Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may
require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card com-
panies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or
stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver
an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's U.S. emergency number is
&
800/847-2911
or 410/581-9994. American Express cardholders and trav-
eler's check holders should call
&
800/221-7282.
MasterCard holders should
call
&
800/307-7309
or 636/722-7111. For other credit cards, call the toll-
free number directory at
&
800/555-1212.
If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and
American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via
Western Union
(
&
800/325-6000;
www.westernunion.com).
Identity theft or fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet,
especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit
cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a
fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal
activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are
Equifax
(
&
800/
766-0008;
www.equifax.com),
Experian
(
&
888/397-3742;
www.experian.
com), and
TransUnion
(
&
800/680-7289;
www.transunion.com). Finally, if
you've lost all forms of photo ID call your airline and explain the situation;
they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your pass-
port or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed.
Newspapers & Magazines
The
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
and
Seattle
Times
are Seattle's two daily newspapers.
Seattle Weekly
is the city's free
arts-and-entertainment weekly.
Pharmacies
Conveniently located downtown pharmacies include
Rite Aid,
319 Pike St. (
&
206/223-0512
), and also at 2603 Third Ave. (
&
206/441-
8790). Alternatively, call Rite Aid (
&
800/748-3243
) for the location near-
est you. For 24-hour service, try
Bartell Drug Store,
600 First Ave. N.
(
&
206/284-1353
) in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood.
Photographic Needs
Cameras West,
1908 Fourth Ave. (
&
206/622-0066
),
is right downtown and offers 1-hour film processing. It's open Monday
through Friday from 9:30am to 6pm, and on Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
Police
For police emergencies, phone
&
911.
Restrooms
There are public restrooms in Pike Place Market, Westlake
Center, Pacific Place, Seattle Center, and the Washington State Convention
& Trade Center. You'll also find restrooms in most hotel lobbies and coffee
bars in downtown Seattle.
Safety
Although Seattle is a relatively safe city, it has its share of crime.
The most questionable neighborhood you're likely to visit is the Pioneer
Square area, which is home to more than a dozen bars and nightclubs. By
day, this area is quite safe (though it has a large contingent of street peo-
ple), but late at night, when the bars are closing, stay aware of your sur-
roundings and keep an eye out for suspicious characters and activities.
Also take extra precautions with your wallet or purse when you're in the
crush of people at Pike Place Market. Whenever possible, try to park your
car in a garage, instead of on the street, at night. If you must park on the
