Posted on: Sunday, November 26, 2006
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SAVVY TRAVELER
Don't be a victim on vacation
By
Irene Croft Jr.
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Americans are wise to consider how they tread across the planet. Don't stay home when you yearn to walk on foreign soil, but do take precautions. Most incidents are preventable.
Every country has different rules of behavior, dress, language, customs, and culture. If you don't understand the rules, you are putting yourself at risk. As with travel anywhere, caution and common sense are your best guides.
Knowing how to deal with hazards and hassles you may encounter will make your trip more rewarding, safer and less intimidating.
Research the city or country where you plan to travel. Read online posts from newsgroups, forums, and bulletin boards relevant to your destination. Often you will find tips from travelers who have been there. English-language versions of newspapers online will help you become familiar with what is happening at your destination. Begin at www.worldnews.com for the electronic version of worthwhile newspapers worldwide.
Check possible threats abroad at the U.S. State Department's Web site at www.travel.state.gov or call the Overseas Citizen Services Hotline, at (888) 407-4747.
Avoid looking like a tourist. Go native, blending in with the local population. Conservative clothing provides useful camouflage in most cities. Ditch the Rolex and flashy jewels. Thieves will not always distinguish costume jewelry from the real thing — until after they've robbed you.
Be smart. Passports, particularly American and British, are among the world's most coveted commodities. Keep yours in a hotel safe deposit box or hidden in a locked suitcase. Photocopy the I.D./picture pages of your passport, with one copy to carry, one to tuck into your luggage and one to leave at home with a family member. In the case of theft or loss while traveling, your chances of a swift replacement will be greatly enhanced by documentary evidence.
Carry your wallet encircled by a thick rubber band in a front pocket, not in the back, and carry only small amounts of cash. Many veteran travelers recommend using a "dummy wallet" with $20 or less in small denominations. If you are robbed, turn over the dummy wallet immediately. Use sock wallets or nylon hideaway pouches attached to your belt or worn under your clothing for extra cash or other important items.
Carrying a purse, a map, a camera or wearing a waistpack is tantamount to pasting a bullseye on your chest. They scream "Tourist!" Backpacks are also a beacon for thieves, who steal the contents by slashing a hole in the bottom. Discretion in dress and behavior will greatly increase your invisibility on a thief's "victim" radar.
Ask at your hotel's front desk for safe districts around the city to jog, dine, or sightsee. Ask about local customs and which taxi companies to use or avoid. Be subtle about consulting maps in public.
When walking around cities and towns, travel in small groups or at least in pairs. Do not use short cuts, narrow alleys, or poorly lit streets. Do not travel alone at night in unsavory areas.
Watch body language. Confusion can make you a target. Always walk as if you know where you are going. An expression of confidence will deter those who might mean you harm.
Use ATMs during daylight hours when many people are around.
Trust instincts. If you have a gut feeling something is not right, it probably isn't. Leave. No matter where you travel there will be, sadly, people looking for opportunities to take advantage of visitors. Scams abound, and some are undetectable while they're happening. Avoid commerce with strangers. Beware of vagrant children, normally in groups of four or five, who will divert your attention, then pick your pocket.
Keep your purse or briefcase in view or "in touch" at all times.
Safeguard telephone credit card numbers from criminals who wait for callers to announce their details on public phones and then sell the numbers for unauthorized use. Be alert to strangers asking for directions, jostling you or spilling drink or food on your clothing. An accomplice may be pilfering your wallet, purse, or briefcase while you are distracted. Decline food and drink, bargains or guide services from strangers who approach you.
Be cognizant that pockets of the globe are tough neighborhoods. Make defensive preparations in advance to ensure your safety and security. Then tread with confidence in this best of all possible worlds.
Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.
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