Safety and
Security for the International Traveler
Please read, first, Notes from a Former
Passport Officer.
With all I have read about travel safety, I get the impression that
it is risky to leave home. Is that true?
Should I register with the US Embassy when I arrive at
my destination?
Do pickpockets target tourists?
Is there
anything I have to worry about in particular?
How should I carry my purse?
How should I arrange my stuff when I go out for a day of
sightseeing?
What are common con-artist scams?
Should I take any special precautions if traveling by train?
Any special advice for women?
Any further reading?
With all I have read about travel safety, I get the impression that
it is risky to leave home. Is that true?
Travel guidebooks outline basic security precautions and areas
of local concern. Any place on the face of this earth has its safer and
more dangerous areas. Rely on local advice as to places to avoid or to be
extra-vigilant while visiting. (Personnel at your hotel front desk can be
invaluable sources of local information.)
The reason why there is the appearance of higher risk is because the
consequences of being a crime victim while traveling are greater.
Imagine losing your purse or wallet in your hometown. You call the
police, make a report, call the Auto Club for help with your car, call a
friend for an emergency loan of cash, report all your credit cards as
stolen, and start replacing your driver's license, ATM card and other
important documents. All transactions are in American English. You place
your phone calls from your home using local or toll-free numbers.
Imagine losing your purse or wallet in rural France. You call the
police, try to find someone who speaks some English to take the report,
call home to get an emergency loan of cash, wait several days, deal with
your credit card companies long distance from France and all this in a
mixture of French and English from your hotel room. In addition, you have
the problem of getting a temporary replacement passport, meaning you might have to
travel to Paris to visit the US Embassy in person, and you must now deal with
your airline to report the stolen ticket and arrange a replacement. Your
stress and hassle factor is much higher than if you were the victim of the
same mishap at home.
The risk of losing your purse or wallet are probably the same, but the
consequences are higher.
Should I register with the US Embassy when I
arrive at my destination?
The State Dept recommends you register with the US Embassy in your
destination if:
- You plan an extended stay in that country (longer than a couple of
weeks).
- The local political situation is unstable and there is a chance of
emergency evacuation of US citizens.
- You are engaged in activites that might increase your chances of
getting your passport stolen.
If you register with the US Embassy, you will have an easier time
getting your passport replaced in the event of its being lost or stolen.
If there is some emergency reason for the Embassy to contact you, they
will know where to find you. Registration is simple. You go to the US
Embassy in person, with your passport, and fill out a form with your local
address.
Do pickpockets target tourists?
Yes, of course. If you were a pickpocket, wouldn't you prefer a
victim who will be leaving town in a few days, unable to speak the local
language, and unwilling to return to be a witness should you be arrested
or put to trial? Pickpockets know this, as do police who see arrest and
prosecution of pickpockets who prey on tourists as an exercise in
futility.
Tourists are seeing some magnificant sight for the first time and are
more likely to be engrossed in that sight and unaware of people around
them. Residents of the city have seen the magnificant sight thousands of
times and know to pay more attention to their wallets and purses while
visiting a tourist destination.
Carry valuable items in your security wallet under your clothes and
less valuable items in your purse, wallet or daypack.
Is
there anything I have to worry about in particular?
Just exercise your ordinary "street smarts". When you visit
an unfamiliar city in the United States, you are aware of your
surroundings, you walk with some purpose, you dress to blend in with the
others around you and you carry your valuables safely. Do the same thing
when you are in a foreign country and, chances are, you will be OK.
How should I carry my purse?
Women who carry purses for several hours at a time, such as when
spending the day sightseeing, usually choose purses with shoulder
straps. There are two ways to arrange the shoulder strap: Over the
head or over the shoulder. Putting your shoulder strap over your head so
the strap crosses the front of your body is less comfortable, but more
secure. Wearing your purse under your coat, rather than over, is even more
secure. Note that if you wear your purse under your coat, it's best to put
the strap over your head to prevent it from sliding down your shoulder.
The best advice is to look at how the other women are carrying
their purses. If you see other women who live there carrying their purses with the strap over their heads, and the purse
directly in front of their bodies, then you do the same.
How should I arrange my stuff when I go out for a day of
sightseeing?
- Your passport and airline ticket should either be in the hotel safe
or in a security wallet worn under your clothes. Some countries
require foreign visitors to carry their actual passport at all times.
Most countries, however, require visitors to carry either their
passport or a photocopy. If possible carry a photocopy and leave the
original in the hotel safe. Carry your credit card in the security
wallet. A sports bra can double as a security wallet for women. A
"Travel Shirt" is available for both men and women, with a
zippered hidden pocket under one of the front pockets.
- Things moderately important to you go in your purse, jacket pocket
or waist pack. These are things that would cause some minor annoyance
or hardship if lost, but could be replaced without too much trouble.
Such things as reading glasses, sunglasses, enough cash to cover the
day's activities, lipstick, public transport passes, etc., could go in
a purse or jacket pocket.
- Things of little importance go in a daypack or satchel. It is
amazing how much stuff you collect in a sightseeing day. Your daypack
should carry museum brochures, city maps, public transport maps, an
umbrella, postcards, stamps, souvenirs, bottled water, unexposed film,
your hotel brochure (so you can find your way back), small stash of
toilet paper, hand sanitizer and other
easily-replaced items. If your daypack were to be stolen, the most
valuable thing missing should be the daypack itself.
What are common con-artist scams?
Many tourists fall victim to the "Helpful Stranger". They
work in pairs. One squirts a small amount of packaged ketchup or mayonnaise
on the back of your shoulder, then says "Hey, look at this! Eeewww,
let me help you clean this off.". While your attention is focused on
the stain on your jacket on your right shoulder, the confederate is
helping himself to your wallet in your left pants pocket. If anyone you do
not know calls your attention to a stain, turn away immediately, walk in
the opposite direction and deal with the stain when you are in a more
protected environment.
Another con is a variation of the "Pigeon Drop". You are
approached by someone who has found either a lot of money or has something
of some value. They need help, but for some (convincing) reason they
cannot go to the authorities. You agree to help, and in return you will
get some portion of the found money or the valuable item. There's a catch,
however. You need to front some of your own money, again, for some
innocent-sounding reason. Naturally, when you go to claim your share of the found money or
valuable item, it has vanished. The Pigeon Drop depends on human
greed and the universal desire to get something for nothing.
Americans overseas are particulary vulnerable to American con artists
as they are speaking our language with our accent. Hearing American
English in a sea of foreigners can put you off guard. If you want to help
a fellow American, then do so, but kiss your money goodbye.
Should I take any special precautions if traveling by train?
Train travel can be inexpensive, efficient and safe. There is one
special precaution if you plan to sleep on the train in a compartment. You
need to put your passport, airline ticket and money in your security
wallet and wrap the wallet strap around your thigh, wearing it under your
pants. Train thieves have been known to enter compartments of sleeping
passengers, carefully unzip the sleeping passenger's pants and help themselves to
the contents of security wallets worn around the waist.
Any special advice for women?
In addition to exercising the same precautions as in any American city,
women traveling overseas should make themselves aware of any special
cultural or political issues in a foreign country. Dressing immodestly, by
local standards, may indicate a woman is "asking for it".
Americans have, in recent years, moved away from this idiotic notion of
blaming the victim for the crime or rape or sexual battery, but many other
cultures have not.
It is wise to wear a wedding ring regardless of your actual marital
status. If you are, in fact, single and meet Mr. Right, you can make a joke about
needing the ring to avoid the riff-raff. More likely, you will use the
ring to deter the riff-raff from approaching you in the first place.
Women have a good alternative to the waist security wallet: The jogging
bra. Sports bras are designed to be supportive without exposing a lot of
cleavage. Sexy they are not. But, depending on the lady's anatomy, there's
a lot of room for small items. Before you leave home, try on a
jogging bra and see if you can get your passport and credit card in there
comfortably. It won't work for everyone, but many women find the jogging
bra a preferred alternative to the waist security wallet.
Any further reading?
Travel Advisory by Bambi Vincent and Bob Arno, is highly recommended
for all travelers, international or domestic. The photos of pickpockets in
action are sobering. We also recommend The Safe
Travel Book by Peter Savage. This is a must-read for the international
traveler. The second edition is out of print, but if you can get it used
or from an out-of-print source it is well worth reading. The
advice Mr Savage offers on dealing with hijackers is obsolete following
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In concert with all experts prior
to 9/11, Mr Savage advised cooperation with the hijackers. That is no
longer the proper response as the hijackers could be suicidal. We hope
that a new, revised third edition is in the works and hope to see it
published soon.
03/30/2004
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