Ever been asked to hold a stranger’s sack? Here’s why you should think twice before agreeing

The airport can be an anxiety-inducing place. And sometimes, if you’re unlucky, a stranger will go out of their way to make it that bit more stressful.

Sitting in the departure lounge at Gatwick airport, nursing my £7 iced latte, I clocked a woman cautiously approaching me.

I tentatively removed one of my headphones and felt my heart soar as she asked of me a favour I’ve been training for my entire life: ‘Do you mind watching my bag for me while I go to the loo?’

After agreeing in the least creepily-excited way possible, I locked in and kept a watchful eye on her things for the entire 20 minutes she was out of sight. When she returned, I felt accomplished, pleased with this warm fuzzy community corner we’d created in the North Terminal.

And it seems I’m not the only one: on TikTok, a number of users have users have tried to articulate the euphoric feeling of being chosen to look after a stranger’s belongings.

One, Amanda Braxton said it made her feel ‘extremely important’, while others called it an ‘important mission’ — and some even went as far as sayingthat strangers having each other’s back like this gives them ‘hope in humanity!’

‘Nothing invigorates me more than when a random stranger puts their full trust in me,’ commented another self-confessed bag-warmer ‘I turn into a full-blown marine.’

‘I’m protecting that bag with my life, I’m dying for this random person,’ added Mikie.

Essentially, guarding a stranger’s things — be it at the airport, on a train station platform, or on the beach — can bring out the best in some people, who consider it a badge of honour to be asked.

But while it might appear as a harmless kind gesture, taking ownership of a stranger’s bag in the wrong environment might just get you in serious trouble.

In fact, by doing so you could actually be putting yourself at risk of being detained, questioned, or in extreme cases investigated.

And even if the worst doesn’t happen, it still poses an array of issues that might derail your plans.

The dangers of looking after bags at the airport

At the airport, passengers are constantly reminded not to leave their bags or luggage unattended due to potential security risks. But does a bag count as unattended if it’s being watched by a stranger? And what marks something out as a risk?

According to ProtectUK, an online resource for counter-terrorism protective security and preparedness advice, ‘no unattended item should be ignored’.

The site recommends eyeing all bags with some level of suspicion but using a ‘proportionate’ assessment to determine danger; looking at factors like whether it’s been deliberately hidden, if it’s typical of what you’d expect to find in this location, or has any visual clues suggesting it may be be hazardous.

Beyond any immediate threat the bag itself poses though, security is also always on high alert at major travel hubs, and if you’re considered to be associated with particular bag that’s deemed suspicious, you could be implicated.

In August 2025, 25-year-old Cara O’Bannon faced backlash after posting a TikTok in which she said she was ’embarrassed’ after a woman refused to watch over her things while she went to the toilet.

Cara said she’d ‘never been caught so off-guard’ by the interaction, which took place at Tampa International Airport.

However, commenters insisted the stranger had done the right thing, with one telling the creator, ‘That’s the number one thing you don’t do at an airport,’ and another adding: ‘Is this your first time in an airport?’

Although Cara herself didn’t think anything of the request, arguing she was merely ‘designating someone to keep an eye on it, not be responsible for it,’ others pointed out that in the US, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) explicitly asks passengers to not do this.

Realistically, you have no idea what anyone is carrying with them, and could find yourself in a very precarious position by accepting ownership (however temporary) of whatever’s in their luggage.

So, although it may not be particularly neighbourly, it’s safest to keep yourself to yourself. There’s a time and place for community — but a departure isn’t it.

How do you say no if someone asks you to watch their bag?

With all this in mind, how do you go about politely declining such a request. without making things awkward or getting into a situation where they won’t take no for an answer?

Etiquette expert Laura Windsor tells Metro: ‘While we do strive to be polite and helpful in general, if you do feel uncomfortable about watching someone’s luggage, the best way is to refuse without directly saying “no”.’

For example, Laura recommends using the following excuses:

• ‘I’m just a little worried that someone might run off with your luggage, and there wouldn’t be much I could do. I hope you understand.’
• ‘In most other situations I’d be happy to help, but I’m concerned that if something happened, I wouldn’t be able to prevent someone running off with your luggage.’

Laura adds that if you really find it difficult to refuse outright, you could simply mention that you’re about to leave — and then go sit somewhere else.

‘If you are someone who likes to speak more directly, just be aware that people aren’t asking you just for fun,’ she continues. ‘Be considerate, one day soon you might find yourself in the very same position.’

And if you’re the person calling on a stranger to guard your things, have a little think about the position you’re putting them in, let alone how you’d feel if your bags were gone by the time you came back.

Cram them into the cubicle with you, it’s for the best.

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