My Lost (or Stolen) Bag

The highlight from a day of travel with two kids (and one sick hubby): arriving in Hartford 40 minutes early.
The low point: having one of our bags go missing.
This is the first time in ages that an airline has lost a bag of ours. And the last time it happened the bag just missed the flight and was returned to us the next day (remember how many problems the DIA baggage system had in the beginning?). I've gotten careless with the airlines. This is even worse than the last time my luggage was lost because I think my bag might have been stolen.
I was waiting at the carousel with Toby and Norah while BJ went to get the car. Three of our bags came off the belt within a minute of BJ leaving, and I thought I saw the fourth bag, a black duffel bag, round the corner. So I called BJ back to come help with the bags. But in the mean time the duffel never passed by.
You know that sickening feeling when you start to recognize all the bags on the carousel and no new ones are coming out? That happened for several rounds and then the belt stopped. No black duffel bag. We went to baggage services and had to start a claim for a lost bag. When the lady heard my story that I thought I saw the bag on the belt but it never got to our end she said "Gee, I hope no one took it by mistake." That was comforting. They were no help. Now we're waiting here on pins and needles waiting for a phone call that our bag has been found -- or returned.
The bag that was lost contained all of our toiletries, some clothes (from each of us), books, and even my breast pump. What an invasion of privacy if this stupid bag was, in fact, stolen. And a loss of hundreds of dollars at least. I'm sad to say I even packed a few pieces of jewelry into my toiletry bag (my favorite watch, and two favorite necklaces). Another sad thing that's lost: my Stephenie Meyer signed copy of Eclipse. Can you imagine a new thieving scam set up in airport baggage claims? I'm picturing someone nonchalantly picking up a bag off the belt and walking off to the nearest pawn shop. Pawing anything that looks worthwhile and dumping the rest in the trash.
Should I be so hasty to judge fellow Americans? I just wonder how long it takes someone to realize they have the wrong luggage, and once they realize they've taken the wrong bag will they return it? The longer it takes for the airlines to call us the less hope I have that the bag will be found.