The latest and most publicly provided statistics from the Bureau of Transportation on the airline industries number of passengers was in 2005. Those numbers can be studied in depth by clicking here. The stated number of passengers for 2005 was 660,480,345 total domestic passengers in the United States. It is important to see how large this number is when you take a look at the following number of lost baggage for around 2 - 3 million people in the United States. So although two million lost bags is quite a large number it is a very small percentage of the total amount of baggage going through airlines. It is reported that around 99.5% of baggage makes it to the passenger eventually.

These days, unclaimed baggage is a million dollar business for one lucky company in the United States. It is surprising to find out that there is only one unclaimed baggage facility for all of the airlines in the entire country. This idea was started from very small beginnings in 1970 when the founder, Doyle Owens, took $300 dollars and an old truck to purchase some unclaimed baggage and hauled it away.

From such a small start, the Unclaimed Baggage Center has grown to a 40,000 square foot facility in Scottsboro, Alabama. The state of Alabama can’t complain as the store brings in millions of visitors a year flocking to the store for lost treasures and unheard of bargains. Every day nearly 7,000 new items are added to the stores shelves. You can view the Unclaimed Baggage Center’s website at www.unclaimedbaggage.com to get more information how you can score your next treasure from the sea of unclaimed baggage.

If the baggage is simply left unclaimed it might be assumed that what is left is mostly heaps of worthless junk that no one wanted in the first place. Surprising enough very valuable things have been found and resold to bargain hunters for amazing prices. Treasures like an antique 1770 violin, diamond rings, silver, wedding dresses, hidden money, Egyptian artifacts and just about anything you could ever imagine. In terms of jewelry, the record for the Unclaimed Baggage Center so far is a 40.95-carat natural emerald was found tucked away in a small plastic bag.

With a long list of jaw dropping treasure troves finding their way out of forgotten luggage there is also the downside of the business. Dirty laundry, toiletries and junk galore of stuff that really was easily forgotten once the airlines paid passengers their lost baggage bounty. Dirty laundry keeps the Unclaimed Baggage Center washing and dry cleaning laundry more than any location in Scottsboro, Alabama. So it seems even such a lucrative no brainer business is still a dirty business that could grace the featured spots of the tv show Dirty Jobs.

All of the unclaimed baggage is analyzed by professionals that know specific markets and generally have a good idea of retail market value. From that point they price the products anywhere from 20-80% off the retail value giving patrons exciting values. The number one seller seems to hold a solid spot with electronics being the most sought after products on store shelves from iPods, cellphones, camcorders and guitars. One item that seems to be in abundance and priced the most competitive isn’t very surprising since it’s actually the actual bags that contain all the treasures. If toothpaste ever became valuable the Unclaimed Baggage Center would be in an enviable position.

Even though the percentage is very low of unclaimed baggage it still could happen to you any time you fly. There are some simple things you can do to ensure that your luggage will always make it back to you. The number one thing is to put identification tags in multiple locations inside of your luggage detailing your home address and possibly even including a copy of your itinerary to help locate you while you’re on vacation. Other tips that are suggested are taking photos of your luggage and an inventory of its contents so that when you do file a claim that you have proof. The other most important thing is to never leave if you don’t get your baggage, always file a claim immediately before you leave.

When on your next road trip passing through Alabama don’t forget to make a quick detour to the Unclaimed Baggage Center and hunt around for you next treasure find or bargains on your next luggage set. You just may surprise yourself with a 40.95-carat emerald, new wedding dress or even a luggage full of cash as one man did. If you feel this business practice is a little unfortunate or not fair, it’s most likely not going anywhere since it’s been running successfully since 1970. If you have a lost luggage story drop us a comment and let us know about it. Have you visited the Unclaimed Baggage Center and found a treasure, we want to know about that too!

Armchair detectives rejoice! One of the most useful free tools has been launched for use by the professional and amateur alike to delve into strangers, friends and neighbors criminal histories. If you have ever suspected that the weird neighbor you have has committed some horrendous crime or is reminding you of “The Burbs”, there is a weapon that can be added to an arsenal of investigative or just plain snooping tools.

The creators of the website called PeopleFinders.com, which is a pay site, launched the new criminal investigative tool to the public called CriminalSearches.com. The site is still sporting the infamous BETA logo as most web launches do these days. The tag-line of the new site is, “Do you really know who people are?” After that you are encouraged to start scouring the database with the suspected’s first and last name.

After you first submission you can get more detailed with middle names, city, state, zipcode, county, year of birth or age range. With a quick glance you can see someones criminal offense or offenses with a legend that gives you an idea of the type of criminal they are. Once you get some hits you can view details to pull up offense dates, aliases, previous addresses and more.

Skipping over the individual search for criminal histories, you can also do a broader search for your entire neighborhood. This will produce a long list of offenders that are within just a few feet or miles of your house. You will be able to get addresses of their location, offenses, pictures and identifiable information such as ethnicity, hair color, height and more. Clicking on offense icons on the Google Map layout will take you to the detailed pages of each offender.

While this is a great tool for families with kids, single parents, school officials or just the concerned neighborhood watchdog, it can also open up abuse. It is stated in the terms and conditions of CriminalSearches.com that information cannot be used “(a) as a factor in establishing an individuals eligibility for personal credit or insurance, (b) as a factor in evaluating an individual for employment, (c) in connection with any personal business transaction with an individual, or (d) for any purpose for which one might use a “consumer report,” as defined in the FCRA. You must certify that you will comply with these Limits on Your Use of Our Site prior to accessing information on this Site.” This statement in the terms and conditions will most likely not keep employers, hiring agencies, apartment owners or any number of agencies from using this information to disqualify or scrutinize applicants. We did not experience any verification process or disclaimer of these rules until we dug into the terms and conditions.

Even with the highest standards of usage there is one more flaw that could wreak havoc on someone’s personal life if falsely accused. Accuracy of the information is not guaranteed and another person’s similar identity could be mistaken for someone else. It is stated on the website in the disclaimer section, “The content, information, documents, graphics and images published on the Site may contain inaccuracies, typographical errors or other errors. We make no commitment to update the Site.” It’s most likely enough to be ridiculed and flagged as a danger to society if the information is true but false information could be incredibly damaging to people that might be wonderful neighbors and co-workers.

It’s not as if this public information is anything new. The information is all available from multiple resources throughout the Internet and courthouses. The problem lies in the slew of websites that try to charge for the access to public information. With this new launch the information will be made freely available and more accessible to anyone regardless of their resourcefulness or contacts.

Just as stories appear in the news of employees getting fired because of their Facebook or MySpace pages, you just may see people getting fired for their unknown criminal histories. With the growth of the online dating industry this service could obviously do some good to alert someone that a potential date may not be that dream catch after-all. Families will be able to have more knowledge at their fingertips and understand the dangers in their neighborhood better. All types of relationships in life could be reevaluated if shocking information is found lurking in the piles of criminal records. How do you think this will work? Do the benefits outweigh the potential downsides?