Camera safety - obvious but few do it.
 

I run several shops in a popular tourist destination. I can't tell you how many cameras are left in my stores & go unclaimed - some are very expensive & usually in cases. PLEASE put your name, address, phone number or email address on a card inside the case. We have a huge box of cameras that I'm sure people are just sick over losing.

If someone calls & identifies it we will mail them at no charge. I'm sure many thing someone will just keep it but it doesn't cost anything to put some ID with the camera. It happened again today.

That should read "I'm sure many times someone will just keep it."

Good tip and reminder, Carrybean- thank you.

Good reminder -- thanks!

To make it easier to go through security, I put my iPod, cell phone, earphones, external hard drive, flash drive, assorted cords and other electronics in a plastic bag in my luggage. The pocket it was in came open and it fell out on the airport tram in Houston. The person who found it noticed the email address engraved on the back of the ipod and let me know they had it. They sent the whole packet to me overnight FedEx--this was a student, so I doubt the bank account was overflowing.
You know I padded the reimbursement check!

saacnmama,

Was the plastic bag in your checked baggage? Thievery is rampant in the behind-the-scenes luggage areas in airports. I would think one would "carry on" at least the IPod and the cellphone, and not place all one's eggs in one checked luggage. Are you referring with "luggage" to your carry-ons?

A tip you can use for cameras and other equipment.

Attach a name/address label (like the sticky ones used for return addresses on envelopes). I used to put one on my kids' disposable cameras when they traveled so that if they were lost, maybe someone would return them and let the kids have their memories of the trip.

Good suggestion Carrybean. I have a luggage tag attached to my camera bag all the time - not that I'm likely to forget my 22lb bag. :)

The first shot that I take with my digital camera is my contact info. Yes, someone could delete it in a second, but if someone is looking to return my camera, I'm easy to find.

Good idea, and another from palmettoprincess. Maybe the second shot would be a plea, "if you don't return the camera, at least send me the chip. Good Fortune will be yours :)

On my Hasselblad I have a tag that says, "serial number registered, cannot be resold; reward."

If I had a Hasselblad I'd probably have the same on it. :)

Mohun, it's a year later so I don't if anyone's still reading this thread, but I just saw your question. As I stated in my 1st post, I took the bag thru security and lost the electronics gear in the airport tram, so no, the things were not in checked luggage. My use of the word "luggage" may have been confusing; I was referring to a wheeled carry-on bag. We almost never check anything, so that suitcase is luggage to me.

If in the USA, there's BoomerangIt and doesn't cost too much. You get labels and have to register everything you put labels on. Théy're barcoded and anyone who finds your item should be able to drop it at a postoffice or call boomerangit and ship it too you free of expense to them. It's a very inexpensive service to ID even your sunglasses!

800-848-BIKE or 800-2BOOMIT; www.boomerangit.com or www.nationalbikeregistry.com.

from website: http://www.ncpc.org/about/about-mcgr...es#boomerangIt

^my err... BoomerangIt is worldwide.

thanks, Tenshi, I just signed up!

Thanks tenshi, sounds great.

saacnmama,

I'm sorry you lost your elkectronics gear in the airport tram. I'm thinking of greatly expanding my budget to buy a decent point-and-shoot (maybe a Lumix 4/3 type) for our trip to Rome this year. Not only am I worried about toting my Nikon DSLR around Rome, I'm worried about who may browsing through my carry-on bag while I'm doing the "passive" scanner out of sight of my bag. Maybe the best bet is to hand my camera-containing backpack to my wife to hold while I go through the scanner and hope that she can slow her pace enough to put both her and my bag on the belt at just the right time for me to have passed the scanner and ready to pick our bags off the belt.

you are so nice.