Staying Safe When Traveling
People travel for different reasons –business, vacation, or to visit family and friends. Traveling, whether by car, bus, train, plane, or ship is generally safe, yet there remain unscrupulous persons who are out to take advantage of tourists and travelers who are new in town and are unfamiliar with the locality. It is because of criminals and con men like these that travelers should take extra precautions while on the road.
Before even leaving home, you can begin to take measures to lessen the possibility of attracting the attention of criminals, by adopting the Minimalists’ motto “Less is More”. Try not to travel with your expensive and showy equipment or jewelry. If you can do with an inexpensive digital camera, you can leave your Nikon D3X at home. If you have to bring it, at least do not flaunt it, and try to keep it within sight at all times.
Back up all travel documents, especially when traveling to foreign countries. Make several photocopies of your passport and visa, travel insurance, plane ticket, travelers’ check receipts, and other legal documents that can identify you. Leave copies of these at home so that they can be faxed to you if needed, and distribute the other copies among your luggage. A copy of your birth certificate may also be useful if you lose your passport.
Your money, credit cards, and passport are the most important items that you should look after when traveling. Keeping them in a pouch bag worn in front of you is perhaps the safest way to secure them. Wearing it behind your back or putting your wallet in your pant’s back pocket only provides thieves the opportunity to slice them and wait for your money and credits cards to fall off.
When checking into a hotel, verify if all of your bags are delivered into the lobby with you. Check out where the room keys are stored at the registration counter. If they are easily accessible to anybody passing by, you may find a stranger rummaging through your stuff upon entering room after spending some time out.
If at all possible, do not get a room higher than the 6th floor. Fire ladders normally reach only up to that level. Stay near elevators or staircases if you can. They may be noisier but they are a lot safer.