The Internet suggests that one cover up the brand name on one’s expensive electronic devices to deter thieves while traveling in India.
For example, if one were to take a Nikon D50 on such a trip, she should buy some black electrical tape and cover all the places where it says “Nikon.” ‘Cus maybe the thieves will think it’s an Acme-made SLR camera and not worth taking. Hell, one might as well cover up the name on the lens cap. Do the thieves know if Tamron is a good brand?
Approximately four weeks before departure, one might test this out to see how it looks, and note that the raised letters on the camera strap can sort of be made out under the electrical tape, but like the effect anyway.
The next day, one might think one’s camera is broken, because the flash won’t pop up. This has happened before, but usually turning the camera off and on, and switching the dial from “Auto” to something else and back will make the thing pop up. But that doesn’t happen this time. And one worries that she might have botched a day of shooting on a speedboat in the bay, because it was cloudy and she had no flash.
One might google “flash doesn’t pop up” and fret that she’ll have to send her camera to Nikon to be repaired, because that’s what someone on the Internet had to do, but be relieved and more than a little ashamed to discover that her flash won’t pop up because it has been electrical-taped shut.
She might also regret having covered her camera in electrical tape when a visitor to the office admires the camera and examines it to see what make it is.
“Oh, it’s a Nikon,” she could say. “I just covered all the ‘Nikons’ up. For some reason.”
She knows the reason, of course, but doesn’t want to say, because it’s probably better not to mention she’s taking her work camera to India.
Kari Neumeyer 