I leave important jewelry at home when I travel, and for a reason that has nothing to do with the safety of New York or anywhere else: 'tis I who can't be trusted.

When I'm at home, I have routines and places to keep jewelry, but when I travel, I can get unfocused, harried, or just stupid about taking things off or putting them away safely. For example, when I go to sleep, I'll sometimes take earrings and rings off and put them on my bedtable. It has happened that perhaps the coverlet on the hotel bed is bigger than mine and it brushes a ring onto the floor and I don't notice. I'm in a hurry -- I put on the earrings I notice on the bedtable, check out, and then only the next night in another city do I remember to look for the ring in my jewelry pouch. Uh oh.....

Yes, yes, yes, we all know we're supposed to look under the bed twice before we check out. And yes, yes, yes, I should be more compulsive about putting jewelry where it belongs before I go to bed.

Other women take rings off when they wash hands (I don't -- keeps the diamond sparkling). Some people even put bracelets by the side of the restaurant sink while they put hand lotion on their hands.

We all have habits that work better at home than traveling. And we all have lapses of judgment or memory.

So Sue, if you NEVER EVER take the ring off at home, you are probably safe with yourself while in NYC. But if you EVER take it off for any reason during the course of a normal week, I'd leave it at home, just to save you from yourself.