This is very sad. However, I doubt it would be the garbage truck at 11:30 in the morning, unless it was very, very late.

From my understanding of what was written, it was definitely not the garbage company -- they came after. I'm willing to bet it was someone who drove by, saw a nice suitcase near the trash and thought it was to be thrown away. They, in all innocence (since this is a common practice in TV, picked up the suitcase and went on their merry way. Hopefully, when they open the suitcase, they'll figure out that it was not trash but rather was someone going on a trip and will return it (if not too embarassed). Even so, I would definitely put an ad in the paper and put out flyers offering a small reward and no questions asked so that whoever took it won't be embarassed to bring it back.

I would say the one lesson is never put something close to the curb that isn't okay to pick up, regardless of the day. Many of us are thrilled with the "bargains" we've found on drive-bys. If it is close to the curb, it is assumed that it is there for the taking. That's just the way of things here.

I truly hope your neighbor gets her belongings back.

Lesson is don't put stuff out on the driveway and leave it.
I hope they find it.

Shuttles and Shuttles
 

Actually, she uses a "private" shuttle service that picks up at the door and drives to the airport, not a taxi to the shuttle stations here in The Villages.

Jerry

Was probably earlier, as she called about 11:30 am and she had already called and been interviewed by the police.

Lesson: Be especially careful about what you set on your driveway on garbage day. The scavengers are about and not always honest folk.

Not only here......its like that everywhere.

We live in Belvedere and the trash pick up has been as late as 11:30 recently ---Also know that there are people who drive by on trash day and take things that they view as non-trash. When we first moved here we put out a grill on trash day that was in the backyard and rusted through and through. Before the trash collectors came, someone stopped and asked if they could take it---he said his "boss" told him if he saw things that might be "good" on trash day to stop and collect if o.k. with owners. He took the grill. We put out bathroom scales a few weeks ago with the trash and they were gone before the trash man came. I hate this happened---could have been a theft--could have been the trash men and could have been those "gleaners" that come through the neighborhoods. I hope she can recover her items--I can't imagine how she must feel --so violated --especially losing those items that cannot be replaced.

Luggage and private shuttle
 

-----------------
So sorry about the missing luggage. What a nightmare!
Could you kindly give me the name of the private shuttle company? Thanx!

No mistake
 

Gracie - It was my neighbor. Happened about 11:15 am. It was no mistake someone would know suitcases were full and not out for disposal. They were separated from trash pickup.

AWFUL! So it was in broad daylight. And Villa streets do not get much drive through traffic either.

Don't forget that we have a lot of workers in TV. They may drive by at any hour, see something (put out near trash) and pick it up. Just my thought.

For those who cruise TV looking for stuff at the curb
 

they would not go through an evaluation of is this good or not...are they full or not...or any other decision than hey there is some "stuff" at the curb.

The possible wrong doing would be when they open the suit cases and see the contents, how packed. I say possible because here again, they could simply assume it was stuff being tossed.

When we take our stuff to the Goodwill drop off, everything is all neatly folded and "packed"........

It is sad that it happened, however after the fact, the unfortunate reality is the owner and the "collector" share equal guilt!

btk

OR...if it was scavengers, perhaps when they DID open it, they forgot where they got it exactly. But then you said there were papers inside....

Gracie, trying to find some good in this.

Replay
 

Maybe a replay should be done. Place a nice item by the street on the next pickup day and sit in 2 cars in driveways on opposite sides of the house and wait and see. Maybe you'll catch the person. Set a trap catch a mouse.

Daily Sun article
 

I read the article in the Daily Sun this morning on this loss. It seemed to indicate that the trash pickup very well could have been the culprit. The newspaper article states the suitcaees were on the curb in front of her home at about 11 a.m. before her airport shuttle ride arrived Tuesday afternoon. How long was she planning to leave them outside?

No matter where I was living, would I expect anyone to leave 2 unattended suitcases at the end of your driveway - near the trash - with valuable contents in the suitcases totalling about $5,000. Airlines continually tell us NOT to pack jewelry, or very hard to replace items such as legal files, gifts, and address books in checked suitcases. If the jewelry was in carry-on bag, it should have stayed on the woman's arm instead of being put outside unattended. Personally, I never have heard of carrying a basketball inside of a suitcase, either.

It is too bad this accident happened but a lot of the fault goes to the victim. It will be quite hard for her, I'm sure, to collect from her insurance company.