Green tie on luggage at Bali airport baffles Australian traveler
An Australian tourist has been left puzzled after discovering a green zipper had been attached to his suitcase as he went to collect his luggage at a Bali airport.
The man took to Facebook shortly after landing at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar to ask why his suitcase had been marked.
“I landed last night and put a cable tie on both handles of the suitcase. Anyone know what that means? he asked.
An Australian tourist found a bright green tie on his suitcase (above) after landing in Bali.
Dozens of Bali regulars were quick to point out that the zip tie on his bag was a possible security risk that needed further investigation.
“I thought it was for heavy bags,” one commenter said.
“It just means they want to search your bag,” another wrote.
Much to the surprise of many reviewers, several tourists suggested hiding or removing the tether to save precious minutes at immigration.
“It means something showed up on the x-rays and they want to check your bag when you leave,” one wrote.
“They only do this if the guys at customs see the cable tie and get their hands on it in the future on their way out.”
An angry woman denounced a strange reaction and reminded people that they were guests in Bali and therefore should not seek to circumvent the laws.
“I can’t believe the number of comments I read about posts giving people bad advice,” she wrote.
“(Like) cutting it, putting your hand on it, carrying nail clippers on you to cut it.
“If you don’t have anything bad in your bag, don’t worry. You are in a foreign country. These are their rules.
“You would be angry if something terrible happened in your own country. Obey the rules. Respect the rules.
Aviation expert Martin Engeler explained the zipper tagging system to Yahoo News last year, after another flier discovered an orange zipper on his suitcase.
Bali regulars said the tethers are usually used to flag luggage that poses a potential security risk at Ngurah Rai International Airport (above)
He said different colored ties work like secret codes for security personnel and called the approach a “Bali thing”.
“What they were doing was marking it with a yellow pencil and putting a cross on it,” he explained, adding that the cross meant the bag had to undergo an additional security check. .
“The luggage is checked before leaving the airport… He tells customs to check this bag. It’s for people trying to introduce things like electronics.
