A young lad, fresh to the banking world, was recently sent on his first business trip to the US. Before setting off, the already nervous banker’s colleagues put him on edge, telling him horror stories of lost luggage, overbooked flights and even a stolen passport and wallet. So he decided to put his Boy Scout skills to use and be prepared for it all.
The chap meticulously made copies of all of his documents and separated his passport, driver’s licence and credit cards in two wallets, hoping that if one got stolen, the other would be fine. He put one wallet in each of his trouser pockets.
Everything in the trip seemed to go off without a hitch. The young man got through the international transfer security in Seoul and boarded his flight to New York with time to spare. But soon after take-off, he noticed someone rummaging through a bag in his overhead compartment. Fearing this could be an airplane thief he had been warned about, he quickly grabbed his bag and put it under his seat. As he did so, he realised his pockets felt oddly light.
That’s when it hit him. This ultra-cautious young traveller, who was not used to walking around with two wallets, had left one of them on the security conveyor belt in Seoul, effectively dumping his credit cards and licence. It was a nightmare at the time but it taught him a key principle that will guide him throughout his career — don’t leave your wallet in Seoul airport.