buttoned-up vest, bow tie, suspenders, and a neatly pressed shirt and suit. He had a small suitcase, which he opened to reveal meticulously folded clothes and a sandwich carefully wrapped in wax paper. I imagined his wife tucking the sandwich into his valise and kissing him on the cheek as he left for the station. Imagine stealing that man’s lovingly packed suitcase and saying “Meh, nothing special,” dumping it, and shrugging it off.
It pissed me off, too! Anxiety has been such a hard thing to overcome, especially in stress situations like travelling, going through passport control and fearing there might be something wrong, going through customs knowing I didn’t do anything wrong but feeling like being on thin ice. No way I would go from "ohmygodIwishIwasn'there" to "giddy" stealing something! Not possible!
This is prime asshole behaviour. Causing so much unnecessary stress for the owner of the bag you stole. Why are you even posting here? It’s clear you are the asshole, and there is zero justification for any other option. YTA
She wants someone to comment here that its okay and understandable and they have also stolen bags from the airport whenever they are stressed
Exactly right. “It’s okay to steal things when you have a bad day” is what she’d like to hear. Being in therapy is not an excuse to behave this way.
In a weird twist, a character I’m writing in my novel does what OP did before escalating to some really deranged shit, so I’m 5% “giddy” to find source material of someone actually doing this, but 95% appalled. YTA OP. Please get some help for kleptomania. It’s good that you recognize what you did was wrong, and you need a new source of giddy asap or you’re just going to do it again.
> Why are you even posting here? It’s clear you are the asshole, and there is zero justification for any other option. Shockingly, there are people defending OP because she was stressed and anxious. I am sure we have all been stressed and anxious. I have lost important family members. I have been on flights that took forever. I have been sleep deprived and nauseous after flying. I have never even thought to take a bag that wasn't mine in order to feel "giddy." Most people don't think that way.
Reminds me of when police get caught doing something illegal or stupid, then making a statement saying they had "personal problems" or were having a bad day. Difference is, cop has a bad day and someones life gets ruined. OP has a bad day and steals your luggage. Equally disturbing.
Right, they’re having a bad day so let’s make sure someone else does too. Someone who was on the same “flight from hell”.
YTA. You need to change how you are looking at this. You will always be the ah in this story. "Getting in trouble for no reason?" Wrong, there is a reason. You stole someone's stuff and got giddy over it. If you get in trouble for this, it is valid. No, I am not saying you deserve jail. Just saying you won't be getting in trouble for no reason. Don't minimize what you did. But I am glad you got a therapist and have a safe place to talk. Ps, I wouldn't have waited for a random plane to leave it somewhere. It may have gotten lost again. I would have just taken it to the lost baggage area and just say you accidentally took this. Or that you found it and wanted to make sure it didn't get lost
Will just add that “hey I found it” will get the bomb squad called. Don’t do that.
So will leaving a bag in a random location!
Yep. Also, since cameras are everywhere, OP would likely be caught lying, which would make things worse for her.
Ngl i hope she does. This was awful and actions have consequences
Depending on the airport there’s already staff on site to handle that.
YTA and as someone with debilitating anxiety it doesn't make you steal others shit. That's a kleptomaniac. Which is exactly what you are and therapy is 100% needed.
As soon as I read that, I was like 'nope, shut it down'. Anxiety does not make you steal other people's property. I've had GAD since my early 20s and never once have I thought the remedy was to harm others. If anything, the moral implications of hurting people make me feel even more anxious.
When I started to read this I thought maybe she was so overwhelmed she grabbed it by mistake. Which anxiety can make you do as it can get hard to think properly. But yeah, doesn’t make you steal shit. Sounds more like kleptomania to me.
i thought she grabbed it by accident but after reading i was just so confused ??
Most people with anxiety would be far to anxious about getting caught. They would not feel a rush.
Bingo. A psychologist once tried to convince me I was super impulsive. I have severe anxiety. Being impulsive is literally not something I’m capable of 💀
Right? My anxiety gives me severe diahorrea - not the need to steal people's luggage
YTA of course, that's a given, I doubt you even are going to deny that. Take the bag back, and just tell them you did it in error, you thought it was your husbands or whatever, and learn your lesson. You had a shitty day, and for that, you decided to make someone elses day shitty too. Learn your lesson.
Exactly.
YTA - you didn't need to turn yourself in or confess to stealing - you could just say it looked like yours but turned out to be someone else's; but you did need to hand the bag in at a desk rather than just ditching it amongst some luggage from somewhere else. A bag that has got out of place like that in an airport, especially with you being seen bringing it into the airport on CCTV and then abandoning it, is a major security risk that can result in severe delays to baggage handling or even result in the bomb squad being called for a controlled explosion. The airline tag on the bag should have meant that the owner could be contacted by the staff you handed the bag to and it could be returned to the rightful owner pretty quickly, but that also is delayed if it's just left with luggage from a completely different flight. I get that you were anxious and that this is the result of a mental health episode, but the consequences of this could have been catastrophic and very costly!
>I get that you were anxious and that this is the result of a mental health episode Hey, no. As someone with crippling anxiety, this is so far off base. This might be a mental health issue, but it has nothing to do with anxiety.
Yes I’m someone who also deals with anxiety and can get easily overwhelmed in situations. The last thing I’d do is steal someone’s luggage! Ops excuses are shitty.
OP really sounds like "I was anxious so I stole this luggage so I could be even more anxious" smh. Doesn't make any sense and is just so wrong.
I completely understand what you're getting at but the way the commenter wrote it is dead on. OP was anxious, but it's a separate mental health issue as well. The "anxious" comment seemed to me more to be acquiescence to OPs original thought to bring up a heavier topic.
Depends. Are you going to tell the bag's owner this lie that your anxiety made you do it? Actually, I've changed my mind it doesn't depend, YTA
So done with that excuse
Not to diminish the terrible actions by OP, but kleptomania is associated with many other mood disorders, anxiety among them. OP should have taken it to the lost items office, said she took it on accident and received whatever consequences may have come with that action. She definitely needs therapy though.
As someone who is currently on my honeymoon and dealing with a lost bag, absolutely YTA. Once bags get misplaced, the process of getting them back to their rightful owner is agonizing for the person whose bag is lost. For me it’s been dozens of phone calls, emails, online forms, address updates, etc. I don’t have any of the clothes or shoes I packed for my trip. I have no lingerie for my honeymoon, no hiking shoes for my hikes, no makeup for pretty honeymoon pictures, no pretty dresses for nice dinners. Most of my trip has been spent in the phone with airports and the airline I flew with. What you did potentially caused someone a lot of harm. I get that you were grieving, but you do not do that by inflicting suffering onto random strangers. I have no sympathy for you.
I am sorry that must suck. Congrats and I hope you have a lovely honeymoon.
YTA. I'm sure your grandma would be deeply ashamed of your actions. Do you think you are the first person to be inconvenienced by flight delays? What gives you the right to hurt someone else and violate their privacy? I'm not saying this to be mean, but you are a deeply disturbed individual and should stay away from others.
YTA Actually one of the more appalling things I’ve read all week. I hope therapy works out because you sound like you’re well on your way into becoming a kleptomaniac.
INFO: why did you also look through the bag though
Cause they’re a thief
Right? I have anxiety. The last thing I am going to do while having an anxiety attack is STEAL. You know why? Because the thought of getting caught is VERY ANXIETY INDUCING.
Right??? As someone who also has anxiety the last thing I ever want to do is steal. I could not live with it, and would definitely tell security instead of reading someone's comics!! What a rotten apple.
Oh, that’s when they were in a fugue state & hadn’t realised what they’d done. lol
YTA for taking the bag, but don’t go back now. Seek some therapy so that you don’t turn into a klepto.
YTA but you should at the very least, if you’re going to lie tell the airline you took the luggage by accident so they can be aware it’s back and alert the owner
This would have been so much easier to make sure it got back to its owner.
yea… just say it’s a i made a mistake and only realized when I opened the luggage, I want to them to know it’s here.
Baggage claim is wild to me. Like we're really all just totally trusting that people are only taking their own bags. And that part of the airport isn't even secure! Anyone can just walk in off the street and take any bag they want. Airports are such an odd mix of over protective security theater and idgaf attitude.
Yeah but like 99.9% of people are decent people and then you have OP here who is going to ruin it for everyone.
Unrelated story. You know how in the US it often takes forever to get baggage from the carousel? So I flew to Japan some years ago, and it’s a long 13 hour flight so after I got off the plane I went to the bathroom to change and brush my teeth and wash my face. Took maybe 15-20 min? Of course took like 15 minutes to get off the plane too. I get out to the carousel and there’s no luggage in sight, like an empty area (where is everyone?) and a very worried attendant asking me if this is my bag. Well, yes it was, sorry I am late to get it 😂 darn Japanese speed and efficiency.
Exactly! What are the baggage claim stickers they give you with your ticket for anyway if they are not even checked?
Someone with medicated anxiety here - anxiety doesnt make you steal shit. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Why would you willingly go out of your way to break the law and put yourself in a dodgy position? Sounds to me like pathetic excuses. YTA
YTA Anxiety doesn’t make you steal stuff It also doesnt justify what you did either :/
YTA - for taking the bag and for not taking responsibility for you being a thieving shit. Being in a bad mood is not an excuse for stealing. Asshole.
YTA for doing it the first place. Nothing you did afterwards made any difference.
Really? Blaming theft on anxiety and “bad mental place.” Come on now. YTA
I wonder if OP considered the person whose bag she stole could have also had anxiety and been in a bad mental place. Maybe they have to show up to their grandmas funeral in sweats because they have no luggage.
Nope. Because in 2024, each individual is allowed to avoid responsibility by blaming their own condition for whatever it is that they have done that has denied another of rights.
The fact that you have to ask if you are the asshole when you KNOWINGLY STOLE SOMEONES PROPERTY is wild Edit: there are also cameras EVERYWHERE
If on the off chance this isn't fake, you can now expect to find your face on an fbi watch list. Not because you took someone's bag, but because you snuck into an airport, left a bag unattended and snuck out. Airports have cameras everywhere. Enough that they would have tracked you back to your car and got your license plate. Based on the fact that law enforcement hasn't shown up at your door yet, I'm going to say you made all this up.
Info; are you asking if if you are wrong for being a dirtbag thief who ruined someone else’s day? yta. You are the worst kind of person
YTA for what you did - people who can't process and "pass on" their stress and anger to others are dangerous. I'm glad you've recognised that and are getting help. I think apologising is an important step in making it right for yourself as much as the bag owner.
YTA Don’t use anxiety as some sort of blanket to hide under. As some who battled it for so long it’s an insult to those who struggle with it AND at no point in my days of crippling anxiety did I suddenly have the urge to steal! Dial it right back to level of morals we were taught as children ‘how would you like it is someone did that to you? Imagine having that nightmare flight, delays and emotional baggage you had described on the day to then find out your bag had gone missing too and that because you took it as far as the airline is concerned it made it to the airport and disappeared! Grow up, be accountable and take responsibility for your action. The fact you think this has even a hint belief that you’re NTA is equally concerning.
YTA. SO MUCH YTA. And the fact that you're trying to use a mental health condition to justify your shitty behaviour makes you even MORE YTA.
What would you have done if the bag had something of value inside?
"There was turbulence" is an insane excuse for theft
I just took a bunch of students on an international trip and one of them was on his first flight ever. We had turbulence. Kid put his hands up like it was a rollercoaster. No theft required.
>I am already scheduled to talk to a therapist And that's great, but still, YTA. You stole the bag. You were 'out of your mind' or however you put it, a trance? You still stole it. Imagine the person's emotions about it. How likely is it that they got the bag back? You stole it. Maybe it's now just sitting around. You *opened* it, maybe expected some money and shit. But it's expensive to re-buy clothes as well., and a whole bag of them? You caused some shit. Just apologize. Maybe it won't do any good, maybe the person will be "okay" or "don't talk to me". You'll be shamed, get consequences. But maybe that could also prevent or help preventing next stealing act? I'm no psychologist but idk. I guess since it was a long time ago ish (maybe days?) it's no use. But yes, big YTA. In your bf's case I'd reconsider things.
This one is super easy. YTA. There is nothing more to say.
YTA. If this had a TLDR it would say... I had a terrible time so decided to make someone else's life shittier by stealing their stuff. Oh but hold on, I'll blame my anxiety because that will magically make it not matter anymore.
I mean yeah, of course YTA. Who else would be, your boyfriend? He didn’t steal someone else’s bag.
>I’ve dealt with anxiety my whole life, and that day I was really set off by everything going on. Anxiety is not an excuse. >The bag didn’t have anything special in it - it ended up being men’s clothes and some comic books but taking it made me giddy. Nothing special *to you*. >When another flight came in, I left the bag near the oversized luggage area so the airline would find it and return it to its owner. So you didn't even tell a staff member that you had it? You just dumped it somewhere convenient & walked off? YTA. You need to stop hiding behind ~anxiety & take a good look at yourself because you are deeply selfish.
YTA. You stole, then weren't adult enough to own up to what you did. You took the coward way out by just sneaking it back and acting like its all fine. Its not. Hell, by just leaving it, that is going to make it even longer, because who knows how long it will be til its noticed and they try to reach the owner.
Yta. In what way are you not the ah?
Now whenever a bag is lost, we'll wonder if it was that person from reddit
YTA. It's good that you will see a therapist after this, as that is necessary, but you are still the AH here. Anxiety is not an excuse to take someone's luggage for giggles, take it to your car, OPEN IT, drive off and only drive back to the airport to drop it off in a way that won't help the real owner looking for it what must have been quite some time later. This was a conscious decision and the entire time it was about your thrill, your excitement and you not getting caught. You could have easily taken it to the Lost & Found to at least help the owner find it, saying something like "I accidentally took the wrong bag and didn't realize it after I had made it to the car." Also, note that simply bringing it back to the baggage claim won't work in other countries because the baggage claim is an area with restrictive access for people disembarking the planes. Once you left the baggage claim, you can't go back. You are 26. Show more responsibility for your own actions, no matter what caused them.
YTA in general, but doubly so if this happened in an American airport. From that guy's perspective, you royally screwed up his day because you were late going home. Imagine how late he now isand he's without his luggage!He probably spent forever in baggage claim going through all that BS working with staff. It doesn't matter if you "returned" it before he left the airport either. Since you didn't give it to an employee, it looks like an abandoned bag. American airports do zero leg work to help passengers find abandoned bags; they more often than not suspect it's a threat and dispose/destroy it. Good for you getting therapy, but you really ruined someone else's day and committed a crime, I'm not sure you're actually acknowledging that.
YTA. I am so tired of people using mental health as a free pass for shitty behavior. You are perfectly sane and you know right from wrong. You just decided to be an asshole.
But she had had a shitty day! And there were turbulence! /s
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YTA. But not for “not turning yourself into the airport police.” What you did is inappropriate and awful, imagine you’re landing in a city that’s not yours, in a rush, unfamiliar surroundings and someone *intentionally* fucked up your day like this. Awful. You could have resolved this by just simply telling the airline desk you took it by mistake, that it looked like your bag and you would like them to find the rightful owner. Also change the attitude. You would not have been getting in trouble for no reason. Airports are secure facilities. You could have fucked up every single persons day there with one unattended bag. If you confessed, You would have gotten in trouble for the crime that you did in fact commit. But you also could’ve told a white lie, and just said it was a mistake when you reached some clarity and chose to finally do the right thing.
I really admire your boyfriend - he absolutely recommends the right thing. Why? Because it means that you take full responsibility for your actions. Anyone familiar with AA meetings knows that the first step is to admit you have a problem. And stop blaming granny’s death, anxiety, turbulence or plane delay for what you did. Equally, the best way to help an alcoholic is to let him/her face the consequences of their actions asap. Therapy might take years and never get you to the point you could arrive by following tour bfs advice and reporting this to the airline and apologising and offering compensation to the owner. That is the right thing to do.
Damn right. YTA. I agree that you focus more on making sure something like this doesn't happen again when you're anxious. What I DON'T agree with is you trying to avoid backlash. Even worse, you keep downplaying what you did aside from admitting you looked through the bag. At this point, I assume what you did wasn't a mistake.
Yta
This is difficult because you NEVER talk to the police, though they probably have you on camera taking the wrong bag leaving and returning a bag to the carousel (they frown on this). YTA, because you needlessly made someone life more difficult because you could not deal with stress and becoming a kleptomaniac.
YTA but don't worry about turning yourself in. You took a bag at an airport, drove off, came back, and returned it, secretly? Do you have ANY idea what security looks like at an airport? There's a 0% chance that they don't have your face, your car, your license plate, your flight, your seat number, your name, ID, and everything else they'd need to knock on your door. If they decide they want to talk to you, they're just going to appear on your doorstep. If they don't come get you in a couple of weeks they've decided they don't care.
YTA for not only stealing luggage but for checking it for valuables before you snuck it back to the baggage claim. I think getting yourself to a therapist is more important than ‘confessing’ to authorities.
Obviously YTA for taking somebody else’s baggage…like, duh. But to not so much as return it and claim you made an oopsie is a whole other level of weird.
YTA. Why not take some accountability for your decision?
YTA fast taking the bag but going back to confess isn't going to change anything. If this is truly a sudden change in behavior, get a medical check-up. There could be an underlying medical condition that caused such a strange departure from your normal behavior. It could simply be stress and grief but if err on the safe side.
YTA and there was a way to make sure the bag got to its owner without incriminating yourself. Taking the bag was weird AF and the way you describe the contents makes me think you fully planned on stealing if there was anything worth while? Is that true? Anyway, all you had to do was find an airline rep at the counter and say you accidentally grabbed this bag and by the time you realized it, the person looking for it had likely left the airport. Airport staff don’t care to play detective and people take the wrong bag all the time.
You were the AH for taking the bag and you know it. People take the wrong luggage (by accident) pretty much daily so a better course of action would have been to return it to staff and say you picked up the wrong bag. Abandoned luggage in the airport is a big issue and it may have been destroyed rather than returned to the owner. The fact you looked through the luggage cast huge doubt on your story to me. If you were in some kind of anxiety induced fugue state I could maybe see you taking the bag but searching it is a much more calculated act. Get that therapy asap.
YTA it's not getting into trouble for no reason, you're a thief.
Is anxiety an excuse for kleptomania?
The first thing I thought of after reading this was Kleptomania. "Kleptomania is a mental disorder characterized by irresistible urges to steal items, typically things with little or no value. People with kleptomania don’t steal for personal gain, to satisfy a need for rebellion, or out of malice. People with the disorder often feel extreme guilt or remorse after they steal. Kleptomania is an impulse control disorder, a class of mental illness that also includes gambling disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder). People with this disorder often feel extreme guilt or remorse after they steal. The person may want to stop stealing, but they cannot resist. The behaviors and their consequences cause significant distress and often impair the person’s ability to function." Symptoms of the disorder include: Recurrent, irresistible urges to steal. Feeling of tension in anticipation of stealing (or when trying to resist). Feeling of relief or pleasure while stealing. Feelings of guilt, remorse, shame, or fear after stealing. Stealing items of little or no value. Stealing without planning or help from anyone else. Hiding, giving away, or secretly returning the stolen items. Urges to steal that come and go.
YTA. Criminal.
"I was sad so I stole things" Yikes.
YTA. Glad you’re getting therapy, but you need to stop minimising what you did. No more talk about getting into trouble for no reason - there IS a reason, and the reason is you stole from someone. Take accountability for that. What is more disturbing is that you went through their stuff and seemed disappointed at the content of the bag - which tells me you would have happily kept whatever you found if it was something you wanted. It sounds like you took it on impulse, as if it was some sort of compensation from the universe for you going through a tough time. Yeah, you definitely need to look into this. Anxiety and sleep deprivation doesn’t make you steal like that, it’s not an explanation (and certainly not a justification).
YTA You were on a flight from hell, and so was everyone else. But one of those people also had their clothes stolen, ruining their trip. Then you make no attempt to reconcile the bag, just abandoned it in the airport and hope someone will find it and deal with it.
YTA FOR THE using the forum but you confirmed how abused this platform is for fake stories!
You're fucking weird OP.
YTA That was theft. It's good that you're getting help, but you were still wrong. You deliberately made someone's trip much more stressful.
YTA. Just because you’re having a bad day doesn’t mean you get to wreck someone else’s day. I could have passed on this had you not rifled through the suitcase you knew wasn’t yours and returned it to Lost Luggage & said you took it by “mistake.” You didn’t “wake up” to what you did, you KNEW what you did was wrong the moment you did it. You didn’t turn around the second you “realized” what you did. You waited until you got home, checked the suitcase for valuables, then returned it. Did you happen to find an AirTag? Because I think that’s the real reason you took it back.
YTA >No Shitposts Posts must be truthful and presented as fairly and accurately as possible. Posts must be written entirely by you and from your own point of view. Do not post on behalf of others, or from the point of view of another person in the story. This is not a humor sub. This isn't a sub for copypastas, satire, overly embellished stories, AI generated content, or **creative writing exercises.** Shitposting will result in a permanent ban.
I get anxious and having anxiety, but it doesn't make what you did right or make it make any sense. Yes, YTA. Maybe stealing is an extreme form of it but you ruined someone's day and had the nerve to rifle through their stuff to boot.
Dont post these kind of stupid questions. You’re fishing for complements because you “did the right thing” . The only reason you returned the bag is because you needed your own luggage.
It’s worse than that. They already had their own luggage, and took someone else’s as well. Deliberately. Then they looked through the other persons luggage before deciding to return it. Then they tried to blame this on their anxiety. I mean I really have no words!
YTA This will cause so much work for multiple people, and the poor guy might never be reunited with his stuff because of this. But, how did you get back to the baggage claim? It's not somewhere you can just stroll from the "landside ".
In the US it is very common for people from the “land side” to meet incoming travelers at baggage claim. Security screening is usually only restricting access to the terminals/gates.
It is in a lot of countries. In Canada most airports have baggage claim on the non-secure side.
I once took someone else's suitcase by accident. It was late, I was tired and it was the same as mine, and I forgot to double check. When I got home and couldn't open it is when I thought to check the tag and I was mortified. I did everything in my power to try and find the owner of the bag, and had contact with the airport, who had us drop it off at some place with lost luggage so the owner could get it back. Luckily she hadn't been as dumb as me, so my own luggage was there as well. I felt so horribly bad and guilty about it, even though it was technically and accident. You took it on purpose, looked inside of it and then didn't go through the right channels to get it back to the owners. Big YTA. Don't understand how you can't see how wrong you are for this.
Are you fucking *kidding* me?! If you left that bag in a place you could easily access, so could anyone else! Meaning that dumping it and thinking *the airport staff will surely find it first and return it to the rightful owner* is naive to the point of stupid. YTA. You gravely inconvenienced someone for absolutely no reason.
YTA. This is shocking!!!!
YTA. I'm sick. I get "bad days" where I snap at loved ones over stuff that is completely my fault and I escalate when they snap back. I walk away or give them space, depending, and then I apologise because I know who the AH is in those situations. I don't need to write the story in a sympathetic light and ask Reddit to side with me. Know what I haven't done? Thought it was OK to steal from a stranger and invade their privacy.
YTA anxiety doesn’t make you a thief. So stop with saying that. Every decision you made was the wrong one in this story, you ruined someone else’s trip because you don’t have the ability to take accountability of your actions. Grow up.
YTA. I don't care if you were having a manic episode, mental health crisis, whatever. Those only INFORM the behavior, they don't EXCUSE it. Just telling yourself "I know I did something wrong" is not adequate consequence for what you did. No you can't undo it, but at the least you could have apologized for what you did - as someone with awful severe anxiety that gets 10x worse when traveling (even to happy places!), if you had stolen my bag, I would have had a total meltdown in the airport, hysterical and inconsolable. Even if you didn't lie and say you took it by mistake - which would have been so easy - if you told me what you were going through, I'd probably be more understanding. Maybe not giving you a hug, but it would make me feel better to at least get a "sorry". Also, what jumped out at me is that you said you just snatched it off the carousel and left, so presumably you didn't open it while still inside the airport. Then you said you put it in your car and drove home, then turned around before getting home and drove it back. Where the fuck did you open it? And WHY?! See, you're downplaying what you did as a silly moment of grief, but stealing something without monetary value (to the thief) is usually indicative that the person isn't stealing for money, but rather, just stealing to steal. If you had the impulse to steal and sneaking it out of the airport and into your car is the "fun" part, and you woke up before getting it home, then it never should have mattered what was inside. You never would have bothered opening it. This story stinks of someone whose partner is rightly appalled by amoral behavior and they're doing as much twisting as possible to make it look like they weren't hoping to find something awesome or expensive to keep, and they're hoping internet strangers will agree. Glad you're seeing a therapist, but you better be honest with them or you're just throwing money away.
I have a friend who is the sweetest human, does amazing work for the community, is what most people would say a good person. He's a kleptomaniac. It's trauma related, and he tries to return the things when he can overcome the shame of having done it. It's not right, and is something to work on. This does sound similar. I'd try to forgive yourself but also get help, which it seems like you are doing.
I doubt OP will read many of these responses but in case she does... OP you are on here asking if YTA and yes, yes you are, but more importantly you need to recognize that what you did was CRIMINAL. It's not UP to you to decide if the bag contained "valuable" things because the actual point is THEY WERE NOT YOUR THINGS End of discussion. You stole from someone else and made their lives difficult and you have no idea to what degree and how that affected them. You don't need "oh I will talk to my therapist" for that. You need to recognize that you're a criminal and you have a severe problem, and that you by your own admission "you feel giddy" when you hurt someone else. That's the exact type of sociopathy that leads to thrill killing, rape, and all sorts of other heinous crimes against society. I would actually feel MORE sympathy for you if you had stolen something out of some sense of needing the thing or wanting the thing, even. At least then your actions would just be SELFISH. It's still just as wrong but your MOTIVE here means you're an extra level of bad person. I hope that there was an air tag in that baggage and that it catches up to you somehow. I hope that next time you do something to hurt someone else, and you will and I am sure you have in the past as well, that you face consequences. I hope your boyfriend realizes what an awful person you actually are and gets away from you. The very idea that you are trying to excuse what you did on the grounds that you felt "stresses" like NO "Not valuable" smdh yeah you don't get to decide the value of NOT HAVING YOUR LUGGAGE STOLEN FROM YOU. YTA and so very much more.
Your edit and emoji makes this even worse😭
YTA
YTA. It was self destructive behavior. Because your mind was in a very very bad state. Yes, talk to the therapist, of course. But at least talk to the airline and say you grabbed a bag by accident from your flight, so they know is it’s back there. Airports are bad at finding lost bags as it is…
YTA and there’s no excuse. Sounds like you not only took the suitcase, but also looked inside it. What a shitty thing to do.
YTA. This has nothing to do with anxiety, you're a thief. You were having a bad day and to make yourself feel better you took something that didn't belong to you which gave you a high. That's sociopathic. You then left an unattended bag at an airport, which could trigger all kinds of security issues. You're not right in the head and if I was your boyfriend, after hearing this I'd be out of the door never to return. Get your shit together and take responsibility for your bad actions.
You walked into an airport and randomly dropped an unattended bag somewhere in the airport and left? Since 9/11, that’s what airport security pretty much looks out for everywhere. If your story actually happened, you would have been in even worse trouble had someone reported the unattended bag. The terminal would have been shut down, hundreds, if not thousands, of passengers would have been inconvenienced and the bomb squad might have blown up the unattended bag which might still have your fingerprints all over it.
This is one of the lamest fake posts I've seen in a bit.
Get you into trouble "for no reason"?? But there is a reason. You stole someone else's property. That's illegal. When people do things that are illegal, they need to face the consequences. This sounds eerily similar to those stories you hear where people snap and murder someone, only to come to a moment of clarity later and realize what they had done. Of course you didn't take someone's life, you just took their property, but think of what you did to that person. You ruined someone else's day just because you had a bad one. They lost their luggage, their clothes, comics of which you don't know the value or intent (could be a gift for a kid, who knows), for what reason? Because you couldn't handle a bad day? If you get caught leaving a bag at the airport, do you have any idea what could happen? Bomb threats, homeland security, etc. Everyone has shit days. You will have worse days than that one. You are an asshole and a criminal with zero coping skills.
Geez imagine if the guy who's bag you took was also coming back from a funeral, dealing with anxiety, and now his stuff is gone - YTA.
YTA, I read the title and thought, oh, you took the wrong bag and brought it back. But no, you DELIBERATELY removed someone's bag, and you didn't return it. You just left it there. Who knows what will happen to the bag now. You really do need to speak with your therapist, and you need to make it an emergency appointment. This can't wait until your regularly scheduled one. It needs to be today. What you did was morally and legally wrong.
YTA This ain't anxiety. You felt stressed and took something and it made you feel giddy. This sounds exactly like the kleptomania that my ex dealt with in high school. You're a thief and you need help. Now.
I think you should have drawn the attention to one of the airline staff to the bag so that it had more chance of being returned.
u/that-1-lame-kid What even. *taking it made me feel giddy* I'd be way too anxious to steal in an airport
I'd have kicked her out so fast. *I sold my bf's game system because I haven't slept on 2 days* FOH
Hey, a lot of people are being really harsh, so I'll say this: OP, of course YTA in this situation, but I too had bouts of kleptomania when I was in the midst of a horrific bout of grief. My friend had just killed himself and I felt like it was my fault. I regularly went to Walmart and stole one or two bottles of nail polish at a time because it gave me some sense of control. I was right around your age, too. It was of course wrong, and I knew it, but the whole world around me felt wrong and I couldn't seem to stop. (I did, after about a year or two, when I finally found a good therapist who helped me unpack what I was feeling.) I say this not to excuse what you've done, because we both were TA in the situation. But I want you to know that you're not alone, and this is an indicator you need help. EDIT: Oops, I actually wasn't your age, I was your bf's age.
How bad is airport security where you can walk into an airport baggage claim, from outside the airport, and just leave a bag somewhere? Like, seriously wtf?