This story appears in the
September 2003 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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If you've traveled through Denver International Airport
lately, you may have chuckled when you saw the big sign over the
escalators asking "Got Laptop?" But to the hundreds of
travelers who forget their laptops at security checkpoints each
month, the reminder is a lifesaver.
But not every airport has a sign like the one in Denver. And
every month, thousands of laptops, mobile phones, PDAs and other
devices are inadvertently left behind or mistakenly picked up by
the wrong person. If it happens to you, how easy would it be for a
good Samaritan to return your items? Here's some help:
- The Extreme Label (www.extremelabel.com) has developed a nearly
indestructible label the size of a postage stamp that adheres to
any rigid surface. For $10, the New Orleans-based company prints
your personal contact information on 28 labels in equally
indestructible epoxy ink.
- Niwot, Colorado-based
StuffBak (www.stuffbak.com) offers a more sophisticated labeling
option. For about $10, it provides a starter kit of six special
labels and luggage tags imprinted with a unique ID number, a
toll-free number and the offer of a reward for the item's
return. The finder calls the number, and StuffBak arranges to have
the item returned to the owner, at no cost to the finder. If your
item is found, you pay StuffBak a $15 fee (plus shipping) and any
reward you care to give the finder.
While it may not be as permanent, you can always use an
indelible marker, tape or mailing labels. Consider all the items
you travel with that could be lost: mobile phone, laptop, camera,
MP3 player, briefcase, organizer . . . better get marking.
Christopher McGinnis, CNN Headline News travel correspondent,
is the author of The Unofficial Business Travelers' Pocket
Guide.