PRECAUTIONS
TO TAKE WHILE TRAVELING
Safety on the Street
Safety on the Hotel
Safety when Driving
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Use the same common sense traveling overseas that you would at
home. Be especially cautious in, or avoid areas where you are likely
to be victimized. These include crowded subways, train stations,
elevators, tourist sites, market places, festivals and marginal
areas of cities.
Don't use short cuts, narrow alleys or poorly-lit streets.
Try not to travel alone at night.
Avoid public demonstrations and other civil disturbances.
Keep a low profile and avoid loud conversations or arguments.
Do not discuss travel plans or other personal matters with strangers.
Avoid scam artists. Beware of strangers who approach you, offering
bargains or to be your guide.
Beware of pickpockets. They often have an accomplice who will:
jostle you, ask you for directions or the time, point to something
spilled on your clothing, or distract you by creating a disturbance.
A child or even a woman carrying a baby can be a pickpocket. Beware
of groups of vagrant children who create a distraction while picking
your pocket.
Wear the shoulder strap of your bag across your chest and walk
with the bag away from the curb to avoid drive-by purse snatchers.
Try to seem purposeful when you move about. Even if you are lost,
act as if you know where you are going. When possible, ask directions
only from individuals in authority.
Know how to use a pay telephone and have the proper change or token
on hand.
Learn a few phrases in the local language so you can signal your
need for help, the police, or a doctor. Make note of emergency telephone
numbers you may need: police, fire, your hotel, and the nearest
U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are confronted, don't fight back.
Give up your valuables. Your money and passport can be replaced,
but you cannot.
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Keep your hotel door locked at all times. Meet visitors in the
lobby. Do not leave money and other valuables in your hotel room
while you are out. Use the hotel safe.
Let someone know when you expect to return, especially if out late
at night. If you are alone, do not get on an elevator if there is
a suspicious-looking person inside.
Read the fire safety instructions in your hotel room. Know how
to report a fire. Be sure you know where the nearest fire exit and
an alternate are. Count the doors between your room and the nearest
exit - this could be a life-saver if you have to crawl through a
smoke-filled corridor. Safety on public transport
If a country has a pattern of tourists being targeted by criminals
on public transport, that information is mentioned in the Consular
Information Sheets under the "Crime Information" section.
Taxis. Only take taxis clearly identified with official markings.
Beware of unmarked cabs. Trains. Well organized, systematic robbery
of passengers on trains along popular tourists routes is a serious
problem. It is more common at night and especially on overnight
trains.
If you see your way being blocked by a stranger and another person
is very close to you from behind, move away. This can happen in
the corridor of the train or on the platform or station.
Do not accept food or drink from strangers. Criminals have been
known to drug food or drink offered to passengers. Criminals may
also spray sleeping gas in train compartments.
Where possible, lock your compartment. If it cannot be locked securely,
take turns sleeping in shifts with your traveling companions. If
that is not possible, stay awake. If you must sleep unprotected,
tie down your luggage, strap your valuables to you and sleep on
top of them as much as possible.
Do not be afraid to alert authorities if you feel threatened in
any way. Extra police are often assigned to ride trains on routes
where crime is a serious problem.
Buses. The same type of criminal activity found on trains can be
found on public buses on popular tourist routes. For example, tourists
have been drugged and robbed while sleeping on buses or in bus stations.
In some countries whole bus loads of passengers have been held up
and robbed by gangs of bandits.
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When you rent a car, don't go for the exotic; choose a type commonly
available locally. Where possible, ask that markings that identify
it as a rental car be removed. Make certain it is in good repair.
If available, choose a car with universal door locks and power windows,
features that give the driver better control of access to the car.
An air conditioner, when available, is also a safety feature, allowing
you to drive with windows closed. Thieves can and do snatch purses
through open windows of moving cars. Keep car doors locked at all
times. Wear seat belts. As much as possible, avoid driving at night.
Don't leave valuables in the car. If you must carry things with
you, keep them out of sight in the trunk. Don't park your car on
the street overnight. If the hotel or municipality does not have
a parking garage or other secure area, select a well-lit area. Never
pick up hitchhikers. Don't get out of the car if there are suspicious
individuals nearby. Drive away. Patterns of crime against motorists
In many places frequented by tourists, including areas of southern
Europe, victimization of motorists has been refined to an art. Where
it is a problem, U.S. embassies are aware of it and consular officers
try to work with local authorities to warn the public about the
dangers. In some locations, these efforts at public awareness have
paid off, reducing the frequency of incidents. You may also wish
to ask your rental car agency for advice on avoiding robbery while
visiting tourist destinations.
Carjackers and thieves operate at gas stations, parking lots, in
city traffic, and along the highway. Be suspicious of anyone who
hails you or tries to get your attention when you are in or near
your car.
Criminals use ingenious ploys. They may masquerade as good Samaritans,
offering help for tires that they claim are flat or that they have
made flat. Or they may flag down a motorist, ask for assistance,
and then steal the rescuer's luggage or car. Usually they work in
groups, one person carrying on the pretense while the others rob
you.
Other criminals get your attention with abuse, either trying to
drive you off the road, or causing an "accident" by rear-ending
you or creating a "fender bender."
In some urban areas, thieves don't waste time on ploys, they simply
smash car windows at traffic lights, grab your valuables or your
car and get away. In cities around the world, "defensive driving"
has come to mean more than avoiding auto accidents; it means keeping
an eye out for potentially criminal pedestrians, cyclists, and scooter
riders.
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Copyright 2005 by Cardinal Points
Travel.
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