I lost my wallet in England. What a hassle that was. Somewhere over the northern Atlantic I awoke from my crooked sleeping position in economy plus and thought oh crap, I have not seen my wallet. You know I was thinking about doing some shopping on the plane later. I went and did a frantic search before I mentally retraced my steps and realized I think I left it at security. It was a bit of a rush in security. I got some extra special attention for have two computers, three tablets and load of neatly coiled up cords that apparently look like a bomb. In the US, I have TSA Pre and just waltz through security keeping all my computer stuff packed up and it just slides through. Oh yeah the cat litter that we were carry for Max was an item of suspicion. Cat litter and not carrying a cat. He was already cargo at that point. I am glad I kept the joke about there being land mines (cat crap) in the cat bags of litter as they were searching through it.
Anyways I narrowed it down that either it was at security, or Hertz, or possibly at the gate in Heathrow is where I most likely lost my wallet. We landed in Newark Airport (Aka know as crappy place United lands planes) and I am concerned about getting the rental car with out a physical license, but I think it might be ok. I am all signed up with Hertz, they have my credit card info, insurance info, license info, car preference, fuel preference, as well as my shoe size, and favorite color. I normally just show them ID and go. I do not stop at the counter. I do fill out paper work. I do not get the sales pitch about gas or insurance. I go directly to the car and leave. I do not pass go. I do not collect $200. I was thinking that it all might work with just my passport. NOPE!. Going directly to jail was closer to what my future was going to be. As I am leaving the garage, I need a drivers license as ID. I ditch the car and head back to Kate. I left, her Max and mountain of luggage. I figured it would have been easier to go back and get them.
On the way back I talked to hertz “gold” desk. Nothing golden about it, in case you were wondering. After a bit of a fight we came to the heart of the matter – I was not getting out there without a license. The first suggestion was getting a Cab. WTF – for real. The fact I had a license, just that it was lost did not matter. They agreed to move the reservation over to Kate as long as Kate had a credit card and a license. WTF, you have to say that after arrguing about my license for 15 mins. You think I was going to bring someone else with out a license. Wow. This was going to be a pain. I wanted Kate to go back to Hertz alone, mainly because of the restraining order against me after fighting with the Hertz lady, but also did not want to move Max and the mountain of luggage. Kate wanted me to go. We had six suitcases, and a large cat carrier which all did not fit on a single cart, and it required us getting on the “air train”, and we all could not fit in the elevator – so it was multiple trips up and down elevator to and from the air train.
They in the end rented a car to Kate and kept it on my account and I got points for it. I was expressly told not to drive. OF COURSE I DID NOT. Or did I? I can’t remember now.
It was a crappy drive. Rainy. Foggy. Rainy and Foggy. Crappy, Rainy, and Foggy. We drove home straight. We originally were going to stay the night in Newark and give Max a break. We drove (Kate drove – Maybe, I can’t remember) all the way home from Newark, New Jersey. We needed to get home to start the process taking care of my missing wallet.
After losing my wallet for 24 hours, no fraudulent activity, which was good. I found that Heathrow had a lost and found website. I put in a claim. I called United. I called Hertz. I called all my credit card companies. I called Ghostbusters just to be sure.
I went to the DMV and ordered a new license, and got a new picture taken. I had them send it to a post office near where we were staying to General delivery. It never made it. I have since reordered and have had it sent to my PO box in Hawaii. It still has not arrived. I did leave with a temporary paper license – and I checked Hertz would allow me to rent with it.
Heathrow lost and found did find my wallet. I sure wish they found it about 24 hours sooner and saved me the hassle of this. They sent it over night and it was going to make it time, for the cost of $120. It did not make it in time, and it was supposed to be signature required, and it was left at my house. So I had already left, no wallet. Some very nice friends retrieved it from my house and opened it to verify it was mine. They had a good laugh at my haircut from when I was 17 years old. Yes I did need a new picture. They mailed my wallet to my friends who were coming to Hawaii in a week to visit me and my wallet was reunited with me after 2.5 weeks.
Oh this is not the end. They refused to ship the cash in the wallet. So the money left in the wallet, was still in there when it was found. (I think it was left at Security – I will never know). They sent me a UK bank check (Minus a 20 pound fee) for 10 pounds, that I can’t cash. NICE.
The lesson – don’t put so much crap in your computer bag that it looks like a bomb.