I want to clarify the 'walking away' part: I was standing about 10 feet away at the reception desk, so I hadn't abandoned it—but I wasn't holding it.
That said, your point is the correct one. In a normal setting, leaving a bag near your table while you check in is fine. In a high-security zone during WEF, placing a black box with wires on a bench is a massive red flag. I treated it like a backpack; they treated it like a potential threat. It was a hard lesson in situational awareness.
That said, your point is the correct one. In a normal setting, leaving a bag near your table while you check in is fine. In a high-security zone during WEF, placing a black box with wires on a bench is a massive red flag. I treated it like a backpack; they treated it like a potential threat. It was a hard lesson in situational awareness.