Travel
Safety 2
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Basic Safety Tips continued...5)
It's your Bag: Never let go of your shoulder bag. When walking,
it goes across your body, resting in front of you, or under your
armpit, but not over your shoulder. When sitting, take it off
by all means, but put your arm or leg through the strap. The same
goes for your camera. When sleeping in a bus, train or vulnerable
room, lock your bags up, and then lock them to something immovable.
Bag snatchers are not uncommon in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France
and Greece, in addition to more obvious places like Turkey, Peru,
Brazil, Jamaica.
6) Speak the Language: Apart from making life easier, a small grasp of the language will also help you to develop protective relationships, to earn a degree of respect from lightweight thieves, and to slip into the background more easily. It's smart to read up on local culture and traditions too.
7) Safety in Numbers: Travel in pairs if possible. If not, be wary but not paranoid, of friendly local people. Most of the time they will be genuine.
8) Calculate it: Ensure that you recognise and understand the values of different local banknotes, especially in areas of high inflation. Work out how much you should get before you go anywhere near the change place. Carry a calculator and be seen to use it when you change money, even at official currency change shops. Beware of sleight-of-hand merchants, especially when changing money on the street. Count the money in your hand, and don't allow him/her to recount in his hand!
9) Don't take the Biscuit: Avoid food and drink offerings from strangers. They can be drugged, a growing global habit, though especially prevalent in Latin America and South East Asia.
10)
Driving crazy: Beware the flat tyre and the helpful
locals who distract you with fast talking assistance while an
associate surreptitiously rifles your vehicle. Especially a problem
around Barcelona and Madrid, but also known in France and Mexico.
11) Don't give it away: in some countries, such as Pakistan and the Russian Federation, conmen sometimes pose as secret police, demanding to see passports and other documets, even money. They then either disappear with your valuables or hassle you for a bribe to let you go. Check their documents carefully first, before letting go of your valuables!
12) Log on: Deposit important data (passport/credit card/travellers cheque etc. numbers) onto a secure web site - maybe scans of key pages - so if you are relieved of your kit you can retrieve the data from a local cyber café. The Lonely Planet site Ekno page, is one organ that provides this free service, or use a Hotmail or Yahoo! account and mail yourself the data.
13) Unlucky for some... get insurance! One in seven British travellers on overseas trips don't have any insurance. This is madness, and I speak as one who has been robbed three times, had bags crushed once, and had to cancel a trip through family illness on another occasion. In every case I was fully reimbursed -less a small excess charge - by my insurers. Problems and accidents are far, far more frequent abroad, and local assistance may be very costly. For example, a broken leg in the USA may cost up to £10,000, yet a year's worldwide insurance with a good company will cost well under £100. Me, I'd rather skimp on home insurance than travel insurance. Safety first!
14)
Lock
yourself up!
Ensure your bedroom door locks/bolts from the inside, especially
in lower level establishments. If not, stick a chair under the
door handle or push something heavy in front of it. Always
keep it locked when you are asleep. Young backpackers are especially careless/trusting in this way and vulnerable after a hard night's bingeing.
15) And for the really paranoid: Carry a card that contains the following information: your blood type, allergies, medical conditions, any medication you must have, your insurance company, who to contact in an emergency and other safety details. Avoid advertising yourself as an employee of a prominent global
company.
Traveling outside your country can be dangerous if you do not plan ahead. Purchasing a cell phone that can work abroad on foreign wireless cell networks is important. Blackberry is known to have the one of the best phone devices for travellers and owner of a wireless communication company. Many BlackBerry device owners get free BlackBerry apps to help guide them when they are away from home.
1)
Usually totally safe: 2)
Generally non violent thieving: 3)
Sometimes violent thieving: 4)
Don't even consider (unless escorted): * safety depends on the region of the country you're in.
The
world's least safe streets 1)
Snake Alley, Taipei 2) Khao San Road, Bangkok 3) King's Cross, Sydney 4)
Times Square, New York
Travel Safety part 1 | Travel Robbery Stories | Dangerous Animals UK Emergency Travel Documents Information (lost or stolen passports) | Travel Health Any comments or suggestions?
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