I want your info!

One of the biggest problems facing the modern traveler is identity theft.  This is a term which means someone else has gotten enough personal information about you to profit by pretending to be you.  It can be anything from buying an RV in your name to sending inappropriate emails to your family or coworkers.

There are a few crucial pieces of information you should protect at all costs.  These are: Social Security Number, Birth Certificate. Passport, Drivers License

With one or more of these items it becomes much easier to go shopping and stick you with the bill.  Don’t make it easy for the crooks!

Other important things to protect include your checkbook (with your bank information on it), keys, USB drive or other computer storage with private information, family information, and passwords.  Let’s look at these one at a time:

Checkbook – those innocent looking numbers at the bottom of your check are account and routing numbers for your bank account and the starting place for many types of theft.

Keys – The last thing you want is for a crook to be waiting for you when you get home and even for them to go through all your private information while you are gone.  Keep sensitive information in a small safe hidden in your home and files in the computer encrypted with a safe system.

USB drive – If a thief gets in to your computer there will only be a certain length of time to sort through your information.  If it is on an easily stolen media such as a USB drive then they can just take it and work on it at their leisure.  The same is true of laptops and desktops.  Don’t let the computer remember your passwords because it would be an open door should your computer be stolen.

Family information – Perhaps the most frightening though is for someone to take advantage of your family.  Many people put photos of their kid’s birthday party up on a site like Flickr.  Please, password protect such items and give family members the password.  With an innocent act you can give away your child’s name, age, birthday, and possibly other information such as the family pet breed and name, relatives names, etc.  Not only do you make it possible for identity theft of your child’s identity, but you also open the door for more sinister and potentially tragic things.  Have you trained your child not to go with strangers even if they know their birthday, pet, mommy & daddy’s name, etc?

Passwords – Obviously not something you want to just hand out, but do you realize how important it is?  Imagine, if someone were to get or guess a single password – your email – what they could do.  Almost everything out there that has a password will email you with a new one or a way to reset it.  If the crook has your email then your entire world is at their disposal.  Use good passwords that are not regular words that can be guessed.

If you just use upper case alphabetical letters and only one character then there is a 1-in-26 chance of guessing it right on the first try.  They do it 26 times or less and they are in.  If you use 2 characters it goes to 1-in-676,  If you use upper and lower case letters a one-character password is 1-in-52.  A 2 character password is 1-in-2704.  With a computer it doesn’t take long to guess a lot of passwords so that is why most places recommend at least 8 characters and use upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters such as *@$# whenever it is allowed.  Keep your information safe and you can have fun without worry on your next trip!

Vacations are supposed to be all fun but if you are like me you can’t stand to be apart from your computers.

I enjoy my computers and gadgets so much that I feel out of sorts without them.  This can be a real challenge when traveling!  Here’s some things to keep in mind when preparing for your next trip.

• If you are traveling by way of a service such as plane, bus, or cruise ship make sure you obtain and read all the rules.  A sample-sized bottle of shampoo or nail-clipper may seem innocent enough but may be prohibited.  You don’t want to be ready to board and have to make the decision to stay behind or throw your property away!  Another important thing is the size of your bags.  Many services have limits on the dimension of your gear.  There are some awesome gear bags in every shape and size imaginable so do yourself a favor and shop around to find the one that meets your needs.   Very important is to find one that is the right size for your laptop.  A bag that’s the wrong size is as bad as not having one at all.
• Bring everything you need but not everything you own!  Bring 2-3 CD/DVDs for backing up your photographs but not a whole spindle of 50.  It’s not worth the room.  You should bring any communication cables you will need, power supplies, with adapters if necessary, and lots of batteries for that camera, MP3 player, etc.
• Don’t forget to double check things like whether the hotel or cruise ship has wireless networking or in-room internet when you make your reservations.
• When you unpack your gear, don’t just throw it all around the room like I do.  It is too easy to leave with less than you had when you arrived.  Make a place for everything when it is not being used and be diligent to keep it there.  That way your blanket won’t eat that patch cable and the bottom drawer you never used won’t become the home for that missing memory card.
• A trick I always forget is that it’s pretty cheap to have a shipping company send your souvenirs back to your home so don’t try to cram it all into your luggage, just let it fly home on its own. Remember, it’s fine for that snow globe to take a week to get home if it gets misplaced but you don’t want to be without your laptop’s power adaptor so keep all your gear with you on the trip home.
• Snacks are great.  Don’t rely on your transportation to provide them.
• Electronics are great, but they are not always available.  Make sure you bring along a computing magazine or other low-tech entertainment.
• If you have to pack your electronic gear in a bag that’s not made for it, use a T-shirt or other soft clothing to wrap it and protect it a bit.  It’s never a good thing but it’s better than it bouncing around like a BB in a boxcar.
• If you are traveling abroad, be sure to know the laws of the land where you are going.  Recently a pastor in the US was held in a Russian prison for bringing items the US State Department listed as permitted but the Russians didn’t agree.  If you are going to someone else’s country be prepared to play by their rules.  Also research the culture.  In some Central American places there is such fear that Americans are coming there to steal their children that they have beaten tourists for just taking pictures of kids.  We have to understand their culture and act accordingly. By placing ourselves in their shoes we will remain safe and perhaps gain a greater appreciation for those in other situations.  How terrible must it be to think someone is going to steal your child!
• In that same vein, there are a lot of places where most of the people living there are very poor and when you show up with your laptop bag, digital camera around your neck, MP3 player in your ears, and wads of “spending money” they feel like it’s a gift from above.  Do not put yourself in this dangerous situation!  It’s never wise to totally block your hearing with a portable player, especially when you are in unfamiliar surroundings.  I don’t want you to be afraid to travel, but do it safely and you’ll have a great vacation!
• Make backups of everything and leave one set at home.  There are more and more stories every day about countries passing laws allowing customs agents and border guards to search your data and keep or erase anything that appears to be possibly in violation of copyright laws.  You don’t want to lose your entire music library to an over zealous guard that may not understand the ‘allowable use’ laws in your country.

Above all, put the electronics down and go have fun!  You are on vacation, don’t spend it in a hotel room or cabin on a cruise ship!  Go enjoy the beach, or at least the ice cream bar on the ship.

Parking a car in downtown Washington DC can be quite a challenge.  The Smithsonian museums are located on the National Mall where, if you are extremely patient or lucky,  you can find metered parking.  Your best bet is to head directly to Union Station located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE where there are over 2000 parking spaces as well as fun shopping and a extensive food court. The cost for parking is $5.00 for up to 1 hour,  $8.00 for 1 – 2 hours,  $10.00 for 2 – 4 hours,  $12.00 for 4 – 5 hours,  $14.00 for 5 – 12 hours and $16.00 for 12 – 24 hours.  Payment may be made with cash, Visa, Master Card or American Express.

Keep in mind that Washington DC has one of the best public transportations systems in the country – the Metro.   After a day downtown with your car you may want to review this option!

Union Station

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