need to lock luggage in railway left luggage?

suiko

Do you?

If so, how does one manage if one travels with only a day pack, which does not even have a zip?

RPG

Yes, of course luggage should be locked.

If it cannot be locked, they probably will not accept it. If they accept it, your problems have just begun.

Khak

i suppose by railway left luggage you mean cloak room? because left luggage is for lost/abandoned/unclaimed luggage i suppose........

in cloak room its not mandatory to lock........but it is always preferable...... i think some lock systems are available for backpacks as well.....

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suiko

Cloakroom, yes. We call it left luggage over here.

My girlfriend's is unlockable - just a drawstring. Mine could just about have a little padlock on the zips, but would be incredibly easy to break. There isn't going to be much of value in it - just oldish clothes, mozzie net, stuff like that. I'm inclined to go with it as is - surely it's pretty much impossible to lock a daypack, isn't it? I think I would rather take this risk on a couple of occasions rather than buy a bigger, bulkier bag.

RPG

No, the OP used 'left luggage' correctly. It is 'English English' usage, but in any case, 'left luggage' does not mean 'lost and found' in any established dialect of English.

To the OP: I repeat, the rules may prevent them from accepting unlocked luggage. On the other hand, 'easy to break' is not a problem; it is meant to deter opportunistic theft, not a determined thief.

suiko

Thanks. Guess I shall be lugging her pack around Gwalior fort then...

steven_ber

Have a look at the following thread, there were some very useful replies.

PacSafe experiences and alternatives.

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dipydoo

suiko, carry a small chain with a padlock. thread the chain through whatever loops available in the bag and then through your 'bigger' bag. Then lock it up on to the rack. Make sure that the backpack/duffel bag contains nothing of value to others. Clothes, books wont get pinched. The chain will ensure that the bag remains there.

BTW, cloak rooms are fairly secure and instances of people losing thing from there are infrequent.

suiko

Thanks! So the chain is for locking to cloakroom racks rather than on the train itself, I imagine? I seem to remember I had one of these on my last trip to India all those years ago. Maybe I should get one. Btw, is a v small padlock easy to find in Mumbai (I'm thinking this kind of thing is usually sold in street stalls). I don't think we will want to leave the bags in a cloakroom more than once or twice - Gwalior is the main place. Are they likely to accept just chaining the bags to a rack, rather than having individually locked bags?

Definitely not interested in the PacSafe. My bag (hand luggage size) is always full of old junk that no one but me would really want, and I always seem to end up rummaging in it all the time.

steven_ber

You'll never guess where I am, and where I was 10 minutes ago......Damn, you got that quick, I'm in the Internet cafe on Gwalior station having just put my pack in the (completely unsigned) cloak room.

I shouldn't be here, there were no buses from Jhansi to Shivpuri because there are elections, I had booked a train from Shivpuri to Kota, so had to come up to Gwalior to catch the train at an earlier station, anyway.....

The cloak room on Gwalior station is (like most stations) on platform 1, as you walk onto the platform, turn right, and walk right to the end (where the buildings end), the last room is the cloak room.

They don't seem fussy here, they didn't ask to see my ticket, didn't check for locks, but you never know who may be working you you visit, so better safe than sorry.

Have you considered just leaving your girlfriend with the luggage? It's a lot less hassle and she'll stop shouting at you eventually.

Read the thread, it's about cheap ways to secure a bag that can't be zipped and locked, and how to do this so that the bag will be accepted at cloak rooms in Indian train stations......sort of the info you're looking for.

suiko

I did that, Steve! Apart from the one about the attaching of a keyring - which I didn't quite understand how it works), I didn't see that much else. Don't like the idea of getting a bigger bag to put it in, as I like to travel ultra-light!

Nah, leaving gf with luggage would definitely be a non-starter, sadly.

Do let us know if you find anywhere good to eat near the station in Gwalior!

steven_ber

I'm being tortured at the moment, a couple of hours to kill, absolutely starving, and cant eat anything spicy.

I got a bug or something a few days ago, and have to clear it.

I'll take a chance on some 'refreshment room' food in a minute, that's never spicy.

suiko

Boiled rice shouldn't be a problem, no? Hope you feel better soon

dipydoo

suiko, the chain and padlock is mainly for the trains. you can get creative with it and use it elsewhere too (like your hotel room for example)...
Some cloak rooms are fussy, ticket, locks and all that. My original suggestion should work in most places.

suiko

Thanks