Just got back from DC/NY...loved DC (except for the idiot in chief) hate NY..you can have it

[greenbriar]

Hubby got his laptop bag stolen while we were on our tour group (32 8th graders walking all over Times Square)

In that bag... which cost 150 bucks

his work laptop
his work black berry
his personal 4 gig IPOD
his high dollar prescription computer glasses
4 prescriptions
5 jump drive sticks
his key ring with both of our vehicles, house, riding lawn mower, his mom's house key and more...


the Sheridon Manhattan security team SUCKS BALLS




HEre is why it happened. We were on a school trip with World Strides. We were bussed from DC to NY and dropped off at FAO swartz. We were dropped off at 1 pm and did not see our hotel until 6pm

the bus with over 70 pieces of luggage went to the hotel and the tour people over saw our luggage all to be placed in the principals room. This was all taking place as we were walking all over 5th avenue seeing the sites. All luggage except ONE bag were accounted for!!! and hubbys was not the only lap top bag...



but an investigation is under way because they are clearly at fault...the security cameras show the bag being hand carried by our tour group leader and personally placed on the luggage cart along with 70 other pieces of luggage and taken to the elevators...after that...gone

[marmar]

1. Don't let one bad experience spoil your view of the Apple. It's America's great World city. ....

..... I had my passport, 50 euros and wallet stolen in Paris.....but it's still my favorite city on this earth.

[greenbriar]

2. well, it was also very cold and very rainy the entire 2 and 1/2 days we were there

I just didn't care for it


I am more of a MIAMI kind of gal

[El Pinko]

39. I lived in Miami for four years and found it to be hell on earth. NYC is great!

It's hot and humid all year long, with annoying and unpredictable rain showers all the time. Endless sprawl of ugly tacky houses. People are super mean and rude everywhere you go and of all the cities I've been to in the states, I've never seen drivers as aggresive and reckless as in Miami. They barrel down I-95 at like 95 mph, weaving through the "slow" cars going 80. We lived in Brickell - supposedly a nice neighborhood, but at most supermarkets, the staff could not English. Miami gives new meaning to brusque, callous, rude service.

We went to NYC in Sept 2002 and had such a nice time - we got out of the sweltering Miami heat, and everyone was nice. The old buildings all over Manhattan were beautiful, and all the places we visited were like an adventure. Chinatown, Battery Park, Wall St. Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park, the Guggenheim. We all loved it and had a great time - the weather was perfect.

I don't know if I would want to live in NYC, but I'd definitely rather live there than Miami again, if I could afford it.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. As a born and raised New Yorker, I have one thing to say

Gahahahahaha :rofl:

Sorry. We're trained to do that. New York lesson #1: Don't put all your good shit in one bag.

Superheroes! Get your power, your mask, and cape snatched
Brooklyn take what you can't take back
I know alotta cats hate that
All I can say, black
There's a city fulla walls you can post complaints at...
-Mos Def, Speed Laws

[NuttyFluffers]

28. that's just street wise 101, isn't it?

eggs in one basket theory and all that. wallet in the front pockets, big bills broken into smaller ones, small sums tucked away in different hiding spots (under shoe sole, breast pocket, jacket, pants, bra, etc), purses carrying next to no valuables, dress moderate-to-poor looking, clothes covering exposed pockets, valuables divided among all carry-ons, and particularly valuable luggage never left out of your sight.

never had to grow up in NYC for that, but standard operating procedure for life in cities the world over.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. FUNNY, my brother in law and I went to the Anthropology museum

in Mexico City

My mom gave us quite a bit of money....

I broke it up into small packets and spread it across all pockets I had on me....

Oh and left my wallet at home and only carried the necessary ID.

The Exhibition of Egyptian artifacts (Special Exhibit) was wroth it....

And we lost nothing in this experience.

We also took on the first floor of the museum and ate at the place... though the taxi home overcharged, but what can you do? An unfortunate reality is that if you stick out like a sore thumb... you have to take the safer, Tourist Taxis, and yes, you pay for that safety, whether real or otherwise... I really wasn't feeling froggy enough to test the theory and I was born in that metropolis and raised in it.

[NuttyFluffers]

36. when i go to underground parties i divide my ID from my credit cards, too

i had some friends call me paranoid, but they were from more trusting and rural areas. i hung around a lot of thieves in junior high (never really was one though -- unless taking chalk from class to go draw on concrete counts) and learned some of the simplest tricks to not be a statistic. what you suggest is absolutely true: if you want to dress to the nines and enjoy expensive things be prepared to be segregated into less crowded, more exclusive areas. otherwise you have to be prepared that some people are just going to give into temptation.

[alcibiades_mystery]

33. You're right...I should have said

Don't leave your stacked laptop bag on the luggage cart at the Midtown Sheraton no matter what the luggage guys says.


My bad.

[NuttyFluffers]

38. that's even better direct advice. i totally agree with both things.

and it's not so much an issue of trust in the people who help you, but just a simple exercise in probability. more people, more chances someone will give into temptation and steal your shit. some of the sweetest (and painfully forthright... :hide: ) people i've met have been new yorkers. you can find people there to trust just as you can anywhere in this world. its just the sheer numbers of people and struggle to survive that makes cities a challenge.

that said, DC is a whole other can of worms. the tourist areas are almost devoid of anything but tourists, especially on off hours. in fact, they are almost devoid of all life after gov't office hours. and huge swaths of DC feels like small towns separated by suburbia. that's easy to suss out the dangerous spots if you are used to the suburbs. but there are definitely dangerous areas in DC; they just don't overlap or abut tourist areas as much as Manhattan. density is probably the biggest factor here. that said the worst thievery most likely belongs to DC, on K street... :evilgrin:

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I hate to say this, but I ALWAYS carry my electronics

and prescriptions myself

Why? experiences like yours that can happen about anywhere

[greenbriar]

6. well, we were on a school tour trip and did what we were told

and were assured many times, it would be very well protected.

there were 3 other laptop bags as well as over 70 pieces of luggage...what are the chances that that one bag was the only one stolen???


IT had to be someone from the Sheridon Manhattan staff that poached it!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Not necessarily and I have been on tours as well

they can tell me whatever they want to... and give me all kinds of assurances... I still don't trust them

By the way... since they school gave you those assurances... they are liable too

[Dorian Gray]

49. It's the

SHERATON Manhattan. (Unless you are speaking about a crazy hotel I've never heard about before.) It's on 52nd/53rd and 7th Avenue?

They may have stolen it. It happens. Hope you get something back.

[harun]

63. Sorry to hear about your loss, was likely the staff, they may be able to get

it back from them with enough pressure.

[harun]

62. Me too, when travelling they never leave the bag I carry with me. It

is either under the seat in front of me on the plane or on my shoulder. Never check it in, never let someone else carry/touch it.

Bags other people deal with only carry clothes that I can simply buy more of to replace. Which normally means they won't waste their time stealing a bunch of clothes anyway.

Keys, id's, wallets, prescriptions and electronics should not leave your person.

[rwheeler31]

5. Can you get the meds filled quickly?

[greenbriar]

7. yes, we called them in while in layover in Atlanta

but our insurance says we couldn't fill them so soon and use insurance so we had to pay for them ourselves...


we will be getting a call from the sheridon staff tomorrow so we will see...

[InvisibleTouch]

8. That's pretty much my evaluation of both cities, too.

Enjoyed DC (I went when we still had a real President), hated New York. And I didn't even have a laptop bag stolen, just bolted through in a taxi cab from one airport to another once. That was more than enough for me.

[greenbriar]

9. the broadway show was cool, bought a knock off purse

had a hot dog from a street vender


those were all neat, but in general

the cold rainy weather
the thousands of people

just the noise and the hustle and bustle...

not my kind of place


but I am glad I went

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. You didn't go to New York City...you went to Midtown

It's like Disneyworld New York.

[aquart]

13. Ugh. Midtown?

As rebuilt by Disney. Yoicks. That's pretty much home to no one. Except the actors at 42nd and 10th.

What a waste of airfare. I take my guests to Chelsea Market.

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. I take my peoples to Brooklyn

;-)

[Dorian Gray]

45. That's where I live! Prospect Heights...

it's great over here! Neighborhoody! Brownstones! The Park! The Gardens! The Museum! Lots of great restaurants about 1/2 the price of Manhattan!

I avoid Midtown at all costs.

[alcibiades_mystery]

50. Lived for years on 5th Avenue between Park and Prospect

This was a little - ahem - before 5th Avenue turned into the restaurant row it is now.

I would take Brooklyn over Manhattan any day of the friggin' week, and twice on Sundays (you can't believe what they're charging for brunch in Soho!).

[Dorian Gray]

51. Oh yeah...

5th has really changed in the last ten years. It's unrecognizable to friends who have moved away and come back!

I love it now, though. I know it's a little on the hoity toity side, but there are some really good places there for (in NYC terms) a pretty reasonable price! Smith Street and Myrtle Avenue are also restaurant meccas nearby.

[alcibiades_mystery]

57. Yeah, my bro lives in Cobble Hill

So I get back there a lot. Best place in the world.

[greenbriar]

25. we were everywhere

Times Square
Battery Park
Ellis Island
Wall Street
Broadway
Rockefeller center
Ground Zero

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. The very fact that you think that's "everywhere"...

Ah, fuggedit. Hope you have a better time next time around. Guard your shit, yo.

[NuttyFluffers]

30. *ahem* those are the "rides" at Disneyland Manhattan

i was sooo sad to see what Times Square has become. but i ambled about and enjoyed the architecture of Penn Station and Grand Central, something i didn't get to do last time. to think Jackie O. had to protest to save Grand Central from being torn down and "revamped" into some probably modernist atrocity back in the 70s i believe. could you imagine some angular cubist vomit in concrete and steel with trendy condos attached? gawd, New York was truly spared that time.

[aquart]

37. Yes! Grand Central! Absolutely.

And Madison Avenue's Museum Mile where every store has to be treated as a separate museum because no way can any of us afford any of the exquisite things in them.

[leftynyc]

43. I go to Grand Central twice a day

and try and thank Jackie every single time. They were going to tear it down and she helped raise all the money to get it rennovated. It took 3 years and the result is a New York treasure. Unfortunately she died around 6 months before the rennovation was complete.

[Dorian Gray]

46. I think you mean Penn Station...

Grand Central is still pretty awesome! And worth a visit! :)

[aquart]

35. No Lincoln Center, Columbia, Harlem, Greenwich Village....

No Public Theater, Central Park, Lower East Side, Soho, Tribeca?

And 22nd Street which begins at Chelsea Piers and has blocks of galleries with odd doors until you finally get to the cake store which has everything in the world for baking. (A personal favorite.)

[Dorian Gray]

47. I had my wedding reception

at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. It's one of my favorite places to spend a really beautiful day in the city! The Bowling Alley is really fun, and I suck at golf, but I love to go to the driving range there!

[leftynyc]

42. Take it from a New Yorker

You didn't really go anywhere. Off the top of my head:

Central Park
Greenwich Village
Soho
Tribeca
Chinatown
Lincoln Center
Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Natural History Museum and countless others
Yankee Stadium (the last year of it current location)
Shea Stadium (the last year of its current location)
Madison Square Garden (the world's most famous arena - or so they say before every Knick/Ranger game)
Grand Central Station
St. Patricks Cathedral

And today is bright sunny and beautiful if a bit chilly - it's Spring so the weather is very changeable.

[Amaya]

55. exactly

i don't like hanging out in midtown- no thanks-
just came back from NYC 2 weeks ago- haven't been for 2 years... love it!
my husband lived there for years ( Harlem) so he knows all the good places. and the best cheapest places to eat.

:)

[aquart]

15. You bought a knockoff?

Oh, Lord.

[greenbriar]

18. yea, I knew it was

but it was not from one that had the purses in the blankets


this person actually had a cart

[aquart]

34. LOL!

You came to the discount capital and paid full retail for a fake. Maybe there's a tourist training course somewhere that will teach people how to shop in this city. First: NEVER BUY ANYTHING IN TIMES SQUARE OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT. And that includes the stores. Yikes.

Century 21. Did you visit Ground Zero? Across the street is Century 21. THAT'S WHERE YOU BUY YOUR HANDBAG. Argh! It's all discounted and none of it is fake.

Great shopping in the Wall Street/WTC area with lots to see as well.

The idea of coming to NYC and not shopping? WHYYYYYYY? I have cousins who fly over from London just for the weekend to do the Gap sales. (But then, the pound is worth something.)Me, I know that Gap and Banana Republic dump unsold new items end of season on the Salvation Army so I don't even bother with retail anymore.

[leftynyc]

44. Hey now!!!

I too have gone for the knockoffs when I see something special. Love to take a long walk on Canal street on a lovely day.

[aquart]

11. You had a laptop in a laptop bag?

AND YOU LEFT IT ALONE????

The mind boggles. It must have seemed like a mushroom in Alice in Wonderland, with a delightful little tag saying TAKE ME!

Here's a rule for world travel: when everything that matters is in one bag, YOU KEEP THE BAG WITH YOU.

You might wanna troll eBay and Craigslist. That was a nice haul in pricey equipment you gifted someone with.

Someone else will sympathize with you. I'm simply aghast.

[greenbriar]

14. it was one bag among 70 other bags

,

[aquart]

16. Were they all LAPTOP bags?

[greenbriar]

17. 3 were lap top bags

yes

[Dorian Gray]

48. It totally sucks...

but maybe it's a good lesson. Anything with equipment of that much value shouldn't be left alone like that on any trip! If I bring my lap top with me, I never leave it with the baggage handlers. I always keep it in my bacpack, on my person. Or in the hotel room.

Hope you get something back from insurance.

[Yael]

19. Laptops are special circumstances

You don't check them at airports and you don't check them with "luggage" at hotels.

I know it may have been an inconvenience (and heavy!) to drag along -- but they need to stay with you.

No matter the city.

[greenbriar]

21. I dont know why he brought it at all, we NEVER had time to use it

as we were busy from 7 AM to 11 PM each day!!!!!!!!!!

[Yael]

22. I do hope that you did get to see a lot while you were there.

So sorry this happened. People suck. :(

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. Yup, when I'm in transit, I don't let my laptop bag out of my sight

It goes on the plane, on the bus, on the train, sometimes even to tourist sites if I don't trust the place we're staying.

[Ilsa]

23. Sorry for yours and hubby's misfortune. Sucks. nt

[greenbriar]

24. thanks

I am sure it will work out, it just sucks right now

[ProgressiveEconomist]

27. "Sheridan Manhattan Security team sucks" Did they get you a police report?

Before you just try to forget this regrettable visit, I'd advise that you make sure hotel security gets you the paperwork you may need in the future--at the least, for taking a casualty/theft deduction on your 2008 income taxes.

Also, if you can talk to a lawyer without paying an outrageous fee, you may be able to get the hotel or the tour sponsors to pay for the cost of replacing the electronics etc--or at least pay for part of it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Home insurance also will cover some of the loss

but with a police report

[JHB]

40. Sorry you're soured on NYC...

...especially due to things that could happen anywhere: a stolen laptop bag and a few days of crummy weather.

On the off chance that there's a next time, give a shoutout on DU. There's enough New Yorkers here to give you some guidance on where to go and to shop beyond the usual tourist traps.

[BuelahWitch]

41. I'm sorry you're getting so many mean and nasty responses, Greenbriar

It can't have been easy to stay focused in a big school group like that. I hope everything works out for you. :hug:

[WilliamPitt]

52. Shoulda gone to Olive Garden

*fleeing*

[taterguy]

56. Since when are there Olive Gardens in Manhattan?

[WilliamPitt]

59. Go ask the Lounge

They'll know where it is.

OK, wait. Don't do that.

Trust me.

:)

[taterguy]

60. Why would anyone eat at Olive Garden with all the great Italian restaurants in Manhattan?

Or is that another question for the Lounge?

[WilliamPitt]

61. I double-dog dare you to ask that in the Lounge.

:)

[taterguy]

64. Done

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=7696541&mesg_id=7696541

[alcibiades_mystery]

58. Spladow

You bad.

[theboss]

53. Why were you carrying $4000 in goods in one bag?

I wouldn't do that in Topeka.

[AlCzervik]

54. I'm sorry about what happened but that could have happened anywhere, not taking

that bag with him was a really big mistake, it's like leaving anything of value in your suitcase when you check it at the airport and then finding out someone went through it took your stuff.