Let's cut to the chase:

1. For the cost of my ticket, I expect my bag to get there when I do, no further changes required.

2. We all acknowledge the industry is being shitty by not managing this problem.

3. My anecdote regarding the utility of an air tag, and the nice exchange I had with a non affiliated airport employee highlights the issue, and doesn't condone it.

4. My choice to tip the employee was because he was very nice to me, and even technically subverted airport policy to specifically retrieve my bag. I appreciated him going out of his way, and possibly even carrying some risk for my benefit, not because I feel the value I tipped should be normally included for the service.

Any point you are trying to make about the "system" the industry or me being a rube for giving money away doesn't hold water.

I'm capable of two thoughts at once:

1. The industry is fucked up, and providing bad service to the customer.

2. I found someone in the industry who isn't benefiting from the corporate policy and practices in any way, they're just a shift worker. I valued his attempt to provide good service, and I made my opinion and thanks known materially. This doesn't mean I condone the industry habits.