Tagging Teddy Bears - Labelling Potentially Lost Items

Problem
How do you ensure lost items are returned?

Answer
Firstly, Glasgow airport is tagging lost teddy bears., or rather teddy bear before they get lost. Twenty-five teddies or soft toys missing in just one month. So Paddington Bear was not the only one which got lost.

Secondly, they are publicising lost items.  If you photograph your child with your teddy, yourself carrying your camera, or standing beside your suitcase if it is later lost you can show the lost property office what to look for, fill out the lost property search accurately, and prove that any item, especially an expensive one, is really yours.

I put address stickers or labels on all loose items, luggage, umbrellas. I label coats and hats and gloves. A spare label for duty-free item is also handy. or link the handle of the bag or items bought with the handle or coat bag, so the items are linked and you don't go home with your coat leaving behind the bag.

Tag Your Family
Never mind lost teddies and umbrellas, my greatest anxiety is losing my family. I can lose a spouse or offspring in a supermarket.

Tagging The Elderly Who Have Alzheimer's
We also lost a late relative once. (Late in both senses of the word. She is now dead. When she was late for dinner we went to her home to find her. She had vanished. She was developing Alzheimer's. We later found her in a local hospital where she was telling staff how much she liked the hotel. (Apparently a fairly common comment, from people like her, I learned several years later. At the time we thought it was original and amusing.)  If we had tagged her earlier, we would have saved ourselves and the hospital time and stress and money.

Phone Finders and Car Locators
After tag my teddy and find my phone, we could have locate my car. Life is getting more complicated, but behind every problem there's a helpful answer running up to tap us on the shoulder.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-41336762 (The story about tagging teddies.)
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1590929/glasgow-airport-take-care-of-my-bear-tag-scheme-kids-lost-teddies/
http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/nursery-world-blog/1106894/teddy-tagging
http://www.mommyimhere.com/teddy-tag-bluetooth-wearable-smart-child-locator-with-free-downloadable-app-for-iphone-and-android-mobile-devices-pink-color/

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Author and speaker. Please follow and share links to your favourite posts.

Guarding Against Loss: Suitcases, cameras, lipsticks, scanners

Problem
When you report a missing camera or laptop you will be asked to supply details such as serial numbers.
You will also be asked for the make and colour of a missing suitcase or other item. It helps to take a photograph at home or on arrival at the airport including the brand name, plus yourself holding it.

Answer
Take a photo of the serial numbers and missing items and keep them in the cloud, and/or give a print out to somebody who is travelling with you such as a spouse. That way if your luggage or one item goes missing, you have a record.

Story
I had to identify black suitcases in Singapore the 24 hours of 9/11 after all the luggage was taken off our plane at the airport because of a a bomb scare.

Tip
Take photos and add your business card to ziplock bags when putting your lipstick through security. I recently lost mine at Heathrow.
If you lose anything, you register online at a website which operates for many organizations:
https://www.missingx.com/Goods/DetailsPage

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Found it! My lost travel pass. Where? and where are my rings and things lost at Swanwick?

I lost my travel pass. I checked all the usual places:

1 All the pockets in my jacket. All my jackets.
2 My bag - tote bag, all the pockets, even emptied it out.
3 I went through my in-tray.
4 I checked the side of the bed. Behind the bed. Under the bed.
5 My coats, coat pockets.
6 Emptied out the plastic bags.
7 Looked under the car seat and in the car boot (trunk if you are reading this in the USA).
8 Went through all my address cards.
9 Checked every room of the house.
10 Looked in my diary to see which day I'd last used it.

I'd given up. then I went to the gym. No it wasn't in my gym bag with the swimming costume. But after I checked in my second gym bag, the one with the running kit, there it was in the front pocket.

Moral: If you move a vital item, such as a passport or travel ticket or travel pass - list in your diary where you put it.

What have I lost? Credit cards (left behind at an Express supermarket till - rushed back. Left in pocket in jacket.

Jewellery. I took four rings and a bracelet and necklace to Swanwick Writers school in 2014. Opening my jewellery purse second night and they'd gone. Where? Stolen? I don't think so. Must have dropped them between the car and bedroom. I twice lost my shoulder bag under my seat in the dining room. Got it back. Staff helpful and honest. If you find my rings I'll pay postage. Only just bought two of them. Orange circular stone with a bobble silver circle around it. Black similar, oval stone. Both adjustable. Supposedly silver.

The best silver is from UK or Italy and should be marked 925 tiny but could have been Tibetan silver, containing less or hardly any silver. I suppose the maker or ring or customer is shown silver but not allowed to touch it. Also a multi-stone ring in four pastel colours.

And one of those wind-around magnetic bracelets in a brown and black oval and round faceted beads on metal thread. they vary in quality from cheap and plasticky to glamorous.

And a necklace. Probably silver, plain, with a large stone.

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/useful-contacts/lost-property

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer, author and speaker. See more about or by Angela Lansbury on other blogs, books on lulu.com , Facebook, LinkedIn, and videos on Youtube on comic poetry, spelling grammar and joining Toastmasters International to learn public speaking.