Learning Experiences

David and I went to California for the Christmas Holiday.  We flew there and because you have to pay an extra 25 dollars for luggage that you send through, we try to carry on our luggage. 

It can be a royal pain.  Lets see... ummm... Don't forget the leather coat, but since that may not be warm enough make sure that you have a sweater to wear under the coat.  Then don't forget the camera and the things that you will want to read while traveling and something to read or do during down time at Davids folks house. 

Then of course there is the shoes to wear and the shoes to go to church in.  Plus, Sunday clothes for church and everyday clothes and then there is the "look nice" clothes for the parties etc...  Oh, and every other time I have gone to Livermore I have frozen!!  It must be the humidity in the air.. Even when I lived in Utah and I was more acclimated to cold weather, I still froze.  So there is the extra thick sweat pants and sweaters to wear so I don't freeze!  And of course all of the personal toiletries AND  I always have to take my pillow so my neck won't go out..  Anyways to make a long story short I felt like I was hauling my bedroom my bathroom and coat closet and bed combined in a carry on suitcase and a back pack while wearing a sweater and leather coat which is a bit warm to wear in the airport here in Arizona while I am having hot flashes!!!

So.. I think you get the picture..  I am sitting in the airplane with all my perphinalia around me except for the suitcase because they had to put it in the belly of the plane since the plane was packed and not enough room for everyones carry on..  Mind you, I still have the coat, sweater, packed backpack with a rolled up giclee in its cardboard tube sticking out of the top and my big pillow plus my small purse that I had recently acquired..

While flying home I had tried to stuff the backpack under the seat as best I could.  Not an easy task with a 2 1/2 foot round cardboad tube sticking out of it, with the pillow on my lap plus the coat and sweater and the purse strap flung over my knee.  With adjusting and getting things in and out of the back pack, moving the sweater and coat around etc.. somehow I didn't realize that my purse strap had slipped off of my knee and must have been kicked either behind or in front of me..

As I got off, I grabbed everything I could see.  The backpack with the cardboad tube.  The pillow, the coat, the sweater.  My hands were full and I was carrying the back pack.  David met me in the walkway because his seat was 6 rows up.  As we were walking up the walkway I said to David, I feel like I'm missing something. 

You see, I am not used to carrying a purse. I have had this little gold case that is the size of a credit card and about 1/4 inch thick. I would always put it in my pocket which would leave my hands free.  I bought it about 15 years ago when I was driving a bus for Alpine School District and have used that for my purse for these many years.  I still had it, but since I recently acquired more cards I needed to get a purse to be able to carry them in.  I was using the gold case inside my purse for my drivers license and personal visa.  The rest of the purse was used to carry my credit card for emergencies or car rentals, my temple recommend, my library card, my medical insurance card, my personal visa and my business visa, my business check book and personal checkbook and over 100$ in cash.. In essence everything that was financially and personally important to my identity and financial status.

Needless to say, we took the shuttle to our car and as we were loading the car, I realized that I didn't have my purse.. PANIC!!  David drove me back to the airport and I went to the counter to ask if they could contact the gate to see if anyone saw it...  NO.. I went to baggage claim and they also phoned the gate... NO and the plane had already left for Albequerque...  So...the lady at the baggage claim phone Albequerque to give them a heads up!  We also phoned them around the time the plane came in...  NO PURSE! 

Apparently someone must have found it and thought it was a belated Christmas gift, just for them!!!  Gee I wish that people were honest and would put themselves in the position of the one who lost their purse and just return it to the owner.

So.. We got home after 9:00 PM that night and no self respecting bank is open that late.  We went on line to try to find how to protect ourselves.  We found telephone numbers that stated.  For lost or stolen credit cards dial" , or "For lost or stolen visas dial", or "For Lost or stolen checks dial"....  We phone those numbers...REPEATEDLY...  Do you know how frustrating it is to have your whole life tottering on the brink of the toilet bowl ready to be flushed down the sewer and get the run around.  Even though the numbers said for "Lost or Stolen..."  not once did the automated woman or man on the other end ever say "for lost or stolen... please dial 1 or 2 or 3...  We just got the run around.  Please dial or say your account number that you are calling about. If you want an update on your balance dial 1, if you want to speak english dial 2, if you want to open a new account dial 3...  For all other options dial 4.  We dial 4 and we get the same run around. "Please dial or say your account number that you are calling about.  If you want an update on your balance dial 1, if you want to speak english dial 2, if you want to open a new account dial 3...  For all other options dial 4."  AAAGGGHHHH..

We tried several of their numbers for over an hour.  I have this really mellow guy for a husband but I could see that even he was sweating from frustration...  So how did we reach a living breathing person, not some cyber Cindy? I believe the spirit reminded me of a previous time when I was trying to get some live person on the phone and was stuck in the proverbial Cyber Cindy loop.  I phoned the number again and when I was asked for my account number I didn't say anything.. She then said, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said, would you repeat that"  I still didn't say anything.  Again she would ask me for my information...  No sound coming from my lips... Again she would ask...  Again, I wouldn't answer.  After 5 times, I had frustrated Cyber Cindy and she finally said, I'm sorry, but I will have to send you to an operator!!  YEAH!!!!  A living breathing person!!!     So after he helped us with some of our problems, I told him how frustrating it was to have your identity and financial life ebbing away with no way to staunch the bleeding!  Oh thats easy, just phone the number and when she asks you for which option you want just dial  (star)*7.  So where does it say (star)*7 on any of the information that we read about how to contact them.. NO WHERE!!!  I guess we are just suppossed to read minds?

Why the long tirade you ask?  Well, I learned a few things these last two days.  First, don't lose your purse. Sew it to the inside of your armpit if you have to.. but if that isn't an option and you lose it, here are a few things you could do before the fact.

Make a copy of all of your credit cards, visa cards, drivers license, medical cards etc.. Any card that has account numbers and or identity numbers.

Don't keep that in your purse, but do keep it in a safe place at your home or possibly send it to yourself in an email so if you need to access it away from home you can.

If you have this experience happen to you, IMMEDIATELY Have your accounts frozen and get new accounts.   You can go and get a copy of your drivers license, but I opted for a new one with a different number.  I was trying to stop someone from using my drivers license and me getting blamed for it.

Our bank was wonderful to work with.  Wells Fargo in Arizona.  All of the purchases that we had made that day were able to go through so we didn't have to pay an insufficient funds fee back to the places that we bought things at.  They gave us new accounts with checks for free.  All of our new cards will be coming in the mail in about 5 days.  

It took a complete day to get everyting squared away, but that is better than having your savings and checking accounts disappear.  Your identity lost and your good name and credit destroyed!

I guess you could say that we had an experience that I NEVER want to repeat again.  So if you happen to see this black leather thing sewed to the inside of my armpit... Don't ask, just smile. 

Do you know where your purse is?