Staying safe abroad when traveling with youngsters
I'm not really sure where or how it happened that hot day in Florence.
Our passports were securely in my purse but that evening, the leather envelope I carried them in was gone.
Did I drop them at the Uffizi Gallery when we went through security? (The envelope wasn't turned in or stuck in the X-ray machine, as I'd hoped.) Did I leave them at the jewelry store on the Ponte Vecchio when I used my passport to complete the form entitling me to a tax refund on the gifts I'd just bought? (They weren't there either.)
Most likely, the envelope had been stolen in what many warn is prime pickpocketing territory. Luckily, we didn't lose any credit cards or cash -- just the passports and some itinerary information I'd stashed with them.
"These pickpockets are very, very skilled," a U.S. Consulate official said while trying to console me in Florence. "They offer to hoist your bag on the train and then take off with the bag, just as the train is pulling out. They ask you to help with their baby and then, while you're preoccupied with the child, they quickly grab your bag (even snipping the shoulder strap with a scissor). They sidle up to you in a crowd and reach in to an open purse. They will even snatch your purse from your restaurant chair while you're sitting there talking. "Even people who know better, are victims in Florence," the official said.
And that included me.
These days, especially, it's important to know what to do if your passport gets lost or stolen or if you need a passport in a hurry (say for a family emergency abroad or last-minute business trip that you can bring a child along). Have you looked at your passport lately? If it expires within six months, you won't be allowed to board flights to many countries. That's happened to people I know. They had to go get new passports, delaying their trip by a few days -- all at their expense.
This blog can help demystify (and destress) the process, if you've never applied for your kids' passports or you need to renew yours in a hurry.
Typically, if you have 12 weeks, you can apply through an authorized passport agency (like a U.S. Post Office); You can get expedited service for an additional $60 (through an appointment at a Passport Agency, if you are traveling within two or three weeks, or if you've got less than six weeks, by paying the extra fee when you apply). Many companies also offer expedited service.
Should your passport get lost (maybe you are planning a trip and simply can't find it) or stolen, The U.S. State Department recommends you report it immediately to prevent identity theft. You can do that online, by calling or heading to a U.S. Consulate in the city you're visiting abroad. The Website, www.travel.state.gov, provides links to consulates and embassies worldwide. Check out this free passport photo app from Walgreens.
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