Liquid paint: not for luggage

I spent the week of September 12th in Boston (work paid for me to take a Group Policy class).  Tina needed some primer for a craft project so she asked me to bring some back for her.  She had previously tried to get some primer at Hornbach (a German home improvement store similar to Home Depot) but had been unable to find it there.  It seemed strange to me that this would not be available in the German stores, but I did not have a chance to check myself before I left for Boston.

For the return trip back to Germany, I had a gallon of liquid paint in my checked bag (nonflammable liquid paint is not prohibited from inclusion in checked bags).  When I picked up my bag from baggage claim, there was white paint soaking through the zippers and I knew that the contents of this bag were going to be a total loss.  Things that were ruined in this suitcase:  Tina's paint (there was none left in the can), socks, t-shirts, jeans, swim trunks, my favorite hat, dress shoes, Adidas slippers, my course notes from the Group Policy class, my favorite German/English dictionary, and the small green notebook I had been using to record thoughts and impressions.  The green notebook is the thing I miss the most -- it is the only thing that cannot be replaced by buying something new.

I will probably never know exactly what happened.  It is certainly possible that somebody opened my bag to inspect the paint and then this person did not properly close the lid.  It is also possible that the change in cabin pressure caused the air in the can to expand (this would have increased pressure on the lid, causing it to pop open).  I never approached Lufthansa about the damages -- this was a risk I knew I was taking when I put a gallon of paint in my suitcase and now I have to deal with the consequences.

Lots of people tell stories about travel disasters.  At least mine has pictures.