Comments on: Ten things you should never carry in a purse or wallet

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:27:48 +0000

@paul nagelkerke

That may be the “law” but as a legal immigrant (admittedly white and a native English speaker) I lived and here in the USA for 17 years without anyone ever asking my citizenship. Just like they don’t now that I’m a US citizen.

By: ID Card Supply

ID Card Supply — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:16:04 +0000

I lost my wallet last week. You are so correct never keep all the credit cards together its very risky. Not only I lost all my credit cards but keys to my apartment as well. It was the saddest day in my life.

By: Shona

Shona — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:02:28 +0000

This woman doesn’t even own a purse. But, I am in possession of a few pairs of rather functional cargo shorts and cargo pants.

People think I’m crazy, but my cash goes in 1 pocket, phone in another, keys in another, and a small compact camera in the final one. Sometimes, a gps graces the pocket with its presence as well!

This way, I never have to leave my belongings unattended anywhere, and I know that they are far safer than if they are all lumped together in a purse or handbag

By: Paul Nagelkerke

Paul Nagelkerke — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:11:07 +0000

If you a visitor to the U.S. (and most other countries) you MUST carry proof of legal immigration status at all times. This usually means your passport with work/visit visa. A driver’s license is good as ID only, not proof of immigration status.

Arizona’s new immigration check law just highlights the situation. Even a walk around the block requires ID.

By: Judy

Judy — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:31:09 +0000

Another place NOT to carry driver’s license is the glove box of your car! I was been shocked to see the license, insurance proof, AND the ownership certificate, ALL in my friend’s car!

A car thief would love her if I hadn’t made a couple of suggestions . . . rather loudly. (We’ve known each other for 73 years so ‘loudly’ is allowed)

By: Jenna Forstrom

Jenna Forstrom — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:21:52 +0000

The only thing I would argue here is the passport. If you live out of state (say for college) you need your passport to get into a lot of East Coast bars. Plus if you travel a lot keeping it in your purse guarantees it will be there the next time you travel. “Where did I put it so I could find it next time.” Won’t happen.

By: me

me — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:01:26 +0000

should i not carry me license either that also has my name and address

By: pocketknifeguide

pocketknifeguide — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:19:16 +0000

Your blog is so informative � keep up the good work!!!!

By: Lupin

Lupin — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:32:16 +0000

Brilliant blog! I am definitely going to reconsider my keys and SSN card. I can memorize my number easily, and I don’t lose things in my pockets that often.

Haha, but it seems that I have a lot more stuff than most people! I have pens, pencils, a highlighter, an eraser, my wallet, cellphone, a bottle of lotion, an extra handkerchief, a pill bottle, pocketknife, cough drops, hand sanitizer, and usually a book of at least 150 pages. And sometimes a CD player as well. I wonder why my shoulders don’t hurt!

By: Mili

Mili — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:38:39 +0000

That was really interesting, and I was glad to see it written down by someone because it feels like I’ve been telling people this stuff for a while, then people look at me and you can tell they’re thinking, ‘how paranoid can you be?’ lol

I think I’d add a number 11: don’t carry personal pictures (especially not in your wallet, where anybody can get a good long look whenever you pull it out in a line to pay). The goal is to keep the private information you share inadvertently to a minimum. So if you absolutely need to have pictures of kids/spouse/whoever with you, I think it may be smarter safety-wise to keep them in one of those ‘brag-book’ thingies or a separate envelope, where you can easily pull them out to look at or show off whenever you like –without giving out the information that you have kids, that you’re attached, etc. Or there’s the modern options like using the picture-storing capabilities of an electronic gadget such as some cellphones and PDAs or many music players. Neither solution helps in case you lose your purse or get it stolen, but at least you skip the next-person-inline scenario!

Also: carry a small purse! It makes it much easier to hold onto it at all times if it’s small and light, as well as it being harder to get stolen off of you. If you have a really regular routine (ie you work at a specific place with stable hours, use your car everyday, etc), you’re in luck, because you only need to carry the very basics; no need to tote makeup and food and all the rest of it, ’cause you can just leave these items in the car/work drawer and use them before leaving! (It’s if you’re very mobile that you need to carry more items, but there’s still a lot of ways to keep the bag real small without sacrificing your creature comforts!)

Nice blog!