Travel letters: A better way to save money on cellphone insurance

There’s something much better than cellphone insurance mentioned in “Good Calls When It Comes to Cellphones” [More for Your Money, by Jill Schensul, Oct. 12]: Here’s what I do:

1. Buy my own phone and get less expensive service. For the last few years, my choice has been T-Mobile. Not only are the rates better than the others, the international service is spectacular if it’s a country that has T-Mobile’s parent, Vodafone. Unlimited 3G just like at home.

2. Use a service that uses SIM cards (AT&T, T-Mobile). You’ll see why that’s important in a minute.

3. Buy a spare phone, preferably the same model as your main phone. That way it can share batteries and accessories.

4. Get a spare SIM card from your carrier (sometimes it charges for this, sometimes it doesn’t).

5. Set up a free phone-locating service such as Lookout.

What happens if I lose my phone? I cancel my existing SIM, activate my spare SIM online, put it in my spare phone, and I have cell service in a few minutes. I then order another spare SIM to put in the drawer. Activating the new SIM cancels the old SIM so no one can use my phone if they find it.

If you use a carrier that doesn’t use SIM, you have to call them and spend up to 30 minutes “registering” your new phone. It’s much faster and easier to switch SIM cards.

What happens if I find my old phone? I throw away that SIM (after it’s canceled it can’t be reused) and put the phone in the drawer until next time. Or go back to using that phone if I haven’t finished setting up the new phone yet.

If I don’t find my old phone, I buy another one.

The best part: If you have multiple phones, such as for a family or small business, one extra phone and SIM can be the spare for everyone. For a family of four, you’re saving $80 per month ($10 on insurance and $10 on service per phone). That really adds up.

Michael Freed

Los Angeles

A scary ride at Pike Place Market in Seattle

I enjoyed Christopher Reynolds’ writing on Seattle’s Pike Place Market [“Pike’s Peaks,” Oct. 12]. I lived in the northern part of Seattle and seldom visited that area.

Now I live in California, but I returned to Seattle to attend my high school class reunion. Afterward, I decided to finally visit Pike Place Market. It was many, many steps from the harbor — where a ferry had deposited me after a quick trip to Victoria, Canada — and I was about to walk away when a couple saw me looking at the long hike up and directed me to a nearby elevator.

I entered and pressed the buttons and the elevator began moving, but then it stopped. I pressed the button again and again, but no movement. I knew I was in trouble. Would anybody realize there was someone in the elevator? I continued punching the button and, by some miracle, the elevator moved.

The doors opened and I found myself in the produce department. A man working there said the elevator had been abandoned many years ago because it continued to break down and nobody thought to put an “out of order” sign on it. He told me that I should consider myself lucky and continued to tell other workers my story. They were amazed the elevator even started.

Unless you have had a similar experience, you have no idea what the word “fear” is.

Jayne Antes

via email

travel@latimes.com