Follow Up Section
I told Carol Ann what we needed in this edition of the newsletter was a “Follow Up Section” so we could bring people up to date regarding developments in some areas and on subjects we covered in previous issues. Here are a couple of things that have happened since we covered the topic or situation in past editions.
In one previous issue, I wrote a “safety and security” piece about the problems our local transit district was having with getting seniors to use our bus system, which is referred to as the Breeze. We will never know if our article had any influence but our local community paper reported earlier this month that our local San Marcos Senior Center had been recognized and given a cash prize by the Transit District for training the most seniors in the use of the Breeze.
These training sessions covered how to read bus schedules, use the fare box and communicate with the driver as well as taking supervised trips on the bus system. Forty-eight seniors completed the training and where rewarded with a special bus trip to a local area casino! Many who took the training said it helped them deal with their fear and intimidation regarding the use of public transportation. They also said they were looking forward to additional training, which will cover how to use the Sprinter, a new light rail system that will start running this fall in North County San Diego.
If you, or you know seniors in your area who are afraid or intimidated by the public transportation options, contact a local senior’s organization and encourage them to do this kind of training in cooperation with the transit system. Maintaining our mobility is a treasure.
A second follow up involves articles we had provided in a past newsletter edition and in addition, on our blog at: www.retireandready.blogspot.com
The subject of that information covered Identity Theft and provided tips and suggestions on how to protect you and your records from this scary crime. I have never actually been a victim of identity theft, but I almost go out of my way to protect our information and records. As I have said before, there are three primary rules regarding ID Theft. These are: Get a shredder, Get a shredder and Get a Shredder!
What has happened though is that we finally got one of those letters about a part of our records and identity that cannot be covered by our own preparation and attention. The letter said that one of our Visa card providers had discovered that an employee had stolen consumer information from their database and sold it to direct marketing brokers. The scariest part of the letter was the summary of what is included in your “consumer information.” Get a load of this….checking account and credit/debt card data, names, addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, expiration dates, birth dates and in some cases transactional history data!
The letter went on to encourage cardholders to be sure to monitor our account and review future billing statements for any unauthorized activity. Of course, if we suspect any of these problems we should contact our Visa cared provider immediately. Do Ya Think!
Always keep in mind that there is a ton of information about all of us “out there” and if we can’t control it we must be aware, maintain routines for monitoring and reporting anything that does not feel right to your “gut.” A little suspicion and skepticism make for a healthy state of mind when your identity and your financial records are in the mix.