Traveling scams

If it had been an email or Facebook status, I would have thought it was one of those scams, "I'm in London and my wallet was stolen, and I just need someone to wire me $400 to pay my hotel bill..." Instead, the plea came via phone with Math Man on the other end. His wallet hadn't been stolen, in fact, and he didn't need me to wire him money but his ATM card had expired. (He was on a 10-day trip, with stops in Augusta, GA and Seattle, WA.) Was the new one on his desk somewhere? (It was.) Could I send it to him? (Yes.)

He noted wryly that you can get pretty far with $2.64 in your pocket and a credit card. I said it was rather like the pilgrimages some Jesuit novices make - a bus ticket, $25 and instructions to make your way home. "Yeah, except for the credit card."