HOW BEST TO ESCAPE

IF CAR HITS A CANAL?

• Q: I've read of people whose cars have gone into canals and many have died. I have been advised to keep a center punch in the car to break the window to escape from a sinking car. I wonder whether the center punch will work on tinted windows or if the film will hold the window together and not allow it to shatter. Can Action Line tell me the best way to save my life if my car is sinking and I have tinted windows?

Ruth Rossin,

Margate

A. Although a center punch is a handy tool to shatter a window, it won't help if your car windows are tinted. A center punch will shatter the window, but the tinting film will hold the glass in place.

The LifeHammer, which costs less than $25, will crack the glass and push out the entire window. The Fort Lauderdale-based company has sold more than 5,000 of its lightweight LifeHammers since March 2001, Elicia Lowitz, the company's owner, said.

The brightly colored device, which can be mounted to the gearbox or other durable parts of the car interior, weighs less than four ounces and comes with a razor-sharp knife blade that will cut seat belts during an emergency.

It can also be a lifesaver in accidents that aren't water-related, Lowitz said.

Smashing the windows can be helpful if doors are jammed after a collision or in rollover accidents.

Call LifeHammer at 888-494-6849 or log onto its website at http://www.lifehammersales.com.

RECALL

FAULTY WIRING

IN MICROWAVES

• Samsung Electronics is recalling 183,897 defective microwave ovens that were installed in recreational vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The appliances have faulty wiring that can cause them to start without anyone having pressed the key pad. Samsung is asking customers not to store items in the microwaves and to unplug them if possible.

The items were sold between January 1999 and September of this year. Samsung will rewire the ovens for free through recreational vehicle dealers. Details at http://www.samsung.com.

ACTION REACTION

FOR INJURED PETS,

THERE'S FINANCIAL AID

• After reading about the cat with bladder stones (Sept. 25), I wanted to let people know about www.im om.org, an Internet based and registered charity.

IMOM's mission is that no pet should have to be euthanized simply because its owner is financially challenged.

It's a volunteer-run organization that helps people with financial aid for injured and sick pets.

IMOM (In Memory of Magic) is named for the founder's late cat. It has funds for diabetic pets, pets with chronic renal failure, blind dogs and an emergency fund for animals involved in car accidents or requiring immediate lifesaving surgery. Several vets in South Florida work with it.

You do need to have online access to get the application. If you don't have a computer, ask a friend to help you. (Even your vet may be able to help; it never hurts to ask.)

I don't work for IMOM, but I do donate to its programs. I count myself lucky to be able to afford excellent veterinary care for my insulin-dependent, diabetic cat.

If folks would like to join donor/sponsor programs, there are links from the main page for that also.

Karen Llera,

Davie

INQUIRY

INS CEREMONY KAPUT;

WHERE TO TURN NEXT?

• Q: I am contacting you on behalf of my brother. His naturalization ceremony was to be Dec. 17, 2002. On Dec. 10, he received a notice that it had been canceled.

On Feb. 26 and July 8, he tried to find out what was going on. We have yet to receive an answer. Can Action Line shed any light on this?

Lauren D. Williams,

Miami

A. Your brother will be rescheduled eventually.

The ceremony was canceled because the federal Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services needed to conduct security background checks.

''We are now moving forward on a case-by-case basis,'' Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for BCIS in Miami, said. She was unable to estimate how long it would take to get everyone from the canceled ceremony sworn in as citizens. She did say, though, that there's a naturalization ceremony every other month.

Write Action Line,

The Miami Herald, 1 Herald

Plaza, Miami, FL 33132, or

call 305-376-3000.

In Broward, call 954-463-0404.

Or e-mail

actionline@herald.com

Thanks for all your inquiries. We wish we could answer, solve or even acknowledge every request you make. This isn't possible.

Do not send original documents; send copies only. We cannot be responsible for the safekeeping or return of original documents.