As Beijing gears up for the Olympics, one cannot but be impressed by the pace and efficiency of preparations. But it looks as if the Beijing Capital International Airport has somehow fallen through the cracks. It's not that brick and mortar changes are not occurring at the same frenetic pace. They are, but airport security for the hundreds of thousands of international travelers could do with a major overhaul.

On Jan. 28, I am at the airport to pick up my teenage son. Besides his suitcase and a backpack he is carrying an expensive IBM laptop. As I see him emerge, I am pleased to see my precious laptop sitting snugly on the luggage cart. My driver takes the trolley from him and we walk chatting amiably to the car park.

There is, as expected, a bit of a wait at the lift. As it turns out, only our driver can get in and we wave him on. By the time the two of us walk to the car, the driver has already loaded the luggage in the boot. We get in the car and drive home, a mere 20 minutes from the airport. When we reach home and open the boot, there is no laptop. Frantic, we query the driver, who admits he never loaded the laptop.

We head back to the airport and go to the same parking lot. I struggle to talk to the parking attendant as my Chinese is not good enough and so my driver takes over. The two disappear somewhere in that parking lot and when they emerge 10 minutes later, they are both shaking their heads.

"Where can I find airport security," I try to convey to the parking attendant. He points generally in the direction of the floor above. My driver says dial 110 for the airport police. I call, and realize instantly there is no way I am going to be able to convey anything in English. I hand the phone to my driver. I understand from the driver that police "ma shang lai" (will come immediately).

They do come, 40 minutes and two phone calls later. By now, I am desperate. Not only is the laptop an expensive model, a lot of my digital family photographs and address book are in there. A report is made and my driver translates, "We will search again and call if we find anything."

The airport handles many flights every day from all over the world. I am disappointed that there doesn't seem to be a prominently displayed airport security sign. What if I did not have anyone Chinese with me? How could I have communicated with 110?

Now that I have made a report, how do I follow up? How can I find out if offering a reward with no questions asked for the laptop's return is feasible?

I have traveled enough to know that this could have happened anywhere in the world, but for some reason feel let down that this has happened in ready-for-the-Olympics Beijing.

Usha Sankar is a freelance editor living in Beijing.