Rocky & Kristine’s Karaoke Corner
Protect Your Goodies
Welcome to the latest and greatest issue of the Karaoke & Live Entertainment Magazine. Hopefully you’re enjoying the Summer as we forge into September and gear up the kiddos to start school, and we adults can begin planning our karaoke date nights.
I want to expose an issue that has affected me recently, and is a stark reminder of how people are not always good at heart. I am a trusting soul, and I usually feel safe leaving my keys, phone, and other personal items sitting with, or near friends at pretty much any venue we visit.
Just the other night, surrounded by many familiar and trusted faces, my phone was snatched right off of my table when no one was looking. Luckily, we were in a place that had surveillance, so security was able to quickly apprehend the lady, yes I said lady, who took my phone, pocketed it and gave it away to a girlfriend of hers. Her friend took my phone home with her, but just three hours later, with the help of the law, we were able to recover my phone.
Listen up people, we all need to learn a lesson from my naivete and recognize what I did wrong so this doesn’t happen to you. I will admit, that this happened once in the past, and I didn’t learn from it then, but now my eyes are wide open. Even though most people are generally good at heart, trusting, and caring, there are those who just don’t give a hoot and will take what they want any chance they get. It’s a sad fact of life, but it is a truth, and we all need to take heart.
So what can we do? Think about it this way; imagine you lose your wallet, all your credit cards, your licenses, money, and essentials to function daily. Of those surveyed, 57% say that there’s even more valuable information stored on their phones than in their wallets! Our phones are our digital connection to the world. I use mine for banking, texting, storing notes, scheduling upcoming events, coupons, grocery store membership numbers, on and on. I can’t have my identity stolen!
For starters, save a written list with the following information: your phone number, the make and model number, it’s color, appearance and details, the pin or security lock and the phone’s value. If it is stolen, the police will want all of that information. If it happens to be a very expensive model, the thief could be looking at felony charges! Now there are apps to track your cell phone in case of a theft or loss, which I now have installed on my Android.
Call your provider immediately and have it turned off, and blocked if you think there will be no way to recover it. They can shut it off completely, and immediately to prevent hacking of your information. The downside to this is that the phone, at that point will NEVER be able to be activated again, even if you recover it. The thieves may still be able to access your photos, use your camera, take your memory chip and use it for something else, but they can’t get into your information, use the internet or run up your bill.
There are television commercials now prompting people to send in their old cell phones and get $50 cash, no questions asked, which makes them even more of a temptation. To prevent it from being stolen, guard your phone as you do your wallet. Don’t be a fool, like me, and leave it with your drink, or your keys on the table. You can’t blame your friends when your phone gets up and walks away, although they will feel bad, and maybe even responsible for your mistake.
It’s sad to say, but not everyone can be trusted, so put your trust in yourself, and keep your goodies safely tucked away! I wish I had learned the first time, so I’m passing along this hard-learned wisdom to you in the hopes that you don’t make the same mistake.
That’s it for this month’s Karaoke Corner. We wish you fun times, with great friends and lots of karaoke too! Be sure to check out new places to sing – find a complete listing right here in this fine publication.
As always, feel free to contact us with suggestions, questions, or just to say hello at (425) 359-9450 and rocknkris@yahoo.com.
