So I Always Wondered...

...what would happen if someone lost their wallet containing all forms of identification before needing to get on an airplane.

Unfortunately, now I know.

Today I woke up in Memphis, TN at 5:00AM. I got myself ready and about 5 minutes before I was to meet a colleague and go to the airport, I reached into my bag for my wallet. It was not there. It was also not in my coat pocket, on the floor, in the garbage can, shoved in the couch cushions, under the bed...

You get the idea.

Somewhere between the span of 10PM and 5AM, my wallet disappeared somewhere in the hotel. The last time I saw it was to retrieve my frequent flyer card for the desk clerk to print my boarding passes. My wallet was in my coat pocket during that time. Following that, I have no clue what happened. I can only surmise that perhaps it fell out of my pocket and a) ended up somewhere tricky where it has yet to be found, or b) someone took it. Retracing my steps and a check at the front desk yielded nothing.

So off I trucked to the airport to see what my chances were of getting on my flight with no ID and nothing else with my name on it but a business card. A call to my company's travel agent indicated that the decision was really up to TSA, and that a police report might help. The Memphis police were very courteous, but thought otherwise. I couldn't prove it was stolen, so there was no need for a report.

So anxiously, I approached the woman in the security line who would normally take a look at my ID and my boarding pass, and explained my situation. Naturally a supervisor was called. He was incredibly nice and the process was as simple as me writing down my name and address, and him calling some magical person on the phone. That person asked me my age, if I went by any other names, who else lived at my residence, and then my birth date (presumably to double-check my age answer). After that, I endured a thorough pat-down, search of my luggage, and swiping of my hands and bags to test for explosives. After that I had the green light to head home.

The relief was quickly followed by the next task - following up on all of my lost items. I was envisioning someone wreaking havoc with my bank card and credit cards. Husband helped me out by canceling our shared credit card, checking my bank account online, and texting my phone numbers for my other cards so I could make calls on my layover in Atlanta. Luckily, at that point, nothing was compromised.

So I'm out $50 in cash and will be spending some time over the next few days ordering replacement credit cards, insurance cards, membership cards, drivers license...and have learned a few lessons along the way. For one, I didn't need to be traveling with all that stuff. I should've lightened the wallet before I left. Second, I should keep one card and a little cash in a separate bag in case something like this happens. A copy of my driver's license would probably also be helpful. Third, keep better tabs on my damn wallet!!

All in all things could have been a lot worse, and I was so very lucky to be able to get on the plane. I had more trouble getting out of the parking ramp at the airport in Minneapolis, with no money and no ID! (they finally decided, after about 45 minutes, that I was who I said I was, and they could bill me). I am back home and while it's a huge PITA to track all of this stuff down, I'm so grateful for the kind people who helped me along the way.