If travelers had to confess their top five stresses, one would surely be Backpack Separation Anxiety (BSA). It’s most commonly experienced when travelers are required to place their backpacks in a bus’s luggage compartment or overhead rack. Aside from craning your neck at every stop until it snaps, there’s little you can do to prevent it being stolen. But rest assured – for the most part, the bag-checker is on your side and knows whose bags are whose. Definitely keep your eye on it (or carry a pack small enough to bring on the bus), but don’t worry yourself silly. Bag theft occurs, but not very often. Some people buy a grain sack in the market and pack their bag in it so it will blend in with the cargo.
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