An Inauspicious Start

We leave for our big Morocco Trip today, and we're pretty much ready. Except for one thing. I lost my camera. My Canon 40D, with the 28-135 IS lens. Needless to say, I'm pretty pissed, as I was really looking forward to taking the best pictures I was capable of in Africa.

How did I lose it? I left it in the back seat of my Avis rental car at the Philadelphia airport. Yes, that was pretty dumb. I was at work in Pennsylvania all week, and had been leaving it in the car while I was working , since cameras are prohibited there, and that worked out fine. But when it was time to leave, I moved it to the back seat so it wouldn't get crushed by the luggage. When we dropped the car off, I must have forgotten to check the back seat. I don't know how. That's very unlike me. I'm usually pretty anal about checking rental cars, hotel rooms etc., and I've never left anything in either place before.

I didn't realize it was gone until this morning when I went to clean off my compact flash cards. I called Avis, and they've checked the safes and no one has turned it in. My only hope now is that it's still in the car with the next renter, and that they and anyone else who has come in contact with it is a moral, ethical person and does the right thing and turns it in to Avis lost and found at the Philadelphia airport.

That being said, we still have three other cameras that are going with us. I have my Sony DSC-H2 back from a friend we had loaned it to, but now I've got to go get some memory stick pro duo cards on the way to JFK airport. I'm determined to not let this ruin our trip, and I'll sort out whatever options may be available to me when I get back.

Wish us luck, and we'll update en route or when we get back.

Update 7/25. The camera has not reappeared. Avis has been no help, Johnson Controls Travel Department has been no help. Right now I'm considering the camera stolen. The thugs at Avis stole my camera. Still trying to figure out what options I may have on replacement.