Monday, April 29, 2013

Using The Cloud for Travel and Emergencies


          Hopping on a plane and taking a trip is as common as stepping into an elevator. In just a few short hours you can be thousands of miles away.  For most trips many of us now take very little cash. Depending instead on debit cards and credit cards. Need cash, just step up to an ATM. Our wallets and of course for the ladies your purses are stores of financial resources and information. Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Drivers Licenses, Insurance Cards, Auto Registrations, your little cheat sheets for passwords. But what happens if you lose that purse or wallet? What if you get mugged? What if you are in a bad car accident and you are separated from that wallet or purse? What if you lose that credit card or leave it behind and need to cancel it right away? What number do you call? What was the credit card number? Here’s an idea that can give you some piece of mind.

Take a scan of Credit and Debit Cards (front and back), a scan of Passports (including any Visa’s), a scan of your driver license, auto insurance card, auto or boat registration, a scan of your health insurance documents. Scan your airline, cruise and other travel documents. If you are traveling with a minor and you have written authorization to provide medical treatment. If you are traveling with a domestic partner and have documentation that allows you to authorize medical services to your loved one, you should scan these legal documents as well. You may want to include addresses and telephone numbers of people you are visiting or people close to where you will be going. In an emergency, these people can be a resource to you.
Once Scanned create either one master document, or separate documents, password protect them and upload them to Google Docs or any other cloud storage medium.

Now, as long as you can get access to the Internet, you have access as well as a copy to all that critical information should you need it when you are away from home. All you need is one login and the password for the files. It’s also a great idea as part of a hurricane preparedness plan, or any natural disaster. Even if you lose your smartphone or laptop, you can access this file from any hotel computer or internet café anywhere in the world.

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