The day after the 4h of July, I flew to New York City for the first time since the pandemic. I was coming off of a weekend trip to Clearlake, CA full of boating, friends, and the heat of the summer. I was super excited for this trip for so many reasons. Not only was it my first time back east since the pandemic, but it was my first time meeting my new colleagues in person (my company is fully remote).
I felt very prepared to fly out since this I anticipated July 5th being a huge travel day. The flight from SFO to JFK was super smooth. I caught up on some sleep, listened to some podcasts, and before I knew it I was on the tarmac.
I opted to not get a Lyft to Manhattan due to surge pricing (it was roughly $130 to get to our Airbnb in the West Village). I decided to be adventurous and take the train into the city since it was significantly cheaper. I was able to figure out the Long Island Railroad with ease from Jamaica to Penn Station. However, my luck took a turn (and honestly never returned throughout the remainder of my trip).
When I got to my Lyft at Penn Station, I realized there was something missing from my pocket: my wallet. Looking back, it must have fallen out of my silky black athletic shorts onto the seat on the train. I immediately panicked, and all of the questions started racing through my mind. Am I stranded in New York without a way back to Oakland? How am I going to pay for anything while I'm here? What will my colleagues think of me? I immediately called one of my best friends who is a travel expert, who calmed me down and assured me that everything was going to be okay.
And it was. A lot of my situation could be unique to me, but I think there's a lot to learn if anyone else loses their wallet on a vacation. I'm extremely lucky that my situation played out in the way that it did, as this could've been even more stressful and unfortunate than it already was.
1. File a Report
I'm so thankful that this was instinctual for me. In fact, I actually had my Lyft driver turn the car around to Penn Station so I could search for my wallet and file the report that night (both unsuccessful, but A for effort?) If you lost your wallet on a train or bus, be sure to file a lost item report with the transit authority.
Here are a few transit authorities for a few US major cities
- NYC — contact MTA
- SF Bay Area — contact BART, Muni, or Caltrain (dependent on what you're taking, cable cars are Muni)
- Chicago — contact CTA
- Los Angeles — contact LA Metro
- Seattle — contact King County Metro
Every other situation is different, but if this move would've been unsuccessful I would've filed one with the police. This is important just so that the situation is documented in case your questioned later on this.
2. Cancel your Cards
This is really important to catch early on so that there are no fraudulent charges on your accounts. Most larger banks offer an option to do this in the mobile app. If yours doesn't, be sure to call your bank directly our card holder services.
Some banks offer the feature to lock your card VS cancel your cards outright, which is what I did to start. I did this so that I was still able to use Apple Pay as needed. Every time I needed to make a purchase, I would unlock my cards and immediately lock it again.
3. Order a Replacement ID
This won't necessarily help you during the trip, but by doing this early you save a ton of time for when you return home. The night I landed and got back to my Airbnb, I ordered my new ID (I used that handy lock/unlock trick from earlier). California's DMV made this super easy to do online. They estimated that my replacement should arrive in 3-4 weeks, but I've also had friends receive their replacements in a week and a half.
Again, this is a move you should do early for your future self. This definitely won't help you get through TSA (but I have some tips for that too). This just ensures that you get a new ID as quickly as possible.
4. Get a Replacement Card from your Bank
Ah, how I wish I could've done this. Unfortunately, my bank (US Bank) doesn't have branches in New York City. However, if you can find a branch I would definitely recommended trying to get replacement cards if you can. This will ensure that you're not stranded without money.
However, there's one more tip for iPhone users to try if they're in a similar situation (it saved me big time). Inside the wallet app that comes with every iPhone is the option to apply for the Apple Card.
One caveat here — I know that this one is super situational, and very dependent on your credit score. (again, I am so privileged and lucky to have had this work out in my favor) In fact, I had applied for the Apple Card months ago and was denied it based on a low credit score.
5. Getting through TSA
This was by far the trickiest part of the process for me. The process may have looked different if I had just lost my ID instead of my whole wallet since the officer asked if I had a credit card — however I can't speak to it since it isn't my experience.
To start, you need to plan ahead. I overkilled it and got to JFK 3 hours early, but in retrospect I would plan 2 hours in advanced (or an hour more than your typical arrival time, whichever is greater). If you have TSA PreCheck like myself, know that this will not be effective for your flight.
When you get to the airport, be sure to print off your boarding pass at the check-in kiosks for your airline. The TSA officer needs a paper copy, so your phone won't work here. Hop in the general line for TSA, and when you arrive at the checkpoint you'll need to explain your situation to the officer.
My TSA officer had me step aside and wait for a lead or supervisor to come and assist me. We stepped to the furthest aisle, where she had me fill out a form with my name, date of birth, and address. She had to make a call to someone else at TSA, where she asked me to share the following:
- My last three addresses
- Last 4 digits of my phone number
- My full Social Security Number
- State where my Social Security Number was created
Once the agent on the phone gave her the go ahead, I stepped through the line with her to the screening area. This part looks fairly similar to any other TSA screening, where I had to remove all electronics and items from my pockets.
Once I made it through the body scan, they gave me a very small pat down (likely because I was wearing a sweatshirt). Another TSA officer pulled aside my suitcase and backpack for additional screening. They did a full search of my bags, which concluded the process. All things considered, the process wasn't terrible. It took me roughly 45 minutes to make it through security, but I was still glad to be there early considering all of the unknowns.
All things considered, losing your wallet in 2024 isn't the end of the world. I definitely learned a lot in the process about keeping it together, using the resources at my disposal, and being quick on my feet.
Now, would I recommend you lose your ID on vacation? No, please hold onto your shit. Don't add stress to a trip where you're supposed to be occupied with work or play. 0 out of 10, can't recommend this one. But know that if it happens to you, you're not alone.
