When you travel are you prepared for an emergency?

[NatashaDisneyCM]

Yes, you can still get the pill-capsule necklaces, and keychains, too (though that wouldn't much help in a wreck if the keys could not be removed from the ignition.) There is a site calling forgettingthepill.com that has a huge variety of them.

lol, I have a Dooney and Bourke pill box! I have had it for nearly 30 years!! I keep as many pills in it as I can!It is always the little gold box I have with me! Always have the meds! just in case..

 

[NotUrsula]

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[Kath2003]

Here in the tri state area our news is showing people stranded at JFK- no money- nothing waiting to get back to Europe.

It got me to thinking. What the heck would we do? I pack my first aid kit for trips, we carry credit cards for emergencies- but really I can't imagine having spent a week in a city- spending all my money. And then being stranded. I feel for people that are concerned about their jobs. If they don't get back soon they are afraid they'll be out of a job.

I guess I'm just rambling. Really just feeling so bad for the people stuck at the airport.
Have you ever been stuck in an airport?

We're stuck in an airport hotel right now and have been since Thursday. We stand no chance of leaving before next weekend. This means 10 days have been added to our trip during which time we must find food, drink, accommodation etc.

You can't imagine it until you've done it. We are very fortunate to be in our situation in that we are healthy, safe, warm and fed currently but we are losing a LOT of sleep over it (hence the 5am posting). We are worried about our jobs, our home, our pets...

 

[PatsGirl]

I was stuck in Orlando a few years back for three days with two preteens. I didn't find out until I left the rental car return and headed for departures that our flight had been cancelled due to a NE blizzard. We had just disembarked from a caribbean cruise and had no forewarning about this blizzard. I immediately turned around, went back to the rental desk and asked for my car back at the same hotwire rate I had used and they obliged

I then asked the kids what they wanted to do and the vote was to stay at the Nick hotel and go to Epcot for a day. So that's what we did. Yeah, this little layover cost me another $1000 but we made the best of it, wasted no time sitting around complaining or worrying, and had fun. Did I have the extra $1000, NO! But I wasn't about to sit in the airport with all those screaming parents (and kids) fighting over the few seats available in those upcoming 48 hours.

I feel so bad for those from Europe stuck here and vice versa. It's one thing to know that I had a flight leaving three days later and we were "stuck" in Orlando. It's a much different scenario being stuck in Boston or Newark with nothing to do, little money to spend, and not know when you can leave

 

[wdwfan16]

1) CCs we could easily charge hotels, new tickets to an open airport and food. There is no way I would take a vacation without CCs. This volcano is exactly why. We also have a debit card, so we can get cash. We carry a Visa, MC and AE. One will be taken by the business.

2) I could take more time off of work but it would be without pay. I could handle that too. Not what I would want to do but what I would have to do.

3) I would have my IPhone and I would use that to make arrangements via the internet or calls. It might cost money if I am in a different country but I would pay them when I got home.

4) We always pack backup meds because we could misplace the ones we are carrying. We would pack them on the plane (no liquids) and carry the spares on the plane too (but in a different bag).

 

[PixieTopaz]

We're stuck in an airport hotel right now and have been since Thursday. We stand no chance of leaving before next weekend. This means 10 days have been added to our trip during which time we must find food, drink, accommodation etc.

You can't imagine it until you've done it. We are very fortunate to be in our situation in that we are healthy, safe, warm and fed currently but we are losing a LOT of sleep over it (hence the 5am posting). We are worried about our jobs, our home, our pets...

Kath-what city are you stuck in? Good luck

 

[MarkBarbieri]

We bring cell phones and credit cards. What else could we need? Seriously, when doing "civilized" travel, the only extra supplies we bring are some snacks. When we go on long drives, we pack in more food and water. When it's cold, we also bring sleeping bags. When we camp, that's a completely different story...we bring lots of redundancy for water, food, first aid, etc.

We also have an "oops" fund. It's money that we set aside every month to cover bad luck, stupid mistakes, etc. This way if I break my passenger side mirror against the side of the garage (last week), we need to buy a window AC because of a hurricane (two years ago), or if we needed to spend an unplanned week at a hotel because of a volcano, we already have money set aside and can spend it without feeling bad. It's not really different than spending form savings, but by having a special account for it, it doesn't feel quite as bad. It's our way of recognizing that things go wrong in life and you should just accept it and move on.

 

[tchrrx]

One thing DH & I are doing for our trip this summer: We are each taking a different credit card. Then, if one of ours is lost or stolen, we still have the other. Otherwise, when you call & cancel the card, you would both be left with nothing. This way, at least one of us will have a card.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

One thing DH & I are doing for our trip this summer: We are each taking a different credit card. Then, if one of ours is lost or stolen, we still have the other. Otherwise, when you call & cancel the card, you would both be left with nothing. This way, at least one of us will have a card.

We do the same thing. We have three credit cards. One that we both carry and use as our primary card. We each carry only one of the other two. That helped when my wife left her purse behind a bush along a river in the wilderness in Mexico.

 

[java]

Minky so sorry to read of your rollover- so glad to hear you are all ok though. How terrifying!

And Kath I hope you get home shortly! Where are you now?

A prescription thing I always do- is pack a photocopy of my prescription and carry one with me. I don't know why I do 2 but for some reason I feel safer?

I did forget my pills ontime and thankfully was able to call my doctor and have them phone it in to a local pharmacy.

What I feel for the most is that it's not like here they can just get a $50 room for the night. It's expensive.

We drive to Florida- and one year it snowed on the way back. A dusting. South Carolina shut down! I-95!! They lost power across the state- we had to keep driving through to North Carolina and had a terrible time finding a hotel.
So now we always have reservations for the drive down and back. Knowing we have a place at the end of the day makes it less stressful.

 

[Rora]

I guess my situation is rather different:

I was on the Greek Cruise Ship that hit volcanic rock, killed 2 passengers, and sank in the middle of the Aegean Sea. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/06/world/main2655363.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2655363) We were on board and lost everything. All our luggage, our passports, digital cameras, clothes, medication, purses, money, you name it and it was gone.

We had no time to grab anything. In addition, we were on the 2nd floor (bottom floor) of the ship and we were afraid that the water tight doors were going to close.

From this traumatic experience I've learned a couple of invaluable things:
1. ALWAYS make copies of your passport when you're traveling overseas. Leave one copy at home with friends/family, bring one copy with you and keep it on you at all times, and send a copy to your destination.

2. While you might not always have the option (like us) to grab things before you go, bring extra medication.

3. Always pack 2 days clothes and necessities in your carry-on (obviously I didn't learn this one from the ship).

4. Always bring 2 credit cards and more than you anticipate bringing.

I hope these people can get home soon. It truly is miserable to be stranded somewhere.

 

[Kath2003]

We're stuck in Texas; we got half way home on Thursday before they cancelled our flights. Looks like we're facing another week here at least

The problem we face is the costs: we could stay with friends but to fly there is actually more expensive than staying in the hotel we're currently in for another week.

 

[disney1990]

We always carry extra money and an extra credit card. I would hate to be stuck someplace with no backup plan.

Is there anybody here online that is stuck in the Washington, DC area that could use some help? If so, PM me and I will see if there is anything we can do to get you through this.

 

[lillygator]

really makes me think now.

We've never been prepared for a natural disaster type emergency.....really puts everyone in a scary position.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

We're stuck in Texas; we got half way home on Thursday before they cancelled our flights. Looks like we're facing another week here at least

The problem we face is the costs: we could stay with friends but to fly there is actually more expensive than staying in the hotel we're currently in for another week.

What part of Texas? We're relatively near the airport in Houston and would be glad to help if you need anything.

 

[eliza61]

This is a pretty extreme situation where such a big amount of airspace is closed for a long period of time. So cash would not help much.
I always keep a weeks worth of medication and a spare pair of eye glasses on me so after that, I'm about as prepared as any one can be.
Slept in an airport 1 time stuck in a blizzard, was it uncomfortable sure, was it life threatening, not even close. We had plenty of food and water and a working bathroom.

 

[PixieTopaz]

Kath-you REALLY need to start a thread like-

"DIS Brits stuck in Houston(or dallas) airport hotel for a week due to Volcano".

Maybe some kind Disers will invite you for a meal

 

[TDC Nala]

Food is permitted past airport security as long as it is not in liquid, gel or cream form. Drinks must be purchased past security. Although there really isn't a lot of room on a plane to pack full meals in a cooler - most do things like bring pretzels, trail mix, candy or gum. Nothing that would last three days. Don't see any logic with packing enough food for three days just in case a volcano erupts in Iceland or something. With credit cards, there's a good supply of food available at airports or hotels. Unless it is the sort of emergency that brings down electricity or computer networks or stops all vehicle transportation.

My job wouldn't fire me but likely I'd have to take leave without pay which is not a good thing.

 

[Kath2003]

Kath-you REALLY need to start a thread like-

"DIS Brits stuck in Houston(or dallas) airport hotel for a week due to Volcano".

Maybe some kind Disers will invite you for a meal

We're in Dallas and have no car so we only have access to two restaurants And a Whataburger!

 

[DebbieB]

I travel alot for work and thought about what I would do if I was on the west coast when another 9/11 situation hit. I figured worst comes to worst, I could try to rent a car and drive but that's a long way. Last year I traveled to India, so driving would not be an option. We connected through Frankfurt to Pune India. For some reason, I did check the availability of flights that went over the Pacific, connecting in Hong Kong or the Phillipines, just in case something happened in Europe. I looked yesterday, it looks like flights into New Dehli and Mumbai are OK.