If you lost your phone/bag whilst out, how would you………

M0nica

Start by memorising a few key numbers (good brain training to ward off dementia)

When we had a personal safety training at work, we were told never to put our keys in our handbags, always have them in a pocket. I have followed that advice ever since.

if your keys are in your handbag, and it is stolen, even if that taxi driver will take you home, assuming that you have cash or card in the house, how will you get in?

Master key probably is a good idea as someone suggested.
My mum is always loosing her keys, so I am thinking of putting an apple key tag on her bunch of keys but the app would have to go on my phone.
I can’t persuade my mum to have a master key box fitted unfortunately as she is worried people will try to break in.

Key safe at home, and my phone stuffed down the side of my bra does the trick. I don’t carry a handbag.
If I have pockets, useful for lippy and tissue.
Job done 😀

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I recall when I was a teenager (some 40+ years ago now!!) that I knew all the landline numbers of close family and friends off by heart.

Because, of course, I dialled them each time and so got used to them.

Now I only know my own number and those of my husband and two sons - but only because they are all consecutive and we've had the same numbers for over 20-years.
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I have a typewritten card in my wallet with contact details for my nearest relation.

I realise that this is helpful if I am hurt, but of no use whatsoever, if I forget my bag somewhere or my wallet is stolen.

I do have a key-safe with an extra front door key in it, so I can get back into the house. I bought it, after I had lost my keys one evening, the friend that had my spare key was not at home, and I had not at that point realised that being widowed means among other things that there is no-one in the house who can let you in. On that particular evening I had to break a window to get in!

I always have cash in the house, and here a taxi driver will usually be willing to drive an elderly woman home, if she can assure him that she will pay for the trip as soon as they reach her address. I also have an extra credit card which I never take out of the house, as ATMs often "swallow" cards and either you cannot ring the bank when that happens, or it takes them up to a week to return your card.

I suppose we should all have a card with personal details and phone numbers for emergency contacts on us at all times. Unfortunately, most of us would probably forget to move this card from one coat pocket to another when we decide to wear a different coat or jacket than usual.

We could write a memo to ourselves and put it up on the inside of the door we go out of, when we go out.

MT62

Duvetdiva
Hope you can read these clearly
Everyone young and old needs to carry one
Would that be in the bag 🤔
MT62
Nothing’s foolproof but a friend left her bag in a restaurant and the staff found the card and rang her contact number.
On another occasion a young lady was stranded in town as her phone was dead and she didn’t know any contact numbers (which instigated the production of these cards)

I buy all my everyday clothes online from the clearance offers at Rohan. They have loads of zip and inside pockets so that I can keep my phone, purse and keys in different places. Usually, I don't even need to take a bag.

TillyTrotter

I have thought of this , I’d get a taxi cab (you pay at destination)
and we have a key safe on our house wall (more in case I get myself locked out).
I would let myself in and find money to pay cab driver .

I have too, but as it’s only been used once years ago I have forgotten the number … must locate it and write it down .
Thanks for the warning. My neighbour had my keys so I got complacent, but he died earlier this year sadly, so now they aren’t with anyone. Must try to remedy that too. Been waiting to see who moves in but it’s been deadly quiet for months. No complicated probate for his relatives I wouldn’t have thought?

Send a message from my Apple Watch.

Duvetdiva

Hope you can read these clearly
Everyone young and old needs to carry one

Would that be in the bag 🤔

Oh thankyou for your responses and I realise I have made some people think how they would deal with this. Going forward, I am going to try to learn my hubbys phone number (I cant even quote my own without looking at it), he does have the tracker thingy, but that wouldnt track me just my ‘stolen/lost’ phone. I dont like the key safe idea as I have heard they are easy to break into. I like the idea of the bracelet with details written in. I cant leave a key in the unlocked garage as hubby is scared someone might steal his stash of bits of wood lol. I am positive that a store customer services would at least help me make a phone call if I was really stuck and of course I could remember a number to actually phone. So, its looking like I need to book that tattoo or biro my arm. Thanks again everyone for your interesting take on this.

I have an apple tracker in my bag. Husband has tracker on his phone as well as mine, but then phone would be in my bag. Still he can check.
Best to keep emergency contact in your pocket.

Oreo

May be a good idea to keep £30 or so tucked into a pocket.

That’s where cash comes in handy

That fills me with horror! I have everything in my bag. I'm going to have to reassess. So a wake up call for me today. Sort of thank you

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202607/medium-9mehgi-img-3201.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202607/medium-dvjyl5-img-3202.jpeg

Hope you can read these clearly
Everyone young and old needs to carry one

I briefly lost my phone last year. It was actually in the house but not in any of the places I usually put it so I drove to where I'd been earlier. I borrowed a key to check the building without success. Meanwhile 2 friends were passing who saw my car and went to check if I was ok as I shouldn't have been there. They phoned it repeatedly and we listened for it ringing but obviously couldn't hear it. I was panic stricken thinking of what I'd potentially lost! So relieved to find it back at home.
When I told my daughter she set up her phone to track mine. Now she knows where I am unless I go out without it! I went to visit her in Manchester, parked near her house and walked towards the tram station to travel into the city to meet her at her work. I pretty soon got a WhatsApp to say 'I see you've got to my house'. It's quite reassuring but wouldn't help if my bag was gone too! I do keep phone in pocket usually so hard to lose both.

Re front door access if keys are lost, we have a lock key box screwed to the front of our house for this scenario

You can buy SOS bracelets or necklaces where you can write all the info you need to make contact with your loved ones.

If your phone is lost or stolen, it can be rendered unusable if you know it’s IMEI number. Your service provider or the police will ask for it when you report it as missing/stolen.

To find it, open your mobile’s telephone key pad and dial *#6#

It should pop up on your screen straight away.

Alternatively, look in your phone’s settings:

iPhone: Go to Settings > General > About and scroll down.
Android: Go to Settings > About Phone (or Status).

Screen shot it and save it in your photo gallery, or email it to yourself so you can access it from any device that you get your emails on.

Add important phone numbers to an address book, keep that in a safe place and you can look them up alphabetically without having to comb through a list on a piece of paper.

I have an old fashioned address book at home. I also have my contacts listed under Google and Yahoo.

I've taken great care to make sure all of those have both physical addresses and email addresses and phone numbers. Like others have said I would be okay once I got home because my Amazon fire is my second point of contact. When I bought a new phone I kept the old one. My phone goes in my pocket not in my bag.

Gran22boys

Just ask in a shop to use a phone. Nobody will mind as calls are free.

The issue is remembering phone numbers! None of my family have landlines any more and mobile numbers are very long 😬

I also have a hidden key at home, although both DDs still have their keys for my house. I know both their phone numbers by heart, as we’ve all had the same numbers for 30 years. I still know DH’s number even though he died in 2021 and I often wish his number would light up.

It would be a great inconvenience though to have to renew bank/credit cards, etc.

I have often wondered how I'd manage if I lost my bag when out.
I'd lose my car keys, house keys, phone and debit card/credit card in one fell swoop.
I'd be completely stranded. I

I must write down the phone numbers of my nearest and dearest. They'd be my rescue party in such circumstances.

But being women, in which handbag, coat pocket, jacket pocket or dress pocket would we keep that precious piece of paper?

I have a spare housekey in the garage, tucked away on a cupboard shelf with some paint brushes and paint stripper. I had to use it once when I forgot my keys. The garage is never locked - I'd be very happy for someone to come and steal the various cans of paint that are stored in there.

My coats have a little 'pocket' I made in the hem where I keep a £20 note for emergencies and sometimes a spare card. Although that is probably not enough for a taxi home these days from the nearest towns. When not wearing a coat the note goes in a variety of pockets or, occasionally, in my bra. Came in very handy when my purse was stolen in London. My return ticket was in my pocket but I then had to pay car park fees to get my car out to get home.

Babsbada & * Tillytrotter*, a friend of mine recently had her key safe wrenched off the wall by thieves who then used the key to access her home

Just ask in a shop to use a phone. Nobody will mind as calls are free.