Have a pleasant trip!

"Have a pleasant trip!"

this theft case has already been Fact Checked

On September 2nd this year, I took Swiss Air from Zurich to Hong Kong, flight number LX 138. Due to a cabin rat infestation, I was forced to wait in the cabin for over two hours after arrival in Hong Kong. No one provided water, and I was essentially wasted two hours, or rather, forced into confinement for two hours.

Searching online for related news, I discovered that on August 30th, 2024, the same Swiss Air flight, also from Zurich to Hong Kong, with the same flight number LX138, also encountered a cabin rat infestation.

When I found out it was also LX138, I was terrified! The same route, according to newspaper records, has had at least two cabin rat incidents. Yes! At least two, meaning there have been many more. Because airports are restricted areas, no one reports these incidents online, so the media is unlikely to know, and therefore there's no follow-up, and newspapers may not report them.

Why do Swiss Air flights from Zurich to Hong Kong frequently encounter cabin rats? From what I observed on board, compared to other flights back to Hong Kong, there were more expatriates. Switzerland is a neutral country, unaffected by politics, and has a thriving economy. To give an example, a Java Chip that costs $48 in Hong Kong costs $128 in Switzerland. Long-haul passengers typically have higher financial means, thus making flights from Switzerland to Hong Kong more competitive. Cabin rats are a global problem; if it's a group company, they're more likely to choose flights that serve destinations worldwide. This also explains why the flight attendants were particularly agitated. Because we always encounter them, flight attendants know better than us that encountering cabin rats means a significant increase in their workload and less time to rest.

Please be careful on LX138, as it's unavoidable.

Swiss Airlines is really great, including free Wi-Fi, a wide variety of snacks, and a comprehensive movie list.

I used the free Wi-Fi to do many small tasks, and even found a Taiwanese movie that's hard to find in Hong Kong, #NightSchoolGirl, which was great. I also watched a Hollywood movie that wasn't shown in Hong Kong, #ORDER, about white supremacy, starring Jude Law. I guess because I didn't sleep the whole flight, everyone around me got robbed by #cabinrats, but I didn't.

How to protect yourself from cabin rats? First, don't treat the airplane cabin like your own home. Keep your valuables safe. Cabin rats have a high chance of spotting you before boarding. Pay attention to people speaking your language. Notice if anyone isn't sitting in your seat but has their luggage near you. Also, notice if anyone deliberately places their luggage near a seat other than their own. Furthermore, based on the situation, they operate as a group. They won't steal and store all your valuables at once; they'll take them and place them elsewhere, then have different accomplices collect them in the short time before disembarkation.

Therefore, you must carefully check all your valuables before disembarking. Something might be missing, or something might be added. Be extremely careful. Adding another layer of trouble makes it difficult to prove you didn't steal. When the police ask, "Why aren't your things in your bag?"

What can you say besides "I don't know"?

Finally, you'll have to cooperate with the investigation. Even if you leave safely, you've already wasted a tremendous amount of time.

Have a pleasant trip!