My wife, Sandy, and I arrived in Hong Kong, China, a stop on our ’round-the-world trip, in July 2013. Looking for excitement, we took the funicular to the top of Victoria Peak. There were lots of little fast-food joints up there plus, at the terminus of the road up to the peak, a place that was definitely upscale. It was in a very fine contemporary house sitting across the street from and south of the terminus for the funicular.

We went in. Most diners were eating family style,...

A reader mentioned that when he travels, he now carries a note from his doctor explaining that he has an artificial knee (May ’14, pg. 43).

My surgeon’s office provided me with a plastic, credit-card-sized card that reads, “The joint prosthesis implanted in this patient may activate metal detection devices,” followed by my name, implant type (knee), date of surgery and name of surgeon. On the other side is the name and address of the hospital.

If I set off the alarm at airport...

I would like to respond to the letter written by a traveler with an artificial knee.

Starting in 1998, after my initial hip-replacement surgery, I have traveled overseas numerous times. Since 2001, I have had another hip replacement, two knee replacements and a titanium bolt placed in my shoulder. 

After each surgery, I was given a card, similar to a credit card, with my name, date of surgery, doctor, hospital, type of implant and manufacturer. Those cards stay with me in my...