Today your getting "tidbits from the tired and insipid." The writer in me has been extremely quiet this week. Either she's asleep, or the rest of world is making so much darn noise that I can't hear her. In either case, the pen (rather, the keyboard) remains painfully still. Time for a little correspondence control.

First, hats off to David and Carol Lackland, owners of Lackland Self-Storage in New Jersey, who recently committed an $8 million gift toward the renovation of Centenary College in Hackettstown. The small, independent school has launched a campaign to raise $33.6 million for the expansion of buildings and programs. The couple wishes to support "an educational institution that shows so much promise." Carol is an alumnus of the college.

Earlier this week, I read an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a couple whose possessions were accidentally sold by a Public Storage facility. Apparently, the unit next to theirs was delinquent, and the manager auctioned the contents of the wrong space. The young couple claimed to have lost $25,000 worth of goods, which they were storing while their new home is being built. Clark Howard, the consumer advocate handling the case, made this ludicrous comment:

"People having problems with self-storage facilities are legendary. People have no idea how poor their rights are when they do rent from a self-storage facility. If your stuff is stolen, tough. If your stuff is damaged, tough. It's like stepping into the Wild West."

Excuse me!? Aside from the appalling grammar in the first sentence, let's think about this a minute. People have "poor rights" when renting storage? Is that so? The last time I checked, they had the right to purchase STORAGE INSURANCE, which protects them against loss. They certainly have the right to contact the agent for their homeowners' or renters' insurance and inquire about coverage. (To put all of your wordly possessions into storage and NOT insist on insurance seems downright dense.) They have the right to choose IF they store, where they store, what they store and how long they store.

Seems to me storage customers have all the rights they needif they would just exercise them.

Mistakes will happen, and I'm not saying the facility wasn't at fault in this particular situation. Fortunately for everyone involved, the person who bought the contents of the unit returned it all once he learned of the error. It's the couple's bad for not having protected themselves to the best of their abilities. (As it turns out, the manager did offer them the option to purchase insurance coverage for up to $5,000, which they declined.)

I still can't get over Howard's final comment: Using storage is like "stepping into the Wild West." Sounds like a showdown to mebetween hard-working storage operators and the ignorant, who apparently have no clue about the product, how it works and how to use it. With facilities permeating almost every market, you wouldn't expect this lack of knowledge.

So let this be a lesson to you, folks. In addition to your many hats, you'll need to wear a badge, too. Whet your spurs and shine your pistols ... Clear the tumbleweeds from your corridors ... And don't rent a unit until you see the whites of your customers' insurance documentation.

By now, most of our readers know we're heading to Reno-Tahoe for the next Inside Self-Storage Expo on July 19-22. What some you may not realize, however, is this is not a NEW offering. It isn't a "summer expo added to the already stellar lineup of ISS trade events." No. It's our fall show turned summer. Dig?

 
We've had a little confusion about this because in the past our "fall" expo was ... well ... in the fall. But after two years of battling hurricanes in Miami, Fla.; scheduling conflicts with other industry events during the Autumn months; and a reluctance to venture into holiday-window territory, we decided a change was in order. So now it's summer/family fun in Reno-Tahoe!

There are some hurdles here, without a doubt. First, we need attendees to understand (and be hip with) the date change. Pushing a show up three to four months is no minor adjustment. Second, we're now competing with many family vacation schedules. Finally, we're contending with the Self Storage Association conference in Las Vegas during early September. There's seven full weeks between the events; but some feel the locations and dates are two close together for their liking. So that's what we're facing as we market this show.

The thing is, we believe we've got a little gem here. When I first heard we were going to Reno, I admit I made the "blechy" face: Reno? BLECH. All I could envision were senior citizens in knee-high socks and sandals sitting in a dingy room playing slots. But then I started doing some investigating. Turns out Reno-Tahoe is hopping! Water recreation, cultural events, cuisine, golf ... None of these things came to my mind intially, but they're all there.

I've been reading a great blog at Visitrenotahoe.com that highlights the activities in the area. The current post is about the National Collegiate Whitewater Kayaking Competition that took place on the Truckee River just last weekend. Looking at all that fresh, cool water in the photos is enough to make me salivate. And that's just the tip of the whitewater cap.

If you've got time to check out the Reno-Tahoe blog, great. I think you'll be amazed at what goes on in "America's Adventure Place." But I'll also be highlighting a few choice attractions in this space as well as the new ISS Expo Blog, which will launch on May 8th. I've invited the top members of our tradeshow team to share their insights and keep you updated on all our event happenings. You'll find this at www.insideselfstorage.com/expo.

On a side note: I mentioned in a recent post that I was to attend the Valley of the Sun Tattoo Convention. Several of you have asked, "Did you get some new ink?" As a matter of fact, I did. And, yes, it's in a socially acceptable/viewable location. But I'm not going to post a pic in this blog. You'll just have to catch me in Reno!

Raelene Gosselin is an 11-year-old foster child in Manitoba, Canada, and she's asking for support. I was happy to read in today's Winnipeg Sun that she's already getting some assistance from Murray and Linda Pitt of Merlyn Self-Storage (they've donated a free storage unit to Raelene's cause). It's always refreshing to see people in our business lending a helping hand.

Here's what's going down: Raelene has been in foster care since she was two. And in that time, she's met many other kids like herself, many of whom feel displaced and lonely and carry their few personal belongings around in plastic garbage bags.

Raelene read about a girl in the States who launched a campaign to collect duffle bags and small pieces of luggage for foster children. Recognizing there are 6,000 kids in foster care in Manitoba alone, she's now intiated her own drive. She's been using her allowance to buy bags as well as stuffed animals to put in them; but it might take her a while to hit the 6,000 mark! Obviously, donations would be very appreciated.

Merlyn Self-Storage has provided Raelene with a storage unit to use as a drop-off point for contributions. If you live in the Winnipeg area or are willing to mail donations, the facility address is 545 Hervo St., Winnipeg, MB R3T 3L6, Canada. The phone number is 204.453.0000. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

It's very easy in this age of super-highway-wal-mart-fast-food-everything-self-serve-and-conveniently-packaged to walk around in a haze of perpetual disconnection from humanity. So when you see someone, particularly a child, with a semi-utopian vision, it's like witnessing falling star: No matter how often you see one, it's never any less spectacular.

Raelene wants other foster children to know they're not alone; and I'd like Raelene to know she's not alone. It's time to boot the garbage bag for these kids! So please send new or gently used duffle bags, sport bags, small luggage and stuffed animals to Manitoba. Don't we all have at least three collecting dust in a closet somewhere?