“LOST MUSKET DIARY” Thursday October 30, 2014
Partly Sunny 80F/ 27C in Rancho Santa Margarita
Buongiorno,
Back on
Monday a call from my credit union woke me up with the news that someone had
been making charges on my credit card. In Italy! One of them was for $951 dollars. The credit
union rep quickly reassured me that I would not be charged for the thief’s
shopping spree. The credit union was on top of the situation. The card had been
cancelled and a new card had been mailed to even before my phone rang. The
caller could offer no explanation for how my credit card number came into the
evildoer’s possession, except for a guess that I must have lost the card
in Italy. Hmmm! Fat chance!
I explained that particular credit card had been used only
once by me - to consolidate the balances on two other credit cards so I could close
them out and off their balances at a lower interest rate. The credit card
itself had never been out of my desk at home. I had spent two months in
Italy last winter, but that card had stayed in California. So, I concluded that
the credit union’s data base had been breached. And, while the credit union guy
couldn’t confirm that, I cited the information that the credit union had made
the discovery on its own, otherwise the card would not have been cancelled and
replaced before I was even notified.
Now,
I’m not complaining here. The credit union came through in championship
fashion. However, this incident prompted me to get a head start on my next
“Rome Diary” series and share some of what I have learned in my own travels. Since this
story was prompted by a case of attempted ID theft, let’s start there with some of my thoughts on safer traveling with
today’s edition of….
“MikeBo’s Travel Tips:”
·
If you plan a trip out of town, especially to a foreign country,
call your bank and let them know where you’re going and for how long. While you
are on the phone, order one of those European-style credit cards with the
imbedded computer chip to replace your magnetic stripe card. As we used to say
on the electric radio at the end of all those live commercials, “You’ll be glad
you did.” This is a good place to get in a plug for on-line banking. Remember,
you’re going to be a long distance from your hometown bank branch.
·
Order some currency from your destination country. Call your
bank and order the cash over the phone or on line. You can pick it up at the
nearest branch or delivered to your home or office. That way you have some
local currency in your wallet when you arrive. You can order traveler’s checks
before your trip, but plan on using your ATM or credit cards just like you do
at home. The European standard calls for cards with those chips, but, many
places still take the mag stripe cards.
·
If you are going to Europe, the primary currency is the
Euro, which is worth about $1.35 US. Just figure that when the clerk rings up €100
Euro on the cash register, it translates to about $140 US bucks. By using your
ATM card you are drawing the Euros you need through your own bank at a better
rate. Again, it’s a good idea to call your bank and let them know you’ll be
traveling so they don’t think your identity has been stolen by Al Qaida.
·
Make sure you have your passport and that it will still be
valid one year after your planned return to the states. I decided to stay in Italy
an extra month on a whim. If my passport had expired, I would have been like the
Tom Hanks character in “The Terminal,” where he played the Eastern European immigrant
without a country stranded at JFK Airport.
·
Speaking about your passport. Be prepared to show it during
the frequent passport checks you’ll encounter as you travel. At the Frankfurt
Flughafen, I had to show mine about five times during a one hour stop to change
planes. Also make a copy of copies and put one in each bag you bring. It wouldn’t
hurt to put a scan copy on the laptop or tablet you bring with you. That way if
you lose it, or, your passport is stolen, you can at least have some ID.
·
If you are a licensed driver, stop by the Auto Club (AAA)
and get an International Driver’s License. If you have an occasion to rent a
car in Europe or borrow one from a friend, this will come in handy, and will
provide an extra piece of validated ID for you.
·
I caught a heap of flak from some of my American friends for
this, but my suggestion still stands- make your flight reservations on an
airline other than a U.S. air carrier.
In my humble opinion, U.S. airlines have become penny pinching bus companies
flying oversized sardine cans stuffed with fat people and screaming kids. My
first choice among foreign carriers that I’ve personally flown is Lufthansa, a
preference that dates back to my first trip to Germany in 1975. Swissair is
another jewel of the international air carriers. They make international flying
in this day and age just like it used to be, a real travel experience. If you
like riding on a crowded New York subway, go ahead – fly Air Gringo. MikeBo
Jr., who’s the real frequent flyer in my family, likes British Airways and
Virgin Atlantic. For my next trip to Rome, I’m looking to avoid the dreaded LAX
by taking a Jet Blue “Red Eye” from Long Beach to JFK in New York, laying over
for a day and then catching an Alitalia flight non-stop from NY to Rome. The
Pope flies Alitalia. I rest my case.
Some other handy household hints:
·
Call your cell phone provider and sign up for “International
Roaming.” That way your friends and family can still call or text you and not
even realize you are out of the country. Muy Importante! Sign up, too, for a
discount calling rate FROM Europe. It will save you a ton of money.
·
One – learn some Italian, or French, or German or whatever
language is spoken at your destination. Pick up some maps of where you’ll be
going along with a pocket phrase book. A pocket dictionary is handy, too. If
you have the time, take a language class for travelers. I took one through the Italian Cultural
Society in Sacramento. Plus, there are a lot of free language tutors on the
internet. Just consult Dr. Google.
·
Plan on taking some guided tours on your trip. In Rome, I
recommend the Dark Rome tours or City Wonders in Rome and other cities in
Europe. First of all, my son the tour guide could use the money. The company
prefers to hire native English speakers, which is the best way to go. I
struggled through Pompeii with a guy named Enzo, who had the same effect on me
as a Bengali call center.
For me, actually living in Italy was a
great experience, and I’m looking forward to going back. I've left coins with
all of my friends in Rome to toss into Trevi Fountain for me. Trust me. It
works.
Ciao!
MikeBo
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