Spring Break
Avoid getting busted pipes … and getting busted period
Amy Walker
Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: Opinion
• Arrange to have your mail forwarded or stopped for the time you are gone. The personal financial statements, bank checks, pre-approved credit offers, and credit card convenience checks sitting in your mail box are a one-stop-shop for an identity thief. A five-minute trip to the post office could save you months, even years, of untangling fraudulent charges in your name.
• Pay January's rent in advance. It's so easy to get caught up in visiting with relatives and friends and forget your first of the month rent payment. Don't let a mess of late fees or worse, a three day notice to pay or be evicted be your reminders.
Now that you have battened down the hatches on your homestead, consider these additional and important tips from attorney Rob Lowrey.
As you head off for Winter break, remember to secure all of your valuables and personal items that you are leaving behind. Don't leave anything out in plain view that you wouldn't want your landlord or the furnace repairman to find. (Just to be safe, assume they will be paying a visit in your absence.)
Take care as you get ready to leave, too. Be very careful what you pack in your luggage or on your person. Nobody likes that "oh, I forgot that was there!" surprise at the airport or on the side of the road.
Remember my three simple rules: Be Smart, Be Nice and Be Quiet.
I developed these rules mainly for police contacts, but more and more I find that they work very well the rest of the time, too. Think before you say or do anything. Be ultra-polite. Say as little as possible.
In other words: Have fun, but keep a low profile and make sure your fun does not come at someone else's expense.
This includes other people's property, safety and, last but certainly not least, their sleep. Waking up a fellow citizen, or their kids, in the middle of the night is a sure-fire way to bring the police down on your celebration.
While you are out and about, don't let your guard down just because it's the holidays. It may be tempting to run a little wild with friends you haven't seen since summer, or head off on an epic road trip to the mountains, just make sure no one gets into any more trouble than absolutely necessary.
Congratulations on a successful semester, and have a great break!
Amy Walker is a staff attorney for Student Legal Services. SLS' column appears biweekly Mondays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
• Pay January's rent in advance. It's so easy to get caught up in visiting with relatives and friends and forget your first of the month rent payment. Don't let a mess of late fees or worse, a three day notice to pay or be evicted be your reminders.
Now that you have battened down the hatches on your homestead, consider these additional and important tips from attorney Rob Lowrey.
As you head off for Winter break, remember to secure all of your valuables and personal items that you are leaving behind. Don't leave anything out in plain view that you wouldn't want your landlord or the furnace repairman to find. (Just to be safe, assume they will be paying a visit in your absence.)
Take care as you get ready to leave, too. Be very careful what you pack in your luggage or on your person. Nobody likes that "oh, I forgot that was there!" surprise at the airport or on the side of the road.
Remember my three simple rules: Be Smart, Be Nice and Be Quiet.
I developed these rules mainly for police contacts, but more and more I find that they work very well the rest of the time, too. Think before you say or do anything. Be ultra-polite. Say as little as possible.
In other words: Have fun, but keep a low profile and make sure your fun does not come at someone else's expense.
This includes other people's property, safety and, last but certainly not least, their sleep. Waking up a fellow citizen, or their kids, in the middle of the night is a sure-fire way to bring the police down on your celebration.
While you are out and about, don't let your guard down just because it's the holidays. It may be tempting to run a little wild with friends you haven't seen since summer, or head off on an epic road trip to the mountains, just make sure no one gets into any more trouble than absolutely necessary.
Congratulations on a successful semester, and have a great break!
Amy Walker is a staff attorney for Student Legal Services. SLS' column appears biweekly Mondays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
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