Tourist in MSN

I always carry a couple extra credit cards for good luck. One of my cards stopped working in Prague, the credit card company shut it down for suspected fraudulent use, thus would not reinstate the card with the same number. But my spare worked, just like a good luck charm is supposed to.

And on another foreign trip one of my cards stopped working, the card company said that I should have told them I was going to another country, then they checked and found that I had done so, their computer did not figure that out. Used the card one more time on that trip and it stopped working again. So, they did not fix their computer and once again my good luck spare credit card worked fine. Unfortunately, the spare had a 3 percent currency conversion charge, so that trip was a bit more expensive.

And, one more time, my credit card stopped working on a foreign trip, the bank decided to change card servicing companies and had issued new replacement cards to all of their customers. I had a new card in my mail box at home and a dysfunctional one in my wallet. So, once again the spare card brought me good luck.

Touring, I carry three credit cards and one debit card, the debit card is only used in ATM machines. I used to carry a second debit card, but the company I had that card from stopped issuing debit cards for their accounts. Thus I no longer have a spare debit card but if I want to pay horrendous fees I can use a credit card in an ATM as my spare.

A friend of mine was stranded for several days in eastern Europe waiting for a new credit card to be sent to him before he could continue his bike tour. He lacked a lucky charm.