How I lost my backpack with passports and laptop

Passports, Phones, and “Life Support Devices”

• Some treat their backpack or phone as a “life support device,” but several note this breaks down for international travel.
• One camp would rather be stuck abroad with a working phone than a passport, citing ability to call family, embassy, arrange money, etc.
• Others say passports are uniquely hard to replace and phones are annoying but survivable; they highlight the lack of true backup for passports.
• Practical tips include memorizing at least one contact, relying on hotels/friends, and keeping IDs separate rather than all in one bag.

Phenibut, Side Effects, and Drug Policy

• Many were unfamiliar with phenibut; others describe it as a powerful GABAergic anti-anxiety agent, “too good to be true” and very risky.
• Anecdotes mention severe withdrawal, overuse horror stories, possible long-term cognitive issues, and its ban in some places.
• One user reports strong social-anxiety relief if used no more than once a week and never redosed same day.
• Debate: paternalistic bans vs bodily autonomy.
  • Pro-ban side: society and families bear the costs; some people misuse anything available and need “nannying.”
  • Anti-ban / libertarian side: risky behavior is tolerated in many domains (motorcycles, skydiving, alcohol); bans easily slide into broader rights violations.
  • Others argue for nuanced regulation between “order online freely” and outright prohibition.

Theft, Urban Safety, and CCTV

• Multiple stories of bags stolen or lost in London pubs and returned only partially, if at all; author is seen as unusually lucky.
• Some describe long-standing petty theft in London, the need to keep a foot through bag straps, dress down, and hide signs of expensive devices.
• Comments suggest police often treat property crime as low priority; overflowing prisons and underfunded forces are cited.
• CCTV is often low-quality, short-retention, or unused; it may help with insurance more than catching thieves.

Travel Security and Digital Resilience

• Strategies: reduce the number of critical items carried together, keep passports on-body in inner pockets, and use decoy/old-looking bags and cases.
• AirTags (or similar trackers) in bags and wallets are praised as a major quality-of-life upgrade.
• Some travelers print critical info (IDs, reservations, maps) as backup; others rely on cloud-stored scans plus a device.
• There’s an extended side-thread on 2FA:
  • Some offload 2FA to password managers or avoid it when possible.
  • One argument claims strong unique passwords alone are usually enough and 2FA is mostly “security theater,” while others strongly disagree.
  • Various backup schemes are discussed (spare phones, microSD with encrypted data, yubikeys, trusted contacts, even lawyers holding secrets).

Lost-and-Found and “Pay It Forward”

• Several recount passports, wallets, and bags being found and returned thanks to address/phone info inside, sometimes with cash missing but documents intact.
• Stories span London, Toronto, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Germany, and US towns.
• Many highlight how unexpectedly honest finders—and the decision to “do the right thing”—can completely change the outcome, reinforcing a “pay it forward” ethic.