Greetings,

As Bob Dylan wrote; “The times they are a changing.”

So with that being said, have you simplified your travel checklist? You need to as of June 1st 2009!

On June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, by land or sea, will be required to present one of the travel documents listed below.

Many of these documents are already available, and obtaining one now will ensure that you are ready on June 1, 2009, when they will be required.

U.S. Passport – This is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies a person’s identity and nationality. It is accepted for travel by air, land and sea.

U.S. Passport Card – This is a new, limited-use travel document that fits in your wallet and costs less than a U.S. Passport. It is only valid for travel by land and sea.

Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – Several states and Canadian provinces are issuing this driver’s license or identification document that denotes identity and citizenship. It is specifically designed for cross-border travel into the U.S. by land or sea.

Trusted Traveler Program Cards – NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST enrollment cards can speed your entry into the U.S. and are issued only to pre-approved, low-risk travelers. The cards are valid for use at land or sea; the NEXUS card can be used in airports with a NEXUS kiosk.

Special Groups – Information for Children, Groups of Children, Native Americans, “Closed Loop” Cruises, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, U.S. Military, Merchant Mariners, Ferries and Small Boats, and Boaters.

Knowing what documents are required and having them ready when you return home will help streamline the entry process and ensure your return to the U.S. is as smooth as possible.

For more information on having safe travels,  Please check out:

“Discover How To Have A Safe Trip Abroad”

“This book is full of great advice for you to have a safe and secure travel. Easy to read and understand! Read it before your travel and bring it with you on your travel, too. It will prepare you for and give you answers to any situation that could occur. So you can just relax and enjoy!”
Claus D. Jensen

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
http://www.personalsafetyebook.com

Greetings!

Memorial Day has come & gone, which can only mean one thing, that summer is here! With summer here, so comes a lot of traveling. Please keep these tips in mind when traveling to ensure your personal safety and a happy and safe vacation!

When traveling by car never leave anything of value in plain sight in your vehicle. Carry a blanket and cover them up or better yet put valuables in the trunk if you have one.

Before taking your trip take some time and write down a list of credit cards and numbers including company contact numbers, association or membership cards, ID’s, and any other important cards on a sheet of paper. This works for both men and women. Keep the list in a safe spot. If you loose your purse or wallet you make immediate notifications about lost or stolen cards.

Get a housewatch on your house or leave contact information with a trusted neighbor or family member. Hold mail and newspaper delivery to your house so that it doesn’t pile up. This includes someone to take advertisements that are left on your door.

Leave lights on a timer that come on around dark and leave a radio or TV on so that it appears that someone is home.

If you are staying in a motel or hotel always use the secure door locks and the secondary locks. Keep your room number out of conversations in public areas and be aware of your surroundings. If you feel uncomfortable pay attention to your feels and get to a safe place. If you are confronted by a purse-snatcher throw your purse away from you and run the other way, making as much noise as possible. Make eye contact with others so that you won’t appear to be an easy victim.

Park your vehicle in a lighted area of the parking lot as close you your room as possible so that you can check on it at different times.

Enjoy your well deserved time off!

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
http://www.sherwoodlocksmithing.com

** RECOMMENDED READING**
Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed!
Discover how to keep you, your family, and your home secure!
Visit http://www.personalsafetyebook.com to invest in your copy.

The internet gives us access to just about anything we can imagine. This includes finding flights, trains, buses, hotel rooms, and rental cars that we can use to travel for the holidays. While most of these entities are more expensive when you travel over the holidays due the demand, you can still find some good deals if you take the time to look.

You will generally find that you can save the most money on holiday travel if you purchase a complete package deal. This is less expensive than buying each piece that you need individually. It also provides you with only one confirmation number that you need to keep track of instead of several different ones.

There are literally hundreds of sites online where you can look for holiday travel deals. You can search by your destination in a search engine or choose the various sites you have heard about. It is a good idea to keep a list of the sites you visit and the prices you are coming across. This way you can compare the prices and easily remember where you want to go back to.

Most of the time fares will be cheaper online than by contacting the place directly because it saves their business time of having to set up the travel arrangements for you. Make sure you carefully read all of the information though because some travel deals have hidden costs that you don’t want to be liable for. You also need to check into the cancellation policies and about rescheduling your trip.

Some online travel deals don’t offer any refunds at all so if a family member dies or you have an unexpected illness you won’t be able to get your money back. Even if you show up late for your flight because you got caught up at security they won’t honor your purchase. This can be extremely risky because there are too many variables that can affect holiday travel.

Make sure you also pay close attention to the amount of time that you will be in the process of getting to your destination. You may find a killer price but it isn’t going to be worth it if you have several connecting flights and layovers along the way. Look for direct methods to get to your destination whenever it is possible. There are simply too many delays during holiday travel to ensure you can get to those connections on time.

Many of the sites you visit online will allow you to sign up for special offers and promotions. You should take advantage of these offers so that you don’t have to continually return to their site to check for changes in prices. Some of them even allow you to enter a price so that you can be notified if the price of the trip you want drops to that price. For those that can only afford holiday travel if it fits a specific budget, this is a valuable feature.

During your search online for holiday travel, be flexible with your dates. You will be able to save hundreds of dollars just by being willing to leave a day earlier or leaving in the evening instead of the afternoon. Those that want a specific travel arrangement will find this ties them into more expensive offers. Even if you travel a day earlier and have to pay for a hotel room that extra night you could save hundreds of dollars.

It does take some initial planning of where you want to travel and how you are going to get there in order to find the best travel deals. Investing a few hours of your time in getting the best price though is well worth the savings you will get from it. Millions of people travel each year over the holidays but some of them pay more for the same trip because they didn’t look for holiday travel deals online.

Be Safe on your Travels,

Trapper

PS…Be safe with your Identity also, Discover how with our FREE report available at:
Personal Safety eBook

No one wants to have their holiday travel plans ruined due to their vehicle breaking down, so make sure you give it plenty of attention before hand. Complete a thorough check of all the routine items on your vehicle. The oil should be changed and you will want to check all the fluids including the transmission fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and brake fluid.

Don’t wait until something breaks on your vehicle to replace it, especially when you are traveling for the holidays. Carefully inspect all of the hoses for signs of wear as you never know when they will end up breaking. If you haven’t used your windshield wipers for a while make sure they are in good condition.

Have someone stand behind your vehicle so you can make sure both of your turn signals work as well as your break lights. Replace any bulbs that are burned out or seem to be dim. Do the same for your headlights on both low beams and high beams. This will ensure other vehicles are able to see you coming and know when you are planning to stop or to turn. It is a good idea to carry fuses in your glove box so that you can replace any that may burn out during your travel for the holidays.

Your tires are very important when you are traveling for the holidays. Check the wear patterns on the tread to make sure they are in good shape. Of the two front tires are wearing unevenly you may need to have your vehicle aligned. You may find it is time to rotate the tires on your vehicle as well. This involves moving the front ones to the back and the back ones to the front.

Depending on the time of year when you travel for the holidays, you may experience bad weather. Make sure you have a survival kit in your car that includes tire changes which many end up being mandatory to drive on the roads in some areas. You also want this survival kit to include a flashlight with fresh batteries, flares, food, water, a first aid kit, blankets, a car jack, and a gas can.

It is a good idea to make sure you have a cell phone will you as well. Most models come with a battery charger that plugs right into your cigarette lighter so you don’t have to worry about the battery running low while you are traveling for the holidays. If you don’t want to get caught up in a lengthy cell phone contract, look for those offered at retail stores. They are inexpensive and they work well. However, you buy the amount of minutes you want for the phone in advance. When the minutes run out you can choose to buy more or simple get rid of the phone.

It is never a good idea to be in a vehicle without seatbelts for all passengers. However, some states don’t require the use of a seatbelt so people don’t pay attention to them working or not. If you are traveling out of state for the holidays you may be going through those that do require them and you need to be prepared.

Accidents can still happen even when you have properly prepared your vehicle for holiday travel. Seatbelts and car seats offer you a way to reduce the chances of serious injury if such an event does take place. In your glove box you should have a disposable camera so you can take pictures of the accident scene for your insurance company. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy as well so you can exchange insurance and personal information with the other party involved.

Thousands of people choose to travel for the holidays using their own personal vehicle. Doing your very best to make sure your vehicle is in excellent working condition will help you to arrive at your destination safely.

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood

Sherwood Locksmithing

PS….Discover how to protect yourself from ID Theft with our FREE report available at
Personal Safety & Security Secrets Revealed

The holidays can be quite hectic but they are often a time when people travel to see family and friends or to take a well deserved vacation. Following some basic tips will help ensure you have the best time when you travel during this time of year. Being prepared for things to go wrong is the first step in minimizing the damages and getting on with your holiday travel plans.

Make sure you have all of your tickets and confirmation numbers in a specific place. It is a good idea to make a copy of the information as well as the contact number for your tickets and place it in another location. This way if you lose the originals you will have all the necessary information to take care of it. You should call about a week before your travel dates to make sure your reservation is still active for all modes of transportation and your accommodations.

It is common for flights, trains, and buses to get delayed over the holidays due to security issues, weather, and trying to meet the needs of the volumes of people using such modes of transportation over the holidays. Make sure you have plenty of money, food, drinks, and necessities to get you through these delays. They can range from a couple of hours to a few days. If you will be traveling a long distance you should consider bringing along activities to pass the time, especially if you are traveling with children.

If you take prescription medications you need to make sure you have them clearly labeled. You may get questioned about them if they aren’t in the bottle you picked them up at from the pharmacy. It is a good idea to have a written note from your doctor regarding the medication as well. Makes sure you have enough of it for the entire trip including any delays that may occur.

Lost luggage is one of the biggest problems when people travel, and it compounds during the holidays because of how busy everyone is. While you really can’t prevent your luggage from getting lost, you can do your best to make sure you have all you need in the mean time. Make sure each person traveling in your party has clothing in all of the suitcases instead of making one for each person. This way everyone will have a chance to have some items should a bag or two get lost in the shuffle.

Clearly identify your luggage so that you will be sure to get yours upon reaching your destination. Too many bags look the same and many people are in a hurry when they travel for the holidays. Place a colorful ribbon or colored tape on your bags if you carry the styles and colors that are very popular. If you travel often you should consider some unique looking luggage that will stand out.

Traveling during the holidays needs to be as smooth as possible to ensure you will enjoy your trip. By taking the time to follow these tips you can help make that happen. There are plenty of horror stories out there about people not being able to get to their destination for the holidays or they didn’t have the items they needed upon arriving. Don’t open the door for your holiday vacation to fit into this grim category.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood

Sherwood Locksmithing

PS…Get your copy of our FREE Report; “Protect your Identity From Theft”
at Personal Safety & Security Secrets Revealed

Greetings,

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating this wonderful Holiday today.

I am Thankful that we have our safety & security here in the USA, and my
prayers, and I hope yours goes out to the folks in India that are suffering
from the hands of those evil terrorists.

Continue to pray for all our soldiers, air force, navy and Marine personal
who put themselves in harms way to protect our country, our way of
life, and of course our personal safety and security. Let us all pray that
they will arrive home safely to their loved ones.

God Bless,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

PS…be safe on your travels, and please re-read some of our previous posts on
protecting your personal safety and security. Also, don’t eat to much!

ENJOY Thanksgiving and all we have to be thankful for!

For those driving to their holiday destination, paying attention to the weather reports is also important. You will be amazed at how many people drive from a location where there is no snow and then panic when they are having to drive in it with bumper to bumper cars all along the interstate.

Tune in to local weather channels on the radio to find out about any road closures, detours, or accidents. It is a good idea to have an alternate route printed out just in case these things occur. If you find the weather has become too severe for safe travel you need to be responsible and get a hotel room until conditions improve.

Make sure your vehicle is equipped with all the features it needs to handle the changes in the weather. You should have a good heater with defrost options and an air conditioner that will help you to stay cool. Your windshield wipers and hazard lights also need to be working. If you have any issues with these various features you need to fix them before you engage in holiday travel or rent another vehicle for the trip.

As a holiday traveler, it is your responsibility to keep up to date with the weather. While it can significantly affect the plans you had for the holidays there is nothing you can do about it. Fighting with Mother Nature is a losing battle that you don’t want to be on the other side of. Being prepared for the weather can mean the difference between a safe holiday trip and one that is full of regrets later on.

Be safe on your Travels, and

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

It is very important that you keep yourself aware of the weather for holiday travel. During the colder times of the year many parts of the world experience heavy snowstorms and even blizzards. You need to be aware of what is unfolding on the path you will be taking to your holiday destination. This will allow you to be very prepared for it and have a safe journey.

To ensure you pack the right clothing, pay attention to the weather in the days before you pack. Your local news channel may not be of assistance if you are travel a long way for the holidays. The internet is the best source of information for finding up to date weather that will span the course of your holiday travel. You can also contact someone where you are traveling to and have them keep an eye on their local weather reports for you.

If you are taking a flight, train, or bus to get to your destination you will want to find out what their policies are for delays due to the weather. If the weather is questionable before you leave to the terminal you will want to call first. There is no point of you sitting there instead of in the comfort of you home if the transportation has been delayed by several hours or canceled due to the weather.

Pay close attention to when the flight will be rescheduled so you can adjust your plans. Too many people show up at the airport hoping for the best and then end up spending countless hours will nothing to do. One reason why people do this is the fear of not being able to drive to the airport due to the bad weather. You will have to decide if that is something you are willing to risk or if you are going to hang out at the airport and see what happens.

If it is warm when you leave home but it will be significantly chilly where you arrive, make sure you carry on a jacket with you. Pay attention to your shoes as well because you don’t want to be slipping or risk falling down out there. Your body won’t be able to handle the quick change in temperature so make sure you are prepared for what you will find. Likewise, if you are traveling from a cold climate to a warm one for the holidays make sure you dress in layers so you can stay comfortable upon arrival.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

Never drive when you are too tired to focus your attention on the road. Too many people traveling for the holidays haven’t gotten sufficient rest along the way. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that a soda or several cups of coffee are going to keep you awake. Driving while you are tired increases your chances of making mistakes and also prolongs your reaction times.

Whether you are driving yourself or taking another method of transportation, you need to keep a close eye on your items. Don’t fall victim to having your luggage, purse, or wallet stolen by someone because you left it unattended. Men should keep their wallet in their front pocket and women should keep their purses over their head across the shoulder and to the opposite arm.

If you are traveling with a spouse or other adult it is a good idea for each of you to carry some money and a credit card with you. This way if someone does get your materials you won’t be completely without access to other forms of payment you may need. It is also a good idea for each of you to carry a copy of the itinerary with confirmation numbers. This way you are likely to have one copy if the other gets lost. It is also helpful if you get separated in a crowded airport.

Traveling during the holidays can be fun and a great way to get away from your daily routine. Follow these tips to help keep yourself alert so you can have the very best time possible. Most accidents are the result of people being tired or being in too much of a hurry so get enough rest and take your time to arrive safely. Always pay close attention to your personal belongings and report any suspicious behaviors you may encounter.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

PS… “Personal Safety & Security Secrets Revealed” is a GREAT place to pick up a copy of a personal guidebook to help improve your personal safety.