BATW Press Card Saves the Day

I stood in a home-design store in a mall in Corte Madera staring at the inside of my wallet.  I’d handed the saleswomen my credit card for my small purchase, but now she wanted ID.  My driver’s license was missing.  I thumbed through the business cards, insurance card, AAA card, old receipts and other detritus in my wallet.  No photo ID.  “I just realized,” I said, “that my driver’s license is in a little pouch I wear around my neck when I fly, and that it’s been there for a week since I returned home from Florida.”  The pouch was, of course, at home.  Then I spotted my own photograph in the wallet.  I pulled out my BATW press card.  “I’m a member of the Bay Area Travel Writers,” I said.

“Did you go to the Book Passage Travel Writers Conference?” the saleswoman asked.

“Yes, I did.”

“I thought your name looked familiar.  I used to work at Book Passage.  Sure, that’ll do for ID.”

I walked out of the store with my four new juice glasses.  You just never know how or when that BATW press card will come in handy.

– April Orcutt
BATW Website Editor