The Costa Concordia accident made me think about thousands of people trying to deal with such an ordeal without money, passports, medical data, etc. We have created and suggested to our clients the following:
On a sheet of paper, duplicate passport pages with photos and signature. It's possible to get two on a letter-size page.
On the other side, there is ample room to print all personal data, including:
- A list of all medications, their pharmaceutical names, their purpose and correct dosage.
- The names and phone numbers of all doctors and their specialties.
- The names, phone numbers and email addresses of your attorney, broker, bank, etc.
- Names, phone numbers and email addresses of family members, close friends, whoever is important.
- Credit card information, including the phone number to call if stolen or compromised. If possible, code these in some way.
- Your full names, postal address, cell and home phone numbers, fax number and email address.
Regardless of how much data there are, it is possible to fit all the information on a single page.
Fold the page in half three times. This produces a 2-by-3-inch sheet. Into this sheet place one or two $50 bills (if in Europe add a 50 euro note), wrap it in plastic wrap, place it in a sealable plastic bag (smaller than a sandwich bag).
This and a tiny flashlight should be carried at all times while onboard.
Should something happen, you have all contacts, passport data (so that a new one can be issued rapidly) as well as money to get you started. It is small enough for anyone to carry without hindrance.
Peter K. Dallo, president
TourService Custom Travel Experts
Hendersonville, N.C.
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