Some
Travel Safety advice and incidents over the last few years:
For
up-to-date terrorist information: please
check the excellent Foreign
Office [FO] world travel safety site [Yes, Americans too!].
But note that Government warnings tend to be extremely cautious.
Read the papers, watch the news, judge for yourself - travelling
when things are a little hairy means fewer tourists, more room availability,
less cost, more cool. Life is a gamble...
A
Rome pickpocket incident:
Pay special attention to your neighbours when in cramped, pushy
situations like getting on to crowded tube trains. Smartly dressed
young men are the most likely suspects and often work in pairs,
selecting you before you board the train and spotting where you
keep your wallet.
In a Bugattempt one smart young man entered the metro car first,
then 'accidentally' blocked the way in, causing a shoving confusion,
giving his accomplice the chance to barge forward and dip a Bugpocket.
Unfortunately for them the Bugpocket was sealed with velcro and
the owner was nervously alert with the Bughand hovering nearby -
which caught a couple of strange fingers in flagrante delicto.
No further action was taken as a metro car is not a good place to
challenge a couple of desperate Albanians.
Traditionally thievery in Italy is blamed on gypsies and their fast-moving
kids, though these days Albanian and Croatian illegal immigrants
are a more popular butt of crime stories.
Padlocks
on luggage passing through US airports:
The US Transportation Security Administration demands that all luggage travelling thru/from/to US airports,
whatever the airline, must be either unlocked or locked with approved
padlocks. See the TSA website for lock listings.
If you use other locks baggage screeners may break the locks and
will not accept responsibility for the damage.
Do not pack valuables in your bags!
France
is a Gas!
Mobile Homers beware. French thieves have taken to pumping anaesthetic
gas into camping cars, then robbing the vehicles at their leisure
while the owners sleep through, waking to a headache and no possessions.
Prevention: a] install a gas detector b] only camp at official sites
c] don't go to France [but then you'd miss the sights, weather and
food!].
Eurostar,
Gare du Nord, Paris:
Beware 'kind' men offering assistance at the incomprehensible ticket
machines at Gare du Nord station. They usually buy you unusable
tickets and charge you a silly price. Make sure you have €uros
change and don't accept help from anyone!
Locking
suitcases:
Recent problems with an expensive combination lock on a suitcase
were solved by popping open the lock with one twist of a screwdriver.
And if I can do it, so can anyone.
Furthermore, on investigation, little mass-produced 'travel' padlocks
that you can buy from travel carousels at airports and in many shops
all used the same key. Thus any half-intelligent,
thieving baggage handler/room maid would need to make only a small
investment in a couple of popular keys [e.g. the 'Go' brand] to
get access to many cases.
Moral: Don't use combination locks and buy your padlocks from a
locksmith beforehand, including a spare, and check they require
different keys to open them.
Transport
troubles...
Unlicensed taxis are occasionally driven by muggers and rapists
it seems - a global development as unpleasant reports have arrived
from Bangkok [Thailand], Cusco [Peru], Mexico City and Prague [Czech
Republic] on the same subject.
The obvious solution, if you can afford it, is always get a cab
from a taxi rank or hotel or at least hail one that looks official
- with a sign on the roof. Check the driver's photo licence. In
Thailand get a taxi rather than the quaint but dodgy tuk-tuks.
Unfortunately
crowded public transport in many locations is also a thief's paradise
- pickpockets can discreetly extract valuables even from zipped
pockets on buses and trams, as Peter Thorpe of Staffs, UK discovered
recently in Prague. He points out in The Times that you should be
wary while waiting in addition to when aboard as thieves may note
the location of valuables before boarding.
Safety should be high on the priorities list, even if it hammers
the budget.
Moral: Official taxis and better quality hotel rooms will help preserve
your valuables and more...
Thailand Special! Lovely, must-see country, culture and beaches but...
- Petty thievery is common in Bangkok, bigger resorts and small
cheap hotels, so look out for your valuables, especially if you're
busy getting wrecked so secure your goodies before a night on the rampage.
- Private long-distance buses have a terrible reputation. Thievery is rife on board especially during overnight trips and actively supported by many bus operators, including stowing a lad with a light and lock-picks in the luggage hold during the entire journey! Locks are no protection, keep all valuables on your body and beware when the lights go out! And/or take a bus from a government bus station.
- Also use a little common sense about going off to lonely places
with friendly Thais, and do not take unmarked taxis, particularly
women.
- Ensure hotel rooms are secured at night, sneak in thievery is
common, especially in cheap hotels where locks are inefficient.
Stick a chair or wedge under the door.
General
advice for most of the world:
1)
Low Profile: Wear minimum jewellery, casual clothes, and keep
cameras inside a discrete bag. Try to relax and look like you
belong there.
2)
Danger Zones: Be particularly aware of your safety in crowded
areas such as local festivals, markets, crowded tourist sites,
railway and bus stations, and of course, on trains and buses.
Sometimes it pays to go first class or hire a guide.
3)
Stash your Cash: Avoid wallets or purses. Keep enough money for
your immediate needs in your (button down/zippered?) pocket, and
the rest hidden on your body or, better, inside a *locked bag
in a safety deposit box. Have different forms of funds in different
places. Remember your air ticket and films are valuable too.
*a little lockable bag, deposited at reception instead of the
ubiquitous brown envelope provided in many lower class establishments,
will discourage the hotel receptionist from checking on your stash
later, or using your credit cards to buy himself a new hi-fi system,
or from removing the bottom traveller's checks.
4)
Wild Cards:
ATMs:
- Ensure no one can see your credit card code number when you
key it into an ATM [bank cash machine], or you may find a bogeyman
has memorised it and will later steal your card and buy himself
some new toys with it.
- If your card doesn't reappear from the ATM, check that there
isn't a tiny foil loop blocking its exit - a device known as the
Lebanese loop that allows the thief to retrieve your card later.
The latest scam involves thieves putting a thin, clear, rigid
plastic sleeve into the ATM card slot. When you insert your card,
the machine can't read the strip, so it keeps asking you to re-enter
your PIN number.
Meanwhile, someone behind you watches as you tap in your number.
Eventually you give up, thinking the machine has swallowed your
card and you walk away. The thieves then remove the plastic sleeve
complete with card, and empty your account.
The way to avoid this is to run your finger along the card slot
before you put your card in. The sleeve has a couple of tiny prongs
that the thieves need to get the sleeve out of the slot, and you'll
be able to feel them.
General:
- Keep the card in sight at all times, even in shops/restaurants
if possible. e.g. Follow the waiter the the till to watch the
transaction being processed. On-the-spot card cloning is rampant.
Destroy any carbon copies.
- Sign your card immediately you receive it.
- Destroy/shred statements/documents that contain your personal
details/account details - don't put them in the dustbin.
- take only the cards you intend to use so you can see more easily
if a card goes missing.
- inform your bank of travel plans so a] they don't stop your
card in the wrong place b] they can monitor suspicious activity.
- Keep receipts and check against statements regularly.
The
pictures above show two places where the Bugcrew have been robbed
[non-violently].
Left, Cuzco market, Peru. Right, Kuta beach, Bali, Indonesia.
The
cities where you have most chance of being robbed, information from
the Daily Telegraph:
1:
Kingston, Jamaica
"Crime against tourists is increasing despite government efforts."
2:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
"Crime levels remain high, exacerbated by police corruption
and inaction."
3:
Cape Town, South Africa
"Street crime remains serious and guns are a part of everyday
life."
4:
Mexico City, Mexico 5:
St Petersburg, Russia 6:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
7:
Bangkok, Thailand 8:
Washington, USA 9:
Rome, Italy 10:
Athens, Greece
Countries
where Brits have most chance of getting into trouble or sick and asking help from the British Embassy, according to the UK Foreign
Office:
-
Thailand [ x5 more likely to die than when visiting India!] -
India -
Greece -
Spain -
Czech Republic [probable cause: Stag Parties!]
Generally
problems are caused by cheap flights delivering visitors lacking
in both preparation and travel insurance. Exotic travel is serious
business, be prepared!
For
more safety tips go to Travel Safety
part 2 | Travel Robbery Stories | Dangerous
Animals
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